Personal Newscast 9/30/2026

U.S. completes troop withdrawal from Iraq

The U.S. military announced Wednesday that American forces and equipment have completed an orderly departure from Erbil Air Base in Iraq’s Kurdish region, ending the Iraq chapter of Operation Inherent Resolve. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell called it the successful close of a 12-year campaign that defeated ISIS as an organized military threat in Iraq, with security now shifting to Iraqi-led forces and a more normal bilateral relationship. CENTCOM said the broader counter-ISIS task force is relocating its headquarters to Jordan and will continue operations in Syria. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi hailed a “new phase” of sovereignty; Baghdad declared multi-day “Days of Sovereignty” holidays. The original Sept. 30 deadline had also been tied to disarming non-state militias; that timeline has slipped.

Source: Just The News; Fox News; Newsmax headline roundup

Washington and Beijing cut tariffs on $30 billion in goods

After a three-day Trump–Xi summit in Washington, the White House said the two sides agreed to lower tariffs on $30 billion in “non-sensitive” two-way trade. U.S. exports getting better treatment include farm goods, fish and seafood, wood products, cosmetics, and medical devices. Chinese goods listed include small appliances, toys, holiday decorations, and children’s car seats. China also committed to import at least 10 million metric tons of U.S. coal in 2027 and 2028. A new U.S.–China Board of Trade is the channel for investment complaints. OANN reported the board recommended comparable $30 billion lists on each side.

Source: Fox News; Just The News; One America News

Israel and Hamas: ceasefire reports amid a fragile Gaza track

Just The News aired an update that Israel and Hamas would cease fire across the Gaza border early Friday, described as a potentially tenuous halt after intense fighting. Separate reporting this week shows the U.S.-backed Board of Peace still struggling to lock sequencing: Israel wants Hamas disarmed before a deeper withdrawal; Hamas and mediators have pushed a phased roadmap. Israel has continued to list ceasefire violations and targeted Hamas commanders even as reconstruction plans sit on the table. Treat any “deal” language as fluid until both sides implement it on the ground.

Source: Just The News

Trump Accounts to auto-enroll about 60 million children

Treasury rules released this week say the government will automatically create Trump Accounts for more than 60 million children who do not already have one, beginning on or about Oct. 1. Parents will no longer have to sign up first. The accounts are a signature administration savings vehicle for kids; watch for follow-on guidance on contributions, investment options, and how schools and banks will handle the rollout.

Source: Newsmax

IRS drafts a citizenship question for 2027 tax returns

Newsmax reports the IRS is drafting a citizenship question for tax year 2027 returns. Supporters frame it as alignment with immigration enforcement and benefit eligibility. Critics will argue it chills filing and mixed-status households. The form language is still in draft; the political fight will be over whether it is a simple checkbox or a data-sharing tool with DHS.

Source: Newsmax

ICE plans 5,000 more hires by year’s end

Immigration and Customs Enforcement intends to add 5,000 employees before Dec. 31, according to Newsmax. The hiring push sits alongside continued interior enforcement and a high-profile Austin case in which a Venezuelan national shot by an ICE officer was charged with assaulting a federal officer after a vehicle pursuit.

Source: Newsmax

Florida bars illegal immigrants from taxpayer-funded trade schools

Florida is expanding education restrictions by blocking illegal immigrants from publicly funded trade and career programs, prioritizing citizens and legal residents for workforce seats. The move tracks the state’s broader pattern of tying public benefits and training slots to legal status.

Source: Newsmax

Army National Guard hits FY2026 recruiting goal

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Army National Guard met its fiscal 2026 mission of 37,155 soldiers — the third straight year and the first such streak since FY2013. The active Army already hit its own goal in May, months before today’s Sept. 30 fiscal deadline, with 61,500 enlistments reported at that time.

Source: Just The News

Weekly jobless claims hold at 884,000

The Labor Department said first-time unemployment claims last week were 884,000, unchanged from the prior week. That is a high print by pre-pandemic standards and will feed the midterm argument over whether the labor market is cooling or stuck.

Source: Just The News

MAHA Summit: fraud numbers and AI in health

Federal officials, medical experts, and industry leaders gathered in Washington for the second annual Make America Healthy Again summit. OANN highlighted Vice President JD Vance saying reviews of federal programs have uncovered nearly $250 billion in alleged fraud — ineligible recipients, phantom identities, and billing for services not delivered. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said program-integrity staffing had collapsed to a handful of people despite billions of transactions, and both Vance and Kennedy pitched AI as a tool for diagnosis, records access, and fraud detection.

Source: One America News

White House AI accord and a new government website

President Trump said tech leaders signed an accord to “self-police” AI development and called it morally binding. He also previewed a new AI website that he said could change how Americans interact with federal agencies. Separately, Anthropic’s IPO filing warned investors that advanced AI could pose “catastrophic or existential risks to humanity” — an unusual disclosure from a company racing to sell the same technology. Newsmax also cited estimates that AI could push about 11 million U.S. workers into new jobs rather than simply erase them.

Source: Newsmax; Fox News video lineup

Other national notes

• Montana is leading a 25-state Supreme Court fight over Maine’s gun-waiting-period law. — Newsmax
• A judge dismissed Riley Gaines’ Title IX lawsuit against the NCAA. — Newsmax
• The Navy is expanding laser systems to knock down drones and save missiles. — Newsmax
• A Minneapolis “violence interrupter” program is under scrutiny for fraud, waste, and abuse. — Newsmax; OANN orbit
• Tennessee is scheduled to carry out the state’s first execution of a woman in more than 200 years. — Newsmax

Hulu + Live TV: first month at $49.99

Cord Cutters News flags a limited promo: first month of Hulu + Live TV for $49.99. That is the live-channels bundle, not ad-supported on-demand Hulu alone. If you are testing a cable replacement, use the cheap month to check local channels, sports blackouts, and whether the app holds up on your TV before the price snaps back.

Source: Cord Cutters News

T-Mobile: 10% off for life via in-app referrals

Current T-Mobile postpaid customers can generate referral codes in the T-Life app. New switchers who use those codes get a 10% discount on every voice line for as long as the new account stays active. That is an account-level cut, not a one-month credit — read the fine print on who qualifies and whether it stacks with other promos.

Source: Cord Cutters News

Today on the apps: MLB Wild Card and Sept. 30 drops

Peacock’s September sports slate lists multiple MLB Wild Card games today (Games 5–8 on the published grid). HBO Max adds Unmasking a Monster: Aileen Wuornos. Hulu lists Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and One of Them Days. Netflix’s Sept. 30 pile includes Ancient Aliens Season 13, Hoarders Season 16, and several true-crime titles. Paramount+ is teasing October returns of Tulsa King and Dexter: Resurrection.

Source: Cord Cutters News

Hardware and cloud-cutting deals

Cord Cutters also notes a UGREEN 4-bay NAS (diskless) cut to $373.99 for people building a home media server instead of renting more cloud storage, plus lingering Amazon Echo discounts of up to 56%.

Source: Cord Cutters News

NHL opening night and leftover storm watch

HBO Max / TNT listings flag NHL opening night for Sept. 30. Separately, OANN covered a nor’easter earlier this week that knocked out power across the Mid-Atlantic and New England and produced coastal flooding — worth a check if you are traveling the I-95 corridor today.

Source: Cord Cutters News; One America News

Canada import fight and Cuba talk

OANN reported a U.S. ban on selected Canadian imports — including some motorcycles, dairy, and alcohol — taking effect this week in the ongoing trade spat. President Trump separately told reporters he expects a deal with Cuba and does not think the military will be needed, calling the island a failing state he wants opened to Americans.

Source: One America News