NPR News: 09-20-2026 4PM EDT
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What is President Trump's agenda with New York Mayor Mamdani and the upcoming UN address?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. President Trump plans to meet with New York Mayor Mamdani tomorrow at Gracie Mansion, the mayor's official residence. That's according to Mamdani's office, which says they'll talk about issues affecting the city. Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, is political bait for Republicans, but Trump has shown warmth to him and had cordial meetings in the past. This ahead of Trump's address to the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York on Tuesday. And at that U.N. meeting, the U.S.-Iran war and artificial intelligence are expected to be main topics. This as China's leader Xi Jinping heads to Washington this week for a meeting with Trump instead of attending the U.N.
meeting.
How are AI and U.S.–China tensions being addressed at the UN General Assembly?
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Walz says U.S.-China AI is a focus.
We're going to have an AI conference here at the UN General Assembly. We're going to see AI discussed at the UN Security Council. I can tell you that China just announced a World AI Cooperation Organization. And our values and their values don't exactly mesh when it comes to global governance and how technology can be used for surveillance and the suppression of freedom.
speaking there on CNN's State of the Union. Some Republicans are defending President Trump's decision to deny CNN, MSNOW, and Politico access to the White House, despite Democrats and journalists saying the move violates freedom of the press. NPR's Lydia Kalitri reports the ban comes after a week of institutional pushback on Trump's agenda. Wyoming Senator
John Barrasso, a Republican, told NBC he doesn't think Trump's ban violates the Constitution. He also says Trump has been treated unfairly by the press during his time in office. The press has an obligation to report fairly, and the president doesn't see it happening that way. Every politician wants fair treatment from the press, as do I, as does the president. Trump's announcement that he was banning the outlets followed a week of setbacks for the president, including an interest rate raised by the Federal Reserve, the Supreme Court stopping his mail-in voting restrictions, and a judge blocking his name being put back on the Kennedy Center. Lydia Kalitri, NPR News, Washington.
Saudi Arabia says Houthi rebels in Yemen fired a ballistic missile toward Riyadh. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf has more.
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. The statement also said the Houthis tried to attack civilian infrastructure in the Red Sea port city of Yambou, where a key Saudi pipeline ends. 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. And you're
listening to NPR News from Washington. America's public school buildings are aging. Nearly half of school districts have chronic problems with things like electricity or water leaks. And that can disrupt learning for millions of students, according to a new report from the federal government. NPR's Janaki Mehta has more.
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 found that in the 2024-25 school year, one in five districts canceled school because of facilities issues. The cancellations affected about 2 million students, who lost about 3.5 million days of learning as a result. According to the GAO, 55% of districts said they simply don't have enough money for building upkeep. The results come from a national survey and visits to nine districts in Alabama, Maine, and Oregon. Janaki Mehta, NPR News.
At the weekend box office, Sony's Resident Evil took the top spot with an estimated $60 million in ticket sales.
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