NPR News: 04-09-2026 9PM EDT
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What recent developments occurred in NATO regarding the Iran war?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte struck a conciliatory tone today after President Trump threatened to withdraw from the alliance. He says allies are not whistling past the graveyard and understand the need for some changes demanded by Trump. He also said allies... that they were caught off guard because Trump did not notify them about the Iran war in advance.
When it came time to provide the logistical and other support the United States needed in Iran, some allies were a bit slow, to say the least. In fairness, they were also a bit surprised. To maintain the element of surprise for the initial strikes, President Trump opted not to inform allies ahead of time. And I understand that.
Rutte has been called a Trump whisperer, but he's struggling to keep Trump engaged in NATO. He has praised Trump for his successes in the war and for boosting defense spending, but he still insists NATO will not join the war. As President Trump tries to navigate a ceasefire with Iran, his handling of the war is drawing criticism and some praise among citizens here at home. NPR's Frank Lankvitt reports from Asheville, North Carolina.
George Peary is an emeritus professor of political science. Other than taking out the leaders of a corrupt and repressive regime, he sees nothing good about the war.
I think it's a disaster from the beginning. It is separating us from our NATO as well as their Arab allies. And it is impacting the world's economy in ways that I don't think this administration had any clue about.
But Laura McHugh, an investment advisor, sees Trump making the world safer for the U.S. That includes the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. That did send a message to the bad guys, and I think it sent a message to them that it could happen to you. And she hopes someday Iranians can topple their government. Frank Lankford, NPR News, Asheville, North Carolina.
The returning Artemis II astronauts are getting ready for one of the most risky parts of their moon mission — NPR's Nell Greenfield-Boyce reports that tomorrow evening, their capsule will punch through the Earth's atmosphere, going nearly 24,000 miles an hour.
During their fiery re-entry, the astronauts will be protected by their spacecraft's heat shield. But for it to work, flight controllers have to make sure that the capsule comes in at exactly the right flight path angle. Jeff Radigan is a NASA flight director.
Let's not beat around the bush. We have to hit that angle correctly. Otherwise, we're not going to have a successful re-entry.
He says once the capsule enters the atmosphere, communications will be knocked out for about six minutes. Waiting to reacquire the astronaut's signal will be a tense time at mission control in Houston. If all goes to plan, parachutes will deploy and the capsule will splash down off the coast of San Diego, California. Nell Greenfield, Boyce. NPR News.
U.S. stocks rose today even though oil prices did too. The national average for a gallon of regular gas is $4.17. It's NPR. Pro-Iran groups are using AI to create slick internet memes in English to try to shape the narrative during the war against the U.S. and Israel. The videos often come in the form of cartoons that lambast U.S. officials. They appear to be coming from groups linked to the government in Tehran and are part of a strategy of leveraging its limited resources to inflict damage on the U.S. The federal agency that supports the nation's libraries is now guaranteed to be able to continue its congressionally mandated work. NPR's Chloe Veltman reports the Institute of Museum and Library Services is protected owing to a settlement agreement reached today.
between the U.S. Department of Justice and the American Library Association, along with workers' union that fought to preserve it.
The agreement resolves litigation from last year, challenging the Trump administration's attempt to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services through executive action. It ensures that grants will continue, workers will keep their jobs, and it puts an end to attempts by the administration to further target the Institute.
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