Sep 19, 2026 · 5 min listen · Last updated September 19, 2026
From storyflo. This is your daily audio brief. Jessica, September 19th. The day in ten — let's begin with the story drawing the most coverage. Let's get into it. First, from The Hindu Top. Russia holds parliamentary vote in areas it seized from Ukraine in the war.
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Daily News Brief · September 19th
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Russia holds parliamentary vote in areas it seized from Ukraine in the war
Russia's parliamentary election for the first time includes residents of regions that Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine after the start of its full-scale invasion more than four-and-a half years ago, part of Kremlin efforts to cement its gains. Officials in Kyiv vigorously denounced the action as illegal, and a human rights activist described residents there as being coerced to participate in the election.
German Elections on Baltic Coast and Berlin May Seal Merz’s Fate
Campaigning in the Baltic port city of Rostock this week, the eastern German state premier seeking to extend her nine-year tenure took Friedrich Merz to task for failing to address surging fuel prices.
Nandigram by-poll, a reset for Mamata and Congress ties
A lot happened over the past two days on Thursday (September 17, 2026) and Friday (September 18) that is likely to have a long bearing in West Bengal politics. In the last hours on Thursday (September 17), the Election Commission of India froze the grass and twin flowers symbol and the name of All India Trinamool Congress. The Commission allocated separate symbols and names to both the rival factions of Trinamool Congress — the Mamata Banerjee faction and the Ritabrata Banerjee group.
« Pas touche au Kennedy Center » : des milliers de personnes réunies autour de l’institution culturelle menacée de disparition par l’administration Trump
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Trump Bans CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from White House
Donald Trump ended Friday by announcing that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would no longer be allowed access to the White House. His stated reason was simple: he says they report “fake news.” Trump said the ban was effective immediately and suggested other outlets could eventually face the same treatment. Reuters reported that CNN personnel were still operating from the White House immediately afterward, so exactly how broadly the administration will enforce this remains unclear.
This Week in Democracy – Week 87: Trump Bans CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from White House and Lashes Out at Supreme Court Justices
This week the far-right Supreme Court handed Democrats a rare victory, rejecting Donald Trump’s bid to restrict mail-in voting. But (because there is always a but when it comes to Trump and his cronies), the ruling was “cryptic,” as some experts have put it, and the public should expect more “turbulence” around the issue into 2028. Trump, of course, wasn’t happy and lashed out at his own picks on the Court. In fact, The Donald did a lot of lashing out this week at the judicial branch. He threatened to tear down the Kennedy Center if he’s not allowed to put his name on it.
China Opens Probes Into Four Online Travel Booking Platforms
China opened investigations into four online hotel and travel booking platforms over suspected practices that may undermine fair competition and merchants’ rights, extending a broader regulatory crackdown on the sector.
‘My fear was too great’: the Pussy Riot member recruited by Russian spies to inform on fellow activists
Exclusive: In her first media interview since fleeing Russia, Rita Flores describes her three years of being run by the FSB First came the blackmail and death threats to secure cooperation, then came a series of tasks, each more sinister than the last: to inform on fellow activists, to elicit personal information from protest-minded artists and – eventually – to help with a plot to kidnap and murder a Kremlin enemy.
NAACP sues to block Trump administration from sending armed agents to polls
The NAACP filed a lawsuit Friday alongside other civil rights groups to block the Trump administration from sending armed agents to U.S. polling places ahead of November’s midterm elections. The lawsuit names the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI and several Trump officials, seeking…