The Stateside Beat — Morning Audio Brief · 2026-09-26

Morning audio brief for Saturday, September 26, 2026 — tap play above to listen with slides and subtitles. Here's what happened:

Nor'easter floods Jersey roads as major East Coast storm takes shape

A rare September nor'easter is grinding up the East Coast this morning, and it's already making a mess. The Associated Press reports thousands of customers are without power, while flooding roads have swamped some homes in coastal New Jersey communities. Forecasters expect the storm to slam New York and Boston through Sunday, and New Jersey's shore counties are under a state of emergency ahead of the worst of it. With heavy rain, coastal flooding and gusty winds on tap all weekend, officials are urging people to stay off flooded roadways — and Ed Sheeran's Gillette Stadium concerts this weekend were even called off because of the weather.

Iran proposes 7-day plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz as it seeks deal before U.S. midterms

Tehran has put a proposal on the table: a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for a huge share of the world's oil. The offer comes as Iran seeks a deal with Washington ahead of the U.S. midterms, according to CBS News. But the Wall Street Journal reports President Trump has rejected Iran's ceasefire proposal, telling advisers he expects renewed bombing after the elections. The standoff leaves energy markets and shipping lanes on edge heading into the weekend.

Takeaways from the Trump-Xi state visit: pageantry and pandas

President Trump rolled out the red carpet this week for Chinese leader Xi Jinping — his first state visit to Washington since 2015. NPR's read on the summit: pageantry and pandas, with plenty of spectacle but few concrete agreements. The New York Times notes Xi even flew home with one of Trump's go-to gifts, a bald eagle. The leaders indulged in ceremony while real crises — trade, the Iran war, Taiwan — continued to mount, and analysts are watching whether any of the goodwill survives contact with policy.

Trump cancels nearly $1bn in funding approved by Congress

The White House is moving to claw back nearly one billion dollars in spending that Congress — including Republicans — already approved. The Guardian reports President Trump is using his rarely invoked rescission authority to cancel the funds, much of it aimed at immigrant services, with education and health programs also in the crosshairs. ABC News puts the total at over eight hundred million dollars, and Senator Susan Collins is calling it a "clear violation" of the law. Expect a constitutional fight on Capitol Hill over who controls the purse.

US Supreme Court again blocks Missouri's gerrymandered congressional map

The Supreme Court has stepped into Missouri's redistricting saga for a third time — and again blocked the state's Republican-drawn congressional map from being used. The court's intervention Friday night shuts down GOP efforts to redraw a Democratic-held House seat ahead of November's midterms, according to the Missouri Independent. With control of the House likely hinging on a handful of districts, the ruling is a significant win for map defenders — and another chapter in the national redistricting wars.

TikTok to pay Alabama $100m and limit teenage use in first state settlement

TikTok has agreed to pay Alabama one hundred million dollars in the platform's first state settlement over social-media addiction claims. Alongside the payout, the company will introduce new safeguards for teenagers — including a two-hour daily time limit and a ban on beauty filters for minors. Alabama's attorney general hailed the deal as historic, and it could become a template for the other states still suing the platform over youth safety.

Sources

The Stateside Beat Audio · 2026-09-26 · morning · Narrated edition, compiled from AP News, CBS News, WSJ, NPR, The Guardian, Missouri Independent.