U.S., Denmark and Greenland sign Arctic defense agreement.
Today's events
Greenland security agreement.
Trump signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland granting the United States permanent basing rights on the island and barring any U.S. adversary from a base, military presence, or sensitive investment there without American approval.1Sep 22 · WHAddress to the General Assembly.
Trump told the 81st session Iran will never be allowed a nuclear weapon, said strikes on cartel boats destroyed 97 percent of drugs arriving by sea, and pledged military force in the Western Hemisphere.2Sep 22 · WHStrait of Hormuz.
Rubio said the strait's southern lane has been cleared of mines and oil transit is rising daily, with most ships passing unharmed; he was pressed on U.S. gasoline near $4.45 and record diesel prices.3Sep 22 · StateShield of the Americas.
The United States and 14 Western Hemisphere governments announced asset freezes, visa restrictions, and criminal liability for supporters of 24 narco-terrorist organizations, and will ask the Organization of American States to convene the Rio Treaty.4Sep 22 · StateWork-visa restrictions.
Two presidential actions were filed for publication: an executive order tightening administration and interagency oversight of the H-1B visa program, and a proclamation restricting the entry of certain nonimmigrant workers.5Sep 22 · Fed. Reg.Italy minerals pact.
Rubio and Italian Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani signed a critical-minerals memorandum of understanding in New York, a follow-up to the minerals conference Rubio convened in Washington; Tajani called it central to Italy's industrial policy.6Sep 21 · StateExploited software flaws.
CISA added four actively exploited vulnerabilities to its catalog — two in Check Point products, one in Arista's VeloCloud Orchestrator, and a heap overflow in F5's BIG-IP access manager.7Sep 22 · CISAUCSF medical school.
The Civil Rights Division found the University of California, San Francisco's medical school discriminated by race in 2023–2025 admissions, admitting Black applicants 12.6 times more often than white applicants with matching scores and grades.8Sep 22 · DOJAnimal-testing rule.
The FDA issued a direct final rule replacing “animal tests” with “nonclinical tests” across its drug regulations, clearing the way for organs-on-chips and computer models in pre-human safety testing.9Sep 21 · FDA
This week
Xi state visit set.
The White House announced on September 22 that Xi Jinping will arrive September 24 for an official state visit — the first in more than a decade — with a South Lawn arrival ceremony, a state dinner, and a B-2 flyover. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had met Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York two days earlier. The same week, Commerce found Chinese tin mill products sold below fair value.2Sep 22 · WHMinerals and supply-chain pacts.
Rubio signed critical-minerals frameworks with Lithuania on September 17 and Italy on September 21, both follow-ons to the minerals conference he convened in Washington; the Lithuania text commits both governments to pick priority projects and line up financing within six months. On September 21 the United States, Japan, and South Korea also agreed to a three-way supply-chain early-warning system and a plan to speed small nuclear-reactor exports.5Sep 17–21 · StateMedicaid drug pricing.
Every state Medicaid program, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, now buys brand-name drugs at the lowest price paid by comparable developed countries, the White House said on September 18 — close to $65 billion in savings over a decade. The Trade Representative held a public hearing on September 22 in its trade investigation of Germany's underpayment for innovative medicines, a case aimed at European drug-pricing rules.6Sep 18 · WHSkilled-worker visa fee.
Trump extended the $100,000 fee on certain H-1B petitions another 12 months, to September 21, 2027, and ordered agencies to weigh an employer's recent layoffs of American workers when judging its applications. More than 700 petitions have paid the fee since 2025. An executive order tightening oversight of the program and a companion entry proclamation were filed for publication on September 22.7Sep 18 · WH
Allied Governments
Bab al-Mandab statement.
Group of Seven foreign ministers condemned Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia and on civilian shipping, and called on Iran to stop arming the group in breach of three Security Council resolutions.aSep 22 · UK FCDOTorpedo from a drone.
The UK fired a U.S. torpedo from a 12-metre uncrewed undersea vessel built in Plymouth — the first such launch by either country — and opened a joint artificial-intelligence and autonomy programme with Washington.bSep 22 · UK govSpace squadron stood up.
The Royal Air Force launched No. III Space Effects Squadron, its first unit dedicated to disrupting, degrading, and denying hostile activity against British satellites.cSep 23 · UK MoD
Voices
“From the first day I entered the political arena, I have been unwavering — I will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
President Donald J. Trump, 81st UN General Assembly · Sep 222
“75 years ago, we entered into an agreement about the defense of Greenland. Today, we are signing an even bigger and better agreement — a deal that can last forever.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen · Sep 221
“[T]here is a southern lane in the Straits of Hormuz. Our military has worked very hard to clear it. It's clear of mines.”
Sec. of State Marco Rubio, NBC News · Sep 223
“We, the Heads of State and Government participating in the Shield of the Americas, jointly declare our intention to strengthen the resilience of the Western Hemisphere.”
Joint Statement on Defending Hemispheric Sovereignty · Sep 224
“The Supreme Court has spoken clearly — federally funded medical schools may not admit students based on misguided and illegal notions of diversity.”
AAG Harmeet K. Dhillon, DOJ Civil Rights · Sep 228
“Italy is an industrial country, the second most important industrial country in Europe, and on trade we are number four in the world.”
Italian Deputy PM and FM Antonio Tajani, New York · Sep 216
Sources
- White House, “President Trump Inks Historic Arctic Security Agreement,” September 22, 2026. whitehouse.gov/releases/…/arctic-security-agreement
- White House, “President Trump at the United Nations: ‘While Others Have Talked, I Have Acted’,” September 22, 2026. whitehouse.gov/releases/…/trump-at-the-united-nations
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Craig Melvin of NBC News ‘TODAY’,” September 22, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/rubio-nbc-news-today
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Joint Statement on Defending Hemispheric Sovereignty,” September 22, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/defending-hemispheric-sovereignty
- Federal Register, “Immigration: H–1B Nonimmigrant Visa Program Administration; Efforts To Enhance Program Integrity and Interagency Coordination” (Executive Order 14431), filed September 22, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/h1b-program-integrity-eo-14431
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Secretary Rubio and Italian Deputy PM and FM Antonio Tajani at a Critical Minerals MOU Signing Ceremony,” September 21, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/italy-critical-minerals-mou
- CISA, “CISA Adds Four Known Exploited Vulnerabilities to Catalog,” September 22, 2026. cisa.gov/news-events/…/kev-four-additions
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Justice Department Finds UCSF Medical School Discriminates Based on Race in Admissions,” September 22, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/ucsf-medical-school
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “FDA Updates Regulations to Advance Innovative Alternatives to Animal Testing,” September 21, 2026. fda.gov/news-events/…/alternatives-to-animal-testing
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, “G7 Statement on Bab al-Mandab and Navigational Rights and Freedoms,” September 22, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/g7-bab-al-mandab
- UK Government, “Prime Minister drives global work on artificial intelligence at UNGA as UK and US make history with firing from undersea drone,” September 22, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/firing-from-undersea-drone
- UK Ministry of Defence, “RAF launches first ever space squadron dedicated to defending Britain's satellites,” September 23, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/raf-space-squadron