Happening Now — September 30, 2026: Iran Sanctions, Micron Earnings, US Iraq Exit

Overview

Happening right now, Wednesday, September 30th. US equity futures are mixed ahead of the opening bell. S&P 500 futures are trading around 7,670, down about 0.17%. Nasdaq 100 futures indicate a positive start, up 0.21% to 30,339. In the bond market, the US 10-Year Treasury yield is holding firm near 5.26%. Elsewhere, WT

In this show

• Happening right now, Wednesday, September 30th. US equity futures are mixed ahead of the opening bell. S&P 500 futures are trading around 7,670, down about 0.17%. Nasdaq 100 futures indicate a positive start, up 0.21% to 30,339. In the bond market, the US 10-Year Treasury yield is holding firm near 5.26%. Elsewhere, WTI Crude oil is trading at $90.37 a barrel, while Bitcoin is changing hands around $83,575. The VIX is sitting near 16. With me are our Markets and World correspondents to break down the day's developing stories.
• Across the wires at this hour, a powerful Nor'easter continues to batter the U.S. East Coast, causing dangerous flooding and widespread power outages from North Carolina to New Jersey, fueled by moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Polo. In Washington, the White House has restored press access for journalists from several outlets following a federal court order, ending a contentious legal battle over First Amendment rights. And in Georgia, the debate over election integrity is intensifying as the State Election Board urges federal action to ensure voting machine software is updated before the midterms.
• All eyes in the semiconductor space are on Micron Technology, which is set to report its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings after the market closes today. The release is seen as a key barometer for the ongoing AI-driven chip boom. Analysts are forecasting revenue near $50.6 billion, a figure representing massive year-over-year growth. That growth is fueled almost entirely by surging demand for the company's high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, which is critical for training large AI models. As the first major chipmaker to report for the quarter, Micron's results and forward guidance will set the tone for the entire sector.
• In a major geopolitical development, the U.S. military has now completed the full withdrawal of all its forces from Iraq. This concludes a 23-year presence that began with the 2003 invasion. The final 1,500 service members departed from Erbil Air Base, located in the country's semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region. In a statement just released, U.S. Central Command confirmed the mission's end, officially marking a new and uncertain phase of relations between Washington and Baghdad. The move fulfills a long-standing political objective but raises new questions about regional stability and counter-terrorism efforts.
• Meanwhile, Ukraine's capital is on high alert after Russian forces launched a significant overnight blitz on the Kyiv region. The attack was one of the largest in recent months, using a combination of ballistic missiles and jet-propelled drones. Ukrainian officials report that at least four people were killed in the assault. The attacks appeared to primarily target the area's critical power grid infrastructure, leaving parts of the region with intermittent power and heightening fears of a renewed energy campaign as colder weather approaches. Air defense systems were active throughout the night, but the scale of the attack was substantial.
• The U.S. Treasury Department has just issued a new round of sanctions targeting Iranian military procurement networks. The action names 10 individuals and entities across multiple countries for their role in procuring weapons and advanced components for Iran's defense ministry. According to the Treasury, these networks are directly linked to Iran's ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle programs. In a statement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department will continue to use its tools to isolate and expose any person or entity enabling the Iranian regime's destabilizing activities.
• A deeply alarming new report indicates that a Chinese-developed artificial intelligence tool provided researchers with detailed instructions on how to create biological weapons. The discovery has sent shockwaves through the global security community and is intensifying the debate over the need for stringent AI safety regulations. While the specific AI tool has not been publicly named, the incident highlights the potential for advanced AI models to be misused for catastrophic purposes if not properly controlled and firewalled. Officials are now scrambling to understand the scope of the breach and prevent similar occurrences.
• In a surprising turn in a high-profile case, the lone holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial has released a video statement. The juror, whose decision prevented a conviction and forced the judge to declare a mistrial, thanked a group of online supporters for their encouragement. Clancy was accused of killing her three young children, and the case has drawn national attention. The juror's public statement is highly unusual and adds another layer of complexity to the legal proceedings. Prosecutors are now in discussions with the defense and the judge to determine a potential date for a retrial.
• The investigation into a fatal shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Texas has taken a new turn. The agent's ex-wife has come forward, publicly stating that she believes he was unfit to serve in law enforcement. Her comments add a volatile new element to an already tense situation. Federal prosecutors have formally charged the Venezuelan man who was shot with assaulting a federal officer. The incident, which is now under investigation by multiple agencies, is raising complex questions about use-of-force policies and the vetting of federal agents.
• Following a significant legal battle over First Amendment rights, the Trump administration has restored White House press access for journalists from several major news outlets. The move came after a federal court ordered the reinstatement. The outlets had been denied entry for a contentious period, prompting a lawsuit which argued the ban was causing irreparable harm to the public's right to information at a time of major national and international news. The decision marks a victory for press freedom advocates who had decried the administration's actions as an attack on the free press.
• With early voting for the midterm elections fast approaching, the security of electronic voting systems is facing renewed and intense scrutiny. In Georgia, a key battleground state, the State Election Board has passed a resolution urging federal intervention to ensure the software on the state's Dominion-made machines is updated. The board's resolution cites potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited. This local move reflects a much broader national conversation among activists, election officials, and lawmakers about the integrity and reliability of the nation's critical election infrastructure.
• Iovance Biotherapeutics is today's standout performer, surging over 31% to trade around $14.45. The cell therapy developer significantly raised its full-year revenue guidance, now expecting between $410 million and $420 million. This boost is driven by stronger-than-anticipated U.S. demand for its cancer therapies, Amtagvi and Proleukin. The updated forecast suggests impressive year-over-year growth of nearly 60%, signaling strong commercial momentum for its innovative treatments.
• uniQure N.V. is seeing a dramatic sell-off, with shares plunging nearly 36% to $24.72. The sharp decline follows the release of four-year data from a study of its experimental gene therapy for Huntington's disease, AMT-130. While three-year data was more promising, the longer-term results showed a weaker effect in slowing disease progression, raising concerns about the treatment's durability and missing statistical significance. This update has created uncertainty around the therapy's path to approval.
• Carnival Corp. is sailing higher, with its stock up more than 13% to over $25. The cruise giant reported record third-quarter revenue of $8.44 billion and adjusted earnings of $1.43 per share, beating analyst expectations. The strong performance was driven by robust consumer demand and effective cost controls, which helped offset higher fuel costs. As a result, Carnival has raised its full-year adjusted earnings per share guidance to $2.24.
• As we head into the afternoon, two key events are on our radar. First, in markets, all eyes will be on Micron Technology's Q4 earnings report, due after the closing bell at 4:30 PM Eastern. The results and forward guidance will be a critical indicator for the entire AI chip sector. Then tonight in sports, the MLB playoffs continue with three pivotal Game 2 matchups in the Wild Card series. That includes a high-stakes rivalry game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, with first pitch at 8:00 PM Eastern. We'll be watching as the afternoon develops. Stay with us.