Trump TV Blackout, Northeast Flight Chaos & Fall Equinox - Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Erica Mandy (0:00)

Today is Tuesday, September 22nd. We're talking about the priorities for more than 100 presidents and prime ministers who were all in the US today. Also, what caused hundreds of flights to be grounded across the Northeast, and how air traffic control is being modernized with the help of AI.

Plus, why five major TV networks are standing together, even CNN and Fox News, what Paramount had to agree to to get its Warner Bros merger back on track, and where you can see Star Wars memorabilia and prehistoric cave art all in one place. Those stories and even more news coming up.

Welcome to The NewsWorthy, all the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this.

World leaders are coming together today for the United Nations General Assembly, and this one is going to be closely watched with wars, artificial intelligence, and climate change all on the agenda.

Ahead of the high-level week-long meeting, the UN Secretary General spoke about its importance, saying, quote, it would be hard to imagine a scenario as threatening as the one we're facing right now. That's why he says international cooperation is more necessary than ever.

Overall, about 130 heads of state and government are expected to speak, including President Trump today. And because Ukraine and Iran will be major focus areas, both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Iranian President Masoud Pesachian are scheduled to speak tomorrow. Then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to speak Thursday, as well as Venezuela's interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, who will be making her debut on the world stage. Of course, this is the first time the threat posed by artificial intelligence has jumped to the top of the agenda. And when it comes to AI, UN leaders plan to push for global cooperation and guardrails. Climate change and the global economy are also expected to be discussed, including the impact of higher energy prices and disrupted shipping routes. In the middle of all these challenges, the UN is also searching for its next leader, who will take over in January. Plus, the organization is facing financial problems and pressure to perform. When asked about the atmosphere inside UN headquarters, the organization's spokesperson described it simply as high stress.

President Trump's UN trip won't be covered by any TV cameras. The reason? A growing fight between the White House and the news media. Remember, Trump banned CNN, MSNOW, and Politico from the White House last week, saying he was tired of what he called fake news. The three outlets are now suing the administration, arguing the ban violates their First Amendment rights. But CNN was already scheduled to be the TV network covering Trump yesterday for the pool coverage. The idea of a TV pool is when one news organization provides camera footage that other news outlets can use. That way, the president doesn't have dozens of cameras following him everywhere, and networks can then split the costs. Typically in the US, news outlets rotate pool assignments between five major networks, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox. Well, when the White House removed CNN from the rotation, the other networks did something unprecedented. They decided not to replace it, sending a message to the Trump administration that they all stand with their colleagues at CNN. Still, President Trump defends his decision to ban the network and the other two news organizations, saying access to him is a privilege, not a right, and that when news outlets publish and defamatory stories, they lose that privilege. Either way, there were no major broadcast TV cameras covering the president's departure yesterday, including when he unveiled his new White House helipad, and that will continue for his UN trip. Though the UN will still have its own cameras covering the General Assembly. And last night, the White House launched what it's calling a Trump TV stream, where it will run what the Trump administration believes are highlights of the president's achievements.

A grand jury in Mississippi has wrapped up its investigation into the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells. It heard from dozens of witnesses and reviewed evidence, police reports, videos, images, and the autopsy report. And it unanimously found there was no evidence of a crime, so no one will face charges. Remember, the last time anyone reported seeing Nolan Wells was on a boat trip he and his friends took to Horn Island, about 10 miles off the coast of Mississippi, on the 4th of July. The friends he went with returned home, saying Wells chose to stay back. His body was later found off the shoreline. Well, now the report released late last night says it looks like Wells drowned, though the condition of his body made it tough to know for sure. The grand jury also addressed the intense national attention this case has gotten. And it said the allegations made against Wells' friends are, quote, malicious, false, and untrue. From the beginning, there was a lot of distrust in this case, partly because of a fraught racial history in Mississippi. And also, Wells appeared to be the only person of color in a picture with his friends on the trip. The Wells family hired a prominent civil rights lawyer to conduct an independent investigation. The grand jury says that lawyer was contacted and said he also wasn't able to find any proof of criminal activity. That said, there's no statute of limitations, so if more evidence does come to light, the grand jury suggests the case should be revisited.