How Jared Kushner is mixing U.S. diplomacy with his billion-dollar business

The New Yorker's Dexter Filkins says while Trump's son-in-law is a U.S. special envoy negotiating peace, he's also working on private business deals, raising billions in some of the same countries.

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 3:00 PM

Mice with human brain cells offer a tool to study disease. Ethicists ask: What's next?

This side view of a lab mouse brain shows nerve fibers extending from the human graft (colored with green and red fluorescent proteins) through the mouse brain (colored with blue). Scale bar = 1 mm.

Neuroscientists have made a major advance in modeling the human brain in mice, offering a new way to study conditions like cerebral palsy. Ethicists ask if it changes how these mice should be treated.

(Image credit: S. Pașca lab)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 1:40 PM

How are rising prices affecting you? NPR wants to know

Tell NPR what you are paying more for these days, and how rising prices shape the decisions you make.

Inflation, gasoline prices and the cost of living are top of mind in the election season. How are higher costs shaping the way you live? NPR wants to hear.

(Image credit: Joe Raedle)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 1:33 PM

Russia seizes Ukrainian POWs, then it demands favors from their relatives

Ukrainian prisoners of war return home on Aug. 19 after being held by Russia. There are shown here in Ukraine

Russia is believed to be holding thousands of Ukrainian POWs. Russia is also tormenting the families of these prisoners by contacting their relatives on social media and demanding they help Russia.

(Image credit: Francisco Seco)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 11:19 AM

Fed expected to raise interest rates. And, board votes to close Kennedy Center

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh speaks during a news conference at Federal Reserve Headquarters on July 29, 2026 in Washington, D.C.

The Fed is expected to raise interest rates today for the first time in three years. And, the Kennedy Center board voted yesterday to close the historic center.

(Image credit: Win McNamee)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 10:48 AM

EU's Ursula von der Leyen says she wants Canada to become an associate member

Canada

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday proposed making Canada the European Union's first associate member, a striking overture as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs drive Ottawa closer to Europe.

(Image credit: Pascal Bastien)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 10:00 AM

Senators question Trump's picks for top health positions, including surgeon general

Dr. Nicole Saphier, Trump

On Wednesday, the Senate committee on health holds a confirmation hearing for three top health officials, including surgeon general. Dr. Nicole Saphier is President Trump's third attempt to nominate a surgeon general.

(Image credit: John Lamparski)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 9:57 AM

Kosovo's ex-President Thaci convicted of war crimes, sentenced to 25 years in prison

FILE - Former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci, top left, appears before the Kosovo Tribunal as he defends himself against charges including murder, torture and persecution allegedly committed during his country

A European Union-backed court convicted former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci of war crimes committed during his country's war for independence from Serbia and sentenced him to 25 years in prison.

(Image credit: Koen van Weel)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 9:04 AM

Saudi Arabia calls an attempted Mecca attack a 'red line' as Houthis deny they did it

A displaced person walks through a camp in Taiz province, Yemen, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026.

Saudi Arabia accused Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels overnight of trying to attack Islam's holiest city, prompting condemnation from countries in the region but no sign of military support.

(Image credit: Marzouq Al Jabri)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 9:00 AM

A Kansas girl ran off to join the circus and changed the tattoo world

A 1907 photo made in Los Angeles, Calif., shows the constellation of tattoos on Maud Wagner

One of the country's first known female tattoo artists was born on a Kansas farm. Maud Stevens Wagner ran off to join the circus and later became a tattoo legend.

(Image credit: Library Of Congress Prints And Photographs Division)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 9:00 AM

The Fed is expected to raise interest rates for the first time in 3 years

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh and his colleagues are widely expected to raise their benchmark interest rate Wednesday, in an effort to tamp down demand and bring prices under control.

The Fed is widely expected to raise its benchmark interest rate to combat stubborn inflation. That could make it more expensive to borrow money to buy a car or carry a balance on a credit card.

(Image credit: Win McNamee)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 9:00 AM

The 500 colleges where former students aren't repaying their loans, and why

Lisa Collenbaugh says she still owes the U.S. government $10,389.47 for the certificate program she couldn

Federal data shows many borrowers who aren't paying their loans went to private, for-profit colleges — schools that often market to low-income students and rely on federal financial aid for revenue.

(Image credit: Jessica Pons for NPR)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 9:00 AM

As campaign season gears up, AI-generated ads are everywhere

Data suggests many candidates are embracing AI this year to boost their image and portray their opponents unfavorably. But whether it will turn out voters remains unclear.

(Image credit: AI-generated campaign ads)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 9:00 AM

21 million women live in U.S. counties with limited birth control access

A nurse displays a set of birth control pills at Pima County Health Department

Because of a data lag, the current reality of access may be even worse.

(Image credit: Anna Watts for NPR)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 8:44 AM

Morning news brief

The Fed is expected to raise interest rates Wednesday, new reports detail the damage and $30 billion price tag of the Iran war, Kennedy Center board votes to close after judge's ruling.

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 7:26 AM

U.S. acknowledges for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space

Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink speaks during the United States Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony at Falcon Stadium, Thursday, May 28, 2026, at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The remarkable revelation comes after previous warnings about countries such as Russia possibly weaponizing a global frontier long agreed in treaties to be used for only peaceful purposes.

(Image credit: Matt Rourke/)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 6:41 AM

Ed Sheeran's tour in trouble after opening acts drop out in solidarity with rapper Macklemore

FILE - Recording artist Macklemore appears on ABC

Ed Sheeran's tour of North and South America was plunged into chaos when four of his supporting acts quit in solidarity with the rapper Macklemore, who was dropped for making pro-Palestinian comments.

(Image credit: AP Photo)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 4:06 AM

Helicopter crashes killing at least 3 people near an LA bus collision

First responders work the scene after a helicopter crashed near a bus crash in Chatsworth, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026.

A news helicopter crashed in a Los Angeles neighborhood on Tuesday and burst into flames, killing at least three people near the scene of where an SUV had slammed into a city bus, officials said.

(Image credit: Ethan Swope)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 3:03 AM

Judge blocks DHS from acting against a man over a harsh email to an ICE official

David Streever takes a selfie while on vacation with his daughter and a character at Moomin World in Finland. He was contacted by Homeland Security Investigations officers five months after sending an email to Todd Lyons, the former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

ICE agents turned up at David Streever's home over a harsh email he sent to an ICE official. Now a court order prevents the federal government from making additional threats against him.

(Image credit: David Streever)

NPR NewsSep 16, 2026, 12:55 AM

Turkish habit of stashing gold "under the pillow' hurts economy, government says

![Jewelry displays gold at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey, on Aug. 26, 2026.

Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek has said that about $640 billion in gold and foreign currency is held outside the financial system. For many Turkish savers, physical gold is still a safe way to protect their money from inflation and economic uncertainty. This practice is known as "yastık altı altın," or "gold under the mattress," referring to the tradition of keeping wealth in physical assets rather than in banks.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5934x3956+0+0/resize/5934x3956!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fdf%2Fdf%2F4dda3cb24dc9841217bdc2687213%2Fec-tr-gold-20260820-26-76906.jpg)

For years, Turks have stashed their gold at home against a raining day, mistrustful of banks. Now the government says that tradition hurts the economy

(Image credit: Emre Çaylak for NPR)

NPR NewsSep 15, 2026, 10:26 PM

Turks often keep gold as a hedge against inflation. It may be hurting Turkey's future

Billions of dollars worth of gold is held in Turkish households outside the banking system. The government aims to convince citizens to put it into the mainstream financial system to help the economy.

NPR NewsSep 15, 2026, 6:57 PM

State of U.S. democracy reaches new low, report finds

The U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. A new report from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance finds U.S. democracy at 50-year low.

A new global democracy report finds the U.S. at its lowest level of democratic performance in the 50 years it has been measured.

(Image credit: Allison Robbert)

NPR NewsSep 15, 2026, 6:29 PM

Family income rose and poverty fell in 2025 — but safety net cuts could erase gains

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank provided boxes of groceries for a food giveaway in August. Food insecurity is expected to increase as government assistance programs are scaled back.

An annual report from the Census Bureau shows the average family made more money in 2025 than the year before, while the official poverty rate declined. Health care coverage was little changed from 2024.

(Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon)

NPR NewsSep 15, 2026, 5:49 PM

Judge blocks plan to return Trump's name to the Kennedy Center

A tarp covers signage on the facade of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C, on June 15, 2026, after a judge ordered the removal of President Donald Trump

The judge ruled that the arts center's board may not put Trump's name back up on the building, saying such a change needs Congressional approval.

(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski)

NPR NewsSep 15, 2026, 5:49 PM

Kennedy Center board votes to close it, as judge again keeps Trump's name off

A tarp covers signage on the facade of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C, on June 15, 2026, after a judge ordered the removal of President Donald Trump

The board's vote to shutter the historic arts center came amid concerns about financial, structural problems.

(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski)

NPR NewsSep 15, 2026, 5:36 PM

Prosecutors won't seek the death penalty for Nick Reiner

Nick Reiner in court in February.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office spoke with Reiner's siblings and took their wishes into consideration in the decision.

(Image credit: Chris Torres)

NPR NewsSep 15, 2026, 5:35 PM

Republican Rep. Massie moves to impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth over Iran war

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-KY, moved to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday over the Iran war.

Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Tuesday over the war in Iran.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

NPR NewsSep 15, 2026, 4:53 PM

Tiny krill are turning up in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Scientists want to know why

Antarctic krill, a shrimp-like crustacean that holds up the food web at the South Pole, were found at a hydrothermal vent off the Antarctic Peninsula during the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Southern Ocean Expedition in collaboration with the Schmidt Ocean Institute.

Antarctic krill serve as a crucial food source for penguins, seals, and whales. They recycle nutrients used by algae. Now researchers say they've found krill in a surprising place: hydrothermal vents.

NPR NewsSep 15, 2026, 12:33 PM

Geopolitics and grain don't mix, say these Montana farmers

A field of hay bales frame an old western wooden barn with the dramatic Mission Mountain Range in the background near Pablo, Montana.

Farmers in states bordering Canada say they are reeling from President Trump's trade wars and resulting retaliatory tariffs. And it's just not neighborly.

(Image credit: Chuck Haney)

NPR NewsSep 15, 2026, 11:35 AM

SCOTUS rejects Trump's mail voting limits. And, the Kennedy Center financial crisis

An election worker moves mail-in ballots to be organized for tabulation at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center during California

The Supreme Court has rejected Trump's mail-in voting restrictions ahead of the midterm elections. And, the Kennedy Center says it is on the brink of bankruptcy and could close soon.

(Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon)