NPR News: 09-28-2026 2PM EDT
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What does the new Iowa steel mill mean for U.S. jobs and manufacturing?
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The White House is set to announce the construction of a steel mill in Iowa that it says will be the largest ever in the United States. NPR's Deepa Shivaram reports the construction and operation of the plant is expected to create about
2,000 new permanent jobs. Trump's announcement comes as Americans are souring on how they view Trump's handling of the economy. And with the midterm elections just a little over a month away, the president is running out of time to shift voters' perspectives. The steel plant is being built by Masabi Metallics, a company based in Minnesota, though the plant will be constructed in Iowa. It's expected to produce 10 million tons of steel a year once it's fully built. The $15 billion investment marks the first mega steel plant to be built in the U.S. since the 1960s, according to the White House. Deepa Shivaram, NPR News, the White House.
Did President Trump offer to sell U.S. weapons to China?
The U.S. ambassador to China, David Perdue, says President Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping if he wanted to buy weapons from the U.S. Perdue spoke to Fox News Sunday, days after Xi made his first state visit to the U.S. in over a decade. He did not specify when Trump made the arms sale offer to Xi.
Why is FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey stepping down?
The FBI is losing a deputy director for the second time since President Trump returned to office. NPR's Ryan Lucas reports Andrew Bailey has been on the job for a little more than a year.
Andrew Bailey says in a post on X that he is stepping down to return to his family in Missouri. But he says he's confident that Director Kash Patel will continue the work, including reforming the FBI and combating violent crime. Patel thanked Bailey for his service on X as well. Bailey, a former attorney general for the state of Missouri, joined the FBI last August under an unusual arrangement as co-deputy director alongside Dan Bongino, a right-wing former podcast host. Bongino left the bureau in January. Now Bailey, too, is departing. It's unclear whether he will be replaced. The current remaining deputy director is a career special agent, which was the norm until the second Trump administration. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.
What happened during SpaceX Starship’s first successful trip to orbit?
SpaceX's Starship rocket reached orbit today for the first time, but Central Florida Public Media's Brendan Byrne reports a mission
was cut short. Starship and its 33-engine booster launched from SpaceX's Starbase in Texas on a planned 10-hour mission. The launch, for the most part, went as designed. An engine on Starship did shut down about 30 seconds early, but mission control decided it was still safe to continue its orbital path. Just about three hours after liftoff, it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. It's unclear what caused the mission to end early. During its time in orbit, Starship deployed more than two dozen Starlink satellites, a new version that will help build SpaceX's global internet constellation in orbit. SpaceX is counting on Starship to grow its commercial business, and NASA has tapped the spacecraft to bring its astronauts to the lunar surface for future Artemis missions.
For NPR News, I'm Brendan Byrne in Orlando.
It's NPR.
What is known about the suspected plot targeting a U.S.-used air base in Britain?
Britain is investigating a suspected terrorism plot against an Air Force base used by the U.S. military. Authorities say five men were arrested. Authorities have yet to disclose the charges or whether they have anything to do with the U.S. war with Iran. Iran's embassy in London denies any involvement. The U.S. and Iran have been at war for seven months now. Both continue to battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
What is Pope Leo XIV urging Europe to do for peace and refugees?
The most recent data by Kepler shows a seven-day average last week of around 13 million barrels a day compared to 15 to 17 million barrels before the war. Pope Leo XIV is urging Europe to find a way to secure peace. As NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports, the American-born pontiff spent his final day in France in a city that is symbolic of post-World War II reconciliation in Europe.
Pope Leo spoke in the city of Metz in the Alsace-Lorraine region, long disputed by France and Germany. Today, unfortunately, war has come again to Europe, he said, where pointless massacres are taking civilian lives.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What does the new Iowa steel mill mean for U.S. jobs and manufacturing?
0:01–0:53
2
Did President Trump offer to sell U.S. weapons to China?
0:53–1:10
3
Why is FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey stepping down?
1:10–2:07
4
What happened during SpaceX Starship’s first successful trip to orbit?
2:07–3:01
5
What is known about the suspected plot targeting a U.S.-used air base in Britain?
3:01–3:29
6
What is Pope Leo XIV urging Europe to do for peace and refugees?
3:29–5:04