“The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time in over three years amid concerns over stubborn inflation that has been driven recently by higher energy prices. Fed policymakers voted 12-0 to raise the federal funds rate from a range of 3.5% to 3.75% to a new target rate of 3.75% to 4%. The 25-basis-point increase marks the first interest rate hike since July 2023 and comes after the Fed left rates unchanged at its first five meetings this year.” (09/16/26)
“The U.S. special envoy for Belarus said Wednesday that the country’s authorities have agreed to release 25 prisoners as part of a deal that includes the lifting of U.S. sanctions against some Belarusian companies. John Coale, President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, made the statement a day after meeting Belarus'[s] authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who pushed for the remaining U.S. sanctions against his country to be lifted. … Since Trump returned to the White House for his second term, Lukashenko has released hundreds of political prisoners in a series of U.S.-mediated deals that also lifted some U.S. sanctions.” (09/16/26)
“Officials from the US met Houthi leaders over the weekend at the country’s embassy in Muscat, Oman, it has been confirmed, leading to the US decision not to intervene to help Saudi Arabia drive back a Houthi advance inside Yemen. The Iran-backed militant group reassured the US that the ceasefire agreement between the two sides struck in 2025 still held and the movement had no intention of attacking US shipping in the Red Sea. Only Saudi-linked shipping was regarded as a target owing to its blockade of Yemen, the Houthis confirmed. … In a lightning offensive last week, the Houthis seized control of large swathes of western Yemen along the Red Sea coast.” (09/16/26)
“The Libertarian National Committee has voted to recognize the Granite State Libertarian Party as its new affiliate in New Hampshire, selecting the organization over a competing group also seeking recognition under the name of the previous state affiliate. … the LNC voted in May to disaffiliate the previous Libertarian Party of New Hampshire over its support of Republican Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election and claims that it promoted ‘anti-libertarian positions.’ The national party’s Judicial Committee later upheld that decision in a unanimous vote.” (09/16/26)
‘A Kosovo war crimes tribunal on Wednesday found former President Hashim Thaci guilty of war crimes committed during the 1998-1999 war for independence from Serbia. Thaci, a former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for crimes including murder, torture and illegal detention. He was tried along with three other former KLA guerrilla leaders in The Hague. The tribunal said Thaci was guilty of the murder of of 96 political opponents and perceived collaborators with Serbian security forces at the hands of the KLA during the conflict. He was also convicted for the illegal detention of 385 people and torturing more than 300 people.” (09/16/26)
“The family of Charlie Kirk alleges in a newly obtained notice of claim that a ‘series of stunning failures and reckless decisions’ by Utah Valley University led to the conservative activist’s on-campus assassination last year. … The notice, which preserves the family’s statute of limitations so that they can bring a lawsuit over Kirk’s death, cited high-profile incidents as recent examples of political violence …. The notice alleges that the university failed to conduct a “meaningful risk assessment” before approving the outdoor location and did not dedicate enough security resources.” (09/16/26)
“The U.K. government plans to update the Online Safety Act to clamp down on so-called ‘doxxing’— publicly sharing private or personal information about a person online without their consent — following the harassment of volunteers at a charity which helps people at sea, Digital Secretary Lisa Nandy said. ‘We’re certainly going to be tightening up the law to make sure that where people’s addresses are being published online, that is an offense, and action has to be taken swiftly,’ Nandy said on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday.” (09/16/26)
“The House will vote Wednesday on a broad package of sanctions targeting Russian officials and key pillars of its economy as lawmakers look to deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin of the financial resources needed to wage the war against Ukraine. The bill is named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who spent more than a year working on it. If the House passes the bill, it would go to President Donald Trump to be signed into law. The legislation represents the most ambitious effort to support Ukraine since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and would break nearly two years of relative gridlock on the issue following a 2024 emergency aid package. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pushing for the bill’s passage and made a direct appeal to senators shortly before they passed it last month.” (09/16/26)
“The number of people aged 100 or older in Japan surpassed a record 100,000 this year, the latest government figures show, underscoring the country’s rapidly aging and declining population. The Health and Welfare Ministry statistics released Tuesday show Japan now has 107,677 centenarians, up 7,914 from the previous year and exceeding the 100,000 mark for the first time. Nearly 88% of them are women.” (09/16/26)
“European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday proposed opening the door for Canada to become the European Union’s first ‘associate member,’ a significant step that could bring Ottawa substantially closer to the bloc as its trade dispute with the U.S. shows no signs of abating. Speaking in Strasbourg during her annual State of the European Union address, von der Leyen addressed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was in the chamber, and called for a major expansion of economic, technological and security cooperation between Canada and the EU. … Earlier this week, Carney — who is scheduled to address the European Parliament on Thursday — said Canada was seeking a ‘unique alliance’ with the EU, but not membership.” (09/16/260
