NPR News: 05-09-2026 6PM EDT
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What recent sanctions has the U.S. imposed on Iran and its allies?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. The Treasury Department is placing a new round of sanctions on 10 people and companies accused of helping Iran develop drones and ballistic missiles. NPR's Jennifer Pak reports many are in China and Hong Kong.
The U.S. Treasury accuses one Chinese individual and seven companies from China and Hong Kong of of helping Iran to secure weapons and supplies for its drones and missiles. This comes days before President Trump plans to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing. The leaders have a lot to discuss, but the Iran war might overshadow the meeting. China buys most of Iran's oil. The U.S.
How are recent congressional maps affecting voter representation in Tennessee and Virginia?
is trying to sever this economic lifeline for Iran. It has also sanctioned small private refineries in China that purchase Iranian oil. But Beijing has ordered its companies to disregard those U.S. sanctions. Jennifer Pack, NPR News, Shanghai.
Tennessee this week became the first southern state to adopt a new congressional map as a result of the Supreme Court decision limiting the use of race when redrawing districts. That's drawn protests. And Virginia's Supreme Court knocked down a plan over a procedural error that could have given Democrats an edge. NPR's Dawn Gagne has more on what's at stake for voters.
people still vote to express their level of dissatisfaction or satisfaction with elected officials.
What is the current status of the hantavirus outbreak and public health preparedness?
They'll vote their pocketbook, gas prices, health care, an unpopular war, pick the issue. But if at the end of the day, one party has been able to redraw maps in their favor, then that can act as a buffer on the kind of disapproval we're seeing now in, say, that new NPR-PBS Marist poll, which puts the presidents of disapproval at a record, record low number.
In Piers, Dawn Gagne reporting. The cruise ship at the center of the hantavirus outbreak is expected to dock in the Canary Islands tomorrow, where the remaining passengers will disembark and return to their countries for monitoring. Experts stress the virus isn't spreading like COVID-19, but some public health experts warn the U.S. may not be fully prepared if cases grow.
And here's Windsor Johnston reports. Public health experts say the hantavirus is not spreading in the same way COVID-19 does. Dr. Seema Yasmin is an epidemiologist and professor at Stanford University.
How are drought conditions impacting wildfire risks in the U.S.?
Six years after the pandemic, she says Americans still have legitimate fears about new outbreaks.
I'm not going to gaslight anyone into thinking that they are foolish for being scared because of the world we're living in, and especially the fact that the U.S. now does not have a seat at the table when it comes to global health.
Yasmin says years of political division, misinformation, and declining trust in public health agencies have left the U.S. vulnerable. NPR's Windsor Johnston reporting. You're listening to NPR News.
Climate experts say most of the U.S. is experiencing drought conditions, and that could spark an intense summer wildfire season, especially in the western states. NPR's Lauren Summer reports, under the Trump administration, wildfire prevention work has fallen behind.
What financial challenges is the U.S. Postal Service currently facing?
Many U.S. forests are overgrown with vegetation, which puts them at risk of extreme wildfires that kill trees and spread into communities. So the Forest Service does work every year to reduce that risk. They often set controlled burns during the cool season, which clears out the underbrush. In 2025, the Trump administration burned only about half the area that was burned in recent years. In a statement, the Forest Service says that's because staff was occupied fighting wildfires last year. But some wildfire experts say the work slowed down after the Trump administration tried to shrink the agency last year, leading to the loss of thousands of employees. Lauren Sommer, NPR News.
The post office's finances are still struggling as the agency reports a net loss for the fifth quarter in a row. USPS officials say the postal service is just months away from running out of money.
What topics does NPR's afternoon podcast 'Consider This' cover?
It relies on stamps and service fees, not taxpayer dollars, to deliver mail six days a week all around the country.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What recent sanctions has the U.S. imposed on Iran and its allies?
0:00–0:42
2
How are recent congressional maps affecting voter representation in Tennessee and Virginia?
0:42–1:27
3
What is the current status of the hantavirus outbreak and public health preparedness?
1:27–2:28
4
How are drought conditions impacting wildfire risks in the U.S.?
2:28–3:20
5
What financial challenges is the U.S. Postal Service currently facing?
3:20–4:13
6
What topics does NPR's afternoon podcast 'Consider This' cover?
4:13–5:02