IRC Media Evening News Brief — September 25, 2026

Here are five stories making news this morning.

Florida Could Head Into November Without Statewide Candidate Debates

Florida voters could potentially reach the November general election without a debate in any of the major statewide races. Democrat David Jolly says he will not debate Republican Byron Donalds in the governor’s race after the campaigns failed to agree on a shared event; U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody has also declined to debate Democratic challenger Angie Nixon, and no debates are currently scheduled in the attorney general, chief financial officer or agriculture commissioner races.

For voters, the issue is less about campaign strategy than whether they will have an opportunity to hear opposing statewide candidates answer the same questions and respond directly to one another before Election Day.

IRC Media is taking a deeper look at each statewide contest to determine which debates were proposed, which candidates accepted or declined, and whether any events can still happen before November 3.

Trump Begins Major Day Of Diplomacy At The United Nations

President Donald Trump has a packed schedule of international diplomacy surrounding the United Nations General Assembly in New York, with the wars involving Ukraine and Iran among the major issues.

Trump is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Ukraine pushes for additional American air-defense support and discusses a possible reciprocal halt to attacks on energy infrastructure. No energy ceasefire has been announced.

IRC Media will watch the meeting for any concrete agreement, new weapons commitment or significant change in U.S. policy toward the Russia-Ukraine war.

China Tightens Controls On Drug-Precursor Chemicals Before Xi Visit

China added two additional chemicals to its export-control list for drug precursors Tuesday, requiring permits for exports to the United States, Mexico and Canada, just before Chinese President Xi Jinping begins his September 23–25 state visit to the United States.

The timing is notable because fentanyl and precursor controls have been recurring issues in U.S.-China negotiations. The move provides a measurable pre-summit action to compare with whatever President Trump and Xi announce following their talks.

IRC Media will incorporate the development into our Trump-Xi summit coverage and examine what Beijing changed and what Washington says remains unresolved.

Iran Signals Possible Path Toward Reopening The Strait Of Hormuz

Iran has signaled that it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz to Gulf shipping if the United States eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, according to Reuters. Iran says its delegation in New York has authority to pursue negotiations, but no agreement has been announced.

Any restoration of normal traffic through the critical energy corridor could affect global oil and diesel supplies after months of disruption.

The strongest IRC Media follow-up is local: track whether developments in Hormuz begin affecting diesel and gasoline costs for Treasure Coast consumers, trucking, construction and agriculture.

Russia And Ukraine Exchange New Strikes Ahead Of Trump-Zelenskyy Meeting

Russia and Ukraine exchanged another round of deadly attacks as Zelenskyy prepared to meet Trump in New York. Russian missile and drone strikes hit several Ukrainian regions, while Ukraine targeted a major Russian oil refinery in Samara.

The continuing attacks underscore the gap between diplomatic proposals and conditions on the ground as the two leaders discuss air defense and possible limits on attacks against energy infrastructure.

IRC Media will pair the battlefield developments with the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting and focus on what, if anything, the leaders actually agree to rather than treating negotiating proposals as completed deals.

IRC Media will continue following these stories throughout the day, with updates and standalone coverage as developments warrant.

IRC Media uses aggregated public data and verified sources; articles reviewed by editorial team to the best of our ability.