Trump's Annihilation Threat, AI Rebranded & Viral Iced Coffee Debate - Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Erica Mandy (0:00)

Today is Wednesday, September 23rd. We'll tell you about President Trump's message to world leaders and the threats that had some people walking out during his speech at the UN, and why Trump wants the government to stop using the terms artificial intelligence and AI.

Also, what to know about one of the most powerful storms ever seen in the Eastern Pacific. Plus, where sea turtle nests showed up for the first time ever. Which country star just broke an all-time billboard record? And why bringing an iced coffee to a job interview might hurt your chances of getting hired? 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.

President Trump addressed some of the most powerful people in the world by talking up America's influence and military might while threatening some of those gathered in the room. At the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, Trump declared America is in a golden age, and the president presented himself as a peacemaker, saying he has made peace by using America's power around the world. Then he turned his attention to Iran, saying he could annihilate the country if he wanted to. Trump gave Iran a choice to make a deal with the US., to end the conflict and give up its nuclear program, or be driven, quote, into hell with no chance of survival. As he made that threat, most of the Iranian delegation walked out of the room. Trump also had a strong message for Cuba, saying the US was looking for a, quote, fundamental change in the situation in what he called a failed state. He predicted Cuba's communist government will fall. And with that, the Cuban delegation walked out as well.

Trump also used his speech to talk up a new security agreement with Denmark and Greenland. He signed the agreement with Danish and Greenlandic leaders, saying it will give the US greater control over security on the island. And as part of it, Trump announced the US will build two major military bases on top of the US space base that's already there. The way it's written, Denmark would still keep control of Greenland, but the deal would stay in place even if the island eventually becomes independent. Of course, Trump is just one of about 130 heads of state and government making their case at the UN. General Assembly. Today, the world will be closely watching as other leaders take the stage, including the heads of Iran and Ukraine.

A Venezuelan man who was shot by an ice agent in Austin is back in federal custody with a bullet still lodged in his back. Wilbur Rafael Garces Perez was shot Sunday while he was making a door-dash delivery. He's been in and out of the hospital since then, but as of this morning, the injured man is being held in a detention center. His lawyer says he hasn't received adequate medical care and has started to lose movement on one side of his body. But the Homeland Security Department says Perez is getting the care that's needed and that ICE doesn't make the medical decisions about his treatment, doctors do. Meanwhile, there are different stories about what really led up to the shooting. Perez says an ICE agent sideswiped his car and that he was shot while still in the driver's seat. But Austin Police released new video that seems to show Perez trying to drive away from the traffic stop. Still, that video does not show the actual shooting. And NBC News reports the ICE officer who fired the shot was not wearing a body camera despite being issued one. Now advocates and lawmakers are still demanding an independent investigation while Perez lawyer tries to get him released from custody. This week, a federal judge blocked Perez from being deported, at least for now. He's due back in court later this month.

The Trump administration is now kicking hundreds of thousands of people off Affordable Care Act plans, also known as Obamacare, saying they either don't qualify or don't exist. Vice President JD Vance's anti-fraud task force is behind this action. And he says the move will save taxpayers about $2.2 billion.

Apparently, some people were signed up without even knowing it, while others were ineligible because they had health insurance through their jobs or made too much money to qualify for subsidies. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is also cutting off hundreds of brokers and agents who sign people up for government health care, and it's suspending new agent and broker registrations for six months. These are people paid by insurance companies, and they can get up to $25 a month for each new person they enroll. But officials say some brokers have taken advantage of that system and created fake enrollments. The administration says this is all about making sure government subsidies go only to people who actually qualify and saving American taxpayers money. But some health care policy experts say there aren't enough details about how it's decided who to remove, raising concerns that some legitimate enrollees could get caught up in the crackdown. For now, the administration says it will continue verifying other enrollees.