Monday morning news: September 28, 2026

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Terror arrests in U.K. » Five men are under arrest in the U.K. on suspicion of plotting terrorism. The arrests came early Sunday morning near an airbase the U.S. is using in the war with Iran.

London’s Metropolitan Police says three suspicious vehicles were headed toward RAF Fairford, a base about 100 miles west of London owned by the U.K. but operated by the U.S. under a longstanding agreement.

The U.S. military has used the base to send out American bombers for limited strikes against Iranian missile sites and investigators are looking into whether Sunday’s arrests are linked to the Iran war. President Trump praised British police for helping foil a potential catastrophe.

TRUMP: They were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked out great.

Police have not given many details about the suspects. People evacuated about 85 homes near the scene of the arrests as a precaution, while a bomb disposal team examined three white trucks.

Trump rejects proposed Iranian peace deal » Meantime, President Trump has rejected a new peace proposal from Iran. The deal called for a seven-day ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz says Iran wasn’t offering the deal in good faith.

WALTZ: This was, I think, a pretty cynical attempt to put something on the table that they knew was unacceptable: to ask for the release of the blockade, the sanctions, international sanctions, and access to billions in assets just to talk.

Waltz on NBC’s Meet the Press.

The response from Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi:

ARAGCHI: We are ready for diplomacy. We are ready for war at the same time. They have tested us in both cases. They tested us in their aggression twice and they are welcome if they want to test us once again.

Despite the hostility, President Trump says the U.S. will start a new round of negotiations with Iran this week.

Gas prices up $.32 over past two weeks » If you thought it seemed like gas prices just took another big jump, you’re right.

The Lundberg Survey puts the national average at $4 dollars 58 cents a gallon, up $1.30 from a year ago. Prices at the pump have shot up 32 cents over the past two weeks alone.

If you’re looking for relief, here’s one hopeful possibility from analyst Trilby Lundberg.

LUNDBERG: If oil prices will kindly remain around where they are -about $92 dollars per barrel for West Texas intermediate, after they dropped last week- then perhaps gasoline prices can come down from the clouds.

The White House acknowledges the war with Iran is driving gas prices up. On Sunday, the president said those prices will plummet once the war is over, which he says will be soon.

Nor’easter brings East Coast flooding » From New Jersey to New England, a rare September Nor’easter packed a massive punch over the weekend.

The storm caused flooding, damage to homes from toppled trees, and power outages that at one point affected more than 100,000 customers.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill:

SHERRILL: The storm has brought strong winds, heavy rain, and flooding. Our shore communities have been hit hard, and we’re monitoring the damage closely.

The storm has also caused at least one death: a New York City Housing Authority worker killed by a falling tree.

And though the nor’easter is weakening now, forecasters still warn more flooding could be coming to New York and New Jersey because of high tide late Monday.

Trump, Johnson to host top AI execs Tuesday » With concerns about artificial intelligence on the rise, President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson will host executives from top AI companies at the White House this week.

The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, comes as Microsoft founder Bill Gates says AI is developing too fast and needs stronger federal government safeguards.

GATES: AI is utterly different, and don’t be complacent thinking that we’ve faced anything like this.

In the wrong hands, Gates even thinks AI could drive events that could kill a billion people.

President Trump is downplaying such a doomsday scenario, saying America needs to stay in the lead when it comes to AI development.

TRUMP: We're building tremendous, you know, trillions of dollars' worth of places, and why should we give that up?... And we've used the Department of Justice on two occasions to straighten out a company that we thought there was a problem with, and they immediately straightened it out… We will straighten it out if and when a problem occurs.

Other tech titans like Elon Musk and Open AI’s Sam Altman have joined Gates in calling for more government regulation of AI.

Singapore imposes harsh new fines for eating, littering on buses » If you’ve ever been to Singapore, you’ve probably noticed it’s a very clean place, and stiff fines for public misbehavior are meant to keep it that way, including some new ones that just took effect on public buses.

From now on, eating, drinking, littering, blasting music, or even putting your feet on the seat in a public bus could cost you $400 U.S. dollars.

The government says the goal is safer, cleaner, more considerate rides for everyone.

Critics say it’s no wonder Singapore is widely nicknamed The Fine City.

I’m Mark Mellinger.

Straight ahead: Can social media companies face legal consequences for the ways they design their platforms? And later: Sizing up the keys to more affordable housing, in the Monday Moneybeat.

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