NPR News: 04-11-2026 5AM EDT
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Vice President J.D. Vance is leading a U.S. delegation in Pakistan today for high-level talks aimed at ending the war in Iran. The negotiations are expected to focus on stabilizing a fragile ceasefire that was reached between Washington and Tehran earlier this week. Betsy Joles reports from Islamabad.
Journalists have been corralled into the city's convention center, waiting for any news about how exactly these talks will look. The details of the meeting between the U.S. and Iran have been kept under close wraps. Even their exact timing remains in question. People I spoke to were mostly surprised that Pakistan managed to pull this off. Here's 19-year-old Kizra Zahir.
Pakistan isn't usually important at all. And now the U.S. is like, they listen to Pakistan?
Pakistan's prime minister called the talks, quote, make or break for whether a fragile ceasefire will hold. That's after the country's leaders wrangled behind the scenes and then publicly for weeks to make them happen. For NPR News, I'm Betsy Jowles in Islamabad.
NASA says the return of the Artemis II was nearly flawless. Entry flight director Rick Henfling says the mission met its key objectives during re-entry and splashdown.
Integrity and her crew of four astronauts flew 700,237 miles. We hit our flight path angle target within 0.4 percent. We flew an entry range of 1,957 miles and we landed within less than a mile of our target. What a tremendous day.
During reentry, the capsule endured temperatures of almost 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit as it slammed into Earth's atmosphere at roughly 25,000 miles an hour. NASA says the return is a major milestone for the Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts back to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. Engineers will now analyze data as they prepare for Artemis III. The Trump administration is defending a plan to restructure the U.S. Forest Service and send its headquarters to Utah. Rachel Cohen of the Mountain West News Bureau reports it would also close dozens of research laboratories.
57 of 77 Forest Service labs nationwide are on a list to shutter. Scientists at these labs study everything from pollinators to wildfires. The agency said this week the closures don't mean an end to research. It's just relocating small teams to other spaces. But Carl Holtman, a union representative with the National Federation of Federal Employees, says those workers haven't been told where their jobs could be moved.
When we ask them for details, they say, well, those are still being worked out.
He says the changes could harm long-term projects. For NPR News, I'm Rachel Cohen.
You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Defending champion Rory McIlroy is off to a dominant start at the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. He birdied six of the final seven holes, taking a record six-shot lead after two rounds. Steve Futterman reports.
McElroy was on fire on the back nine. He had back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th holes, then ended with a flourish, four straight birdies to wrap up the round, including a remarkable 90-foot chip shot from off the green that rolled in.
How about this?
Oh, yes! That's how it sounded on ESPN. Even McElroy was amazed afterwards.
You know, I knew I had some chances coming in when I was standing on the 12th tee, but I didn't think I'd pretty six of the last seven.
McElroy's six-stroke lead is the largest after two rounds in Masters history. He is trying to become just the fourth golfer to win the Masters in back-to-back years. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Augusta.
The Trump administration has released plans for a massive arch to be built in Washington, D.C. The project is meant to mark the nation's 250th anniversary in July, though details on funding and approval remain unclear. Critics say the proposal would mark a significant departure from how sitting presidents typically approach public memorials. Supporters argue it would serve as a lasting symbol of the administration's legacy.
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