NPR News: 09-15-2026 4PM EDT
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How is the Iran war affecting U.S. inflation and military costs?
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Iran war has cost at least thirty eight billion dollars and That estimate does not include extensive damage to US military bases abroad. Unless in two months before the midterms, the CBO also finds that the warp Is helping to drive up inflation as energy prices increase due to the conflict. In a week of prominent warnings over the rapid evolution of AI, a major rally in the nation's capital today features unlikely alliances to pressure the government to ensure humans stay in control. They include Democratic Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. AI has the potential to eliminate tens of millions of jobs. Wiping out entire professions.
And former Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon, who later took the stage where he called out those who were central in getting AI to the public.
What alliances are forming to demand human control over AI?
US government publicly confirms for the first time it has deployed space space weapons in Earth's orbit. Here's NPR's cat Lawnsdorff.
U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Mink told a crowd gathered for the Air, Space and Cyber Conference in Maryland this week that the military is quote meeting the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist.
This is why the United States now has on orbit space control weapons. capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action.
He did not provide any further details or specifics on the weapons. It's the first time the US has publicly revealed such capabilities amid growing concerns about potential threats in space from Russia and China. President Trump has often touted the US Space Force, which he created in twenty nineteen as part of the Air Force, as a new way to boost US military capabilities in space. Kat Lansdorf, MPR News, Washington.
What did the U.S. reveal about deploying space weapons in orbit?
FBI director Cash Patel's testifying on Capitol Hill in testimony before Senate lawmakers. Patel defended recent changes may that loosen the Bureau's hiring requirements. And Pierce Ryan Lucas says more.
Earlier this year, the FBI lifted an automatic ban on hiring applicants who had engaged in prostitution or bestiality, prompting a wave of public criticism. Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, FBI Director Cash Patel defended the changes. He said it's about giving victims of such acts a chance to work at the Bureau.
We did want not want to make it an automatic disqualification for the FBI to consider you if you are a victim of these awful heinous acts. They still have to go to the same rigorous standards and application process.
Patel touted the drop in violent crime under the Trump administration. But he faced sharp criticism from Democrats, including over his firing of veteran agents and his handling of the Epstein files.
Why did the FBI change its hiring rules for applicants with criminal histories?
It's NPR. A federal judge has rule that the board of directors of the Kennedy Center cannot return President Trump's name to the Arts Center. However, US District Judge Christopher Cooper left up in the air for now whether or not the board can name its planned fundraising campaign. The Trump Kennedy Center fund or include any such plaque or other signage at the center. Noting that the fund had not yet raised any money, let alone its intended one hundred million dollars. The board has said using Trump's name is crucial to its efforts to restore the center's finances. America's public school buildings are aging. Nearly half of school districts have chronic problems with things like Electricity or water leaks that can disrupt learning for millions of students according to a new report from the federal government.
And Pierstanaki Metha has details.
How are aging public school buildings impacting student learning nationwide?
Extreme indoor temperatures, plumbing, and structural damage are some of the common problems plaguing America's deteriorating public school buildings. The Government Accountability Office, or GAO, is an independent federal watchdog. Its report this week found that in the 2024-25 school year, one in five districts canceled school because of facilities issues. The cancellations affected about two million students who lost about and three point five million days of learning as a result.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
How is the Iran war affecting U.S. inflation and military costs?
0:01–1:14
2
What alliances are forming to demand human control over AI?
1:14–2:06
3
What did the U.S. reveal about deploying space weapons in orbit?
2:06–2:59
4
Why did the FBI change its hiring rules for applicants with criminal histories?
2:59–3:51
5
How are aging public school buildings impacting student learning nationwide?
3:51–4:39