NPR News: 09-20-2026 11AM EDT
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. Saudi Arabia says Houthi rebels in Yemen fired a ballistic missile toward Riyadh. NPR's Kat Lonsdorff reports it's the first time the Saudi capital has been targeted since fighting broke out with the Iran-backed rebels.
The Houthis have not fired toward Riyadh in years, but over the weekend, residents there, including journalists with Reuters and the AFP, heard loud explosions over the city and saw plumes of smoke rising over the airport. In a statement, Saudi Arabia said its air defense forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis. There were no reports of casualties or damage. The statement also said the Houthis tried to attack civilian infrastructure in the Red Sea port city of Yambu, where a key Saudi pipeline ends. The attacks mark another escalation in the war in Yemen. The Iran-backed Houthis say they're targeting Saudi air bases in response to Saudi airstrikes in Yemen. The group has also imposed a blockade on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
Kat Lonsdorff, NPR News, Tel Aviv.
President Trump is set to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington this week, the first state visit by a Chinese leader in 11 years. They're expected to talk about the U.S. war in Iran, critical minerals, tariffs, and artificial intelligence. NPR's Emily Fang has more.
The timing of this visit is important for both men. For Trump, it's less than six weeks before the midterm. He's going to want optics showcasing economic wins for the U.S., for example, Chinese purchases maybe of American agricultural products. For China's leader, he goes home after Washington, and then he kicks off this year-long political calendar that will culminate in the ruling Communist Party's party congress next fall. That is where Xi is widely expected to declare he's going to lead the country for yet another five years ahead. So he needs to project strength and stability in Washington for watchers back home.
Empire's Emily Fang reporting. Singer Ed Sheeran breaks his silence following Macklemore's removal from his U.S. tour. Empire's Matt Sherry reports the promoter dropped the rapper as the opening act after he made pro-Palestinian comments on stage earlier this month.
Fans at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field cheered Ed Sheeran as he took the mic for the first time since the controversy over Macklemore's statement supporting Palestinians erupted. What happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on October 7th was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. Local college student Hadi Chattopadhyay was among the protesters outside the stadium in Philadelphia. Ed Sheeran could have kept McLemore on this tour, but the silencing of pro-Palestine speech is not new. Stadium owners had threatened to cancel Sheeran's upcoming shows if McLemore remained on the bill. Matt Sherry, NPR News, Philadelphia.
You're listening to NPR News from Washington. President Trump says his planned 250-foot triumphal arch that would be built between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery will now double as a, quote, top-grade military complex for drones and snipers. In a post on social media, Trump says the massive arch bridging Virginia and Washington, D.C., will have the ability to use a large number of drones on both the roof and the plaza areas. He says it's necessary for national security, and it will also have large quantities of sniper ammunition. But the project is controversial. A group of Vietnam vets is suing to stop it, arguing it blocks views of the cemetery and requires congressional approval.
High fuel prices are taking center stage in Michigan's closely watched U.S. Senate race. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers both say a temporary fuel tax cut could provide some relief for voters. Michigan Public Radio's Russ McNamara reports.
As for a long-term fix, al-Sayed wants an immediate end to hostilities with Iran, the main driver of record high diesel prices.
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