NPR News: 06-21-2026 12PM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm.
What recent threats has President Trump made against Iran?
President Trump is threatening violence against Iran and says its proxies must stop causing trouble in Lebanon. The threat comes as Vice President J.D. Vance negotiates a fragile peace plan with Iran in Switzerland. NPR's Luke Garrett reports.
Trump says U.S. forces will, quote, hit Iran very hard again if its proxies keep up the fighting in Lebanon. Earlier this week, Trump had called on Israel to quote, calm down. He pushed for a ceasefire between Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. This ongoing conflict threatens the recent U.S.-Iran peace plan. Meanwhile, Vice President Vance is seeking to build upon a recently signed memorandum of understanding between Iran and the U.S. He spoke Sunday from Switzerland.
The question before us now is how much more can we accomplish together? Can we turn over a new leaf? Can we change relations in the Middle East permanently?
Vance says his goals are to end Iran's nuclear program and keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Saturday, Iran said the Strait was closed, but U.S. Central Command denied this. Luke Garrett, NPR News, the White House.
Colombians are voting today in a presidential runoff election. According to polls, the frontrunner is a far-right political newcomer who's been endorsed by President Trump and has promised to crack down on crime. John Otis reports from Bogota.
Abelardo de la Espraya is a criminal defense lawyer who has never before held political office. But his campaign has picked up steam thanks to his pledges to end peace talks with drug-trafficking guerrillas and launch a military offensive. If elected, de la Espraya said in this TV interview, I will give the order to bomb all of the camps holding narco-terrorists. His opponent is Ivan Zepeda, a left-wing senator from the ruling party who has promised to reduce violence through negotiations with the rebels. Colombia's outgoing president, Gustavo Petro, is banned by the Constitution from seeking a second term. For NPR News, I'm John Otis in Bogota, Colombia.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles County because of a warehouse fire. Fire Chief James Moore says fighting the blaze has become more complicated.
Initially, it was reported to us that the majority of that product was bread and wheat products. However, we're slowly learning as we start getting into this building that it is far from that. There's a lot of meat products in there. Chicken, fish, pork, and beef. That's going to start to spoil. So that's going to create a hazard in itself.
County officials say two shelters have been set up for people nearby. Moore said so far there haven't been any injuries among firefighters or the public. This is NPR News in Washington.
How is Vice President Vance working towards peace with Iran?
The longest day of the year and the official start of the season is today. The summer solstice occurs at the moment the Earth is at its maximum tilt toward the sun in the northern hemisphere. NPR's Amy Held reports.
Cultures for millennia have marked the summer solstice. In China, the Dragon Boat Festival is keeping up 2,000 years of tradition rooted to harmony with nature. Then there are stone circles. They appear to be one way Neolithic people tracked the sun during the solstice. Best known is Stonehenge in England. Now archaeologist Phil Harding says they've dug up a 5,000-year-old structure that may have preceded nearby Stonehenge and served as its prototype.
You bet your life on it. There was feasting, there were celebrations.
Still today, thousands attend Stonehenge, more log on to a livestream. And elsewhere, there's a Midnight Sun festival in Fairbanks, Alaska, and perhaps the Zen yin to the New Year's Eve yang yoga at Times Square in New York. Amy Held, NPR News.
Rail authorities in France are urging vulnerable travels not to take the train during the heat wave. They say the high temperatures could deform railroad tracks and damage overhead electrical lines. This week, Britain's King Charles will make public what he pays in taxes.
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