U.S. Exits Iraq, Flood Risk Grows & 50-State Torch Relay - Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Erica Mandy (0:00)

Today is Wednesday, September 30th. We'll tell you about the formal end of the deadliest US war of the 21st century and why there are concerns about it starting up again. Also, what's bringing the risk of flooding to more than 150 million Americans this week? Plus, what you can now ask the government's new AI chat bot, why Six Flags is retiring one of its main attractions, and what kind of spectacle is being planned all across the US ahead of the 2028 Olympics? 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.

The US has officially left Iraq. The last American troops were set to leave the country today, ending more than two decades of US military operations there. It all started in 2003, when the US invaded Iraq, toppling former President Saddam Hussein and beginning a war that would last for years, claiming the lives of about 4,500 Americans. The US withdrew combat troops in 2011, but American forces returned just three years later when ISIS seized large parts of Iraq and Syria. The US and its allies declared victory over that ISIS territory in 2017

Still ISIS did have fighters and cells operating, so about 2,500 American troops stayed back to help keep the group from rebuilding. Now the Trump administration says that mission is no longer needed. But with Americans gone, there are questions about what happens next. Iraq is marking the moment with several days of public holidays, which the government is calling days of sovereignty. But Iraqi security experts tell Reuters the US exit could give Iran and its allies more room to expand their influence in the region. There are also concerns ISIS could try to take advantage of any security gaps. The US says it's not losing focus, though, that it will continue to keep tabs on the Islamic State from Jordan.

The US military is also in for some big changes back home. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly planning to cut the number of general and admiral positions by 20 percent. That's double the size of the cut he ordered last year. At this point, there are about 850 American generals and admirals on active duty, so this action could eliminate hundreds of senior positions. But it doesn't mean hundreds of people are being fired. Reports say some likely will. But others could take future positions at a lower rank. Hegseth has said he wants to cut through what he sees as unnecessary bureaucracy and streamline military leadership.

But there's disagreement over whether that will actually make the military more effective. Some argue too many top-ranked officers can slow down decision-making. But others say the military needs those senior leaders to manage complex operations, work with allied countries, and keep up with new technology.

Hegseth is expected to lay out the plan today during a rare address to military officers at Quantico, Virginia.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency is planning another big hiring surge. ICE is reportedly looking to hire 5,000 more people in the coming months, as the Trump administration expands its immigration crackdown. Already, ICE has grown by nearly 40 percent since President Trump took office, and still some officers have been asked to work seven days a week to keep up with the deportation campaign. So Congress designated more funding to go to ICE hiring. But the new hiring push comes as ICE is still dealing with questions about how it vetted thousands of people hired during a previous surge. As the Washington Post reports, some of last year's recruits were hired without basic checks of their fingerprints or identities, and ICE has since fired hundreds of those recruits. Now the agency says it plans to use stricter vetting standards this time.

The US. Supreme Court has cleared the way for the government to keep sending some migrants to countries where they aren't from, even places where they've never been before. The justices voted six to three to pause a lower court ruling that said migrants needed to get notice and a chance to object before being sent to a third country. The Trump administration has already used this policy to send about 25,000 people to more than two dozen countries, from Mexico to Liberia to Guyana. As the government explains it, third country deportations are needed when someone can't be sent back to their home country for whatever reason. And it says the receiving countries promise they won't be prosecuted or tortured. But some immigrants' lawyers say the policy can still put people in danger because they may have no meaningful chance to explain why they fear serious harm in that third country before they're put on a plane. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in December about whether the policy is actually legal. But yesterday's order allows it to continue, at least until the court answers that question.