NPR News: 04-24-2026 5PM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. U.S. Special Envoy Steat with Koff and President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are headed back to Pakistan for direct talks with Iran about ending the war. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt. The President was flexible in granting an extension of the ceasefire throughout this time. The President has decided to dispatch Special Envoy with Koff and Jared Kushner back to Islamabad. The Iranians want to talk. They want to talk in person. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Aarachi says he's starting a, quote, timely tour of Islamabad and Moscow to coordinate with partners on bilateral matters, but he didn't specifically say he would attend talks with the U.S. Vice President Fantz, who was at the talks with Iran two weeks ago that didn't result in a deal, is not attending these talks, but Levitt says he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are standing by to fly to Islamabad if needed.

1:00The FDA is speeding up its review of psychedelics for treating mental health, giving priority status to several drugs, which companies have been studying for depression and PTSD, and Pierce Will Stone has more. Three companies are submitting drug applications to the FDA to offer psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms for treating depression, the third is for a drug that's similar to MDMA, which has shown promise for PTSD. FDA is giving out special vouchers that are intended to expedite the agency's review of the drugs. It does not mean the drugs are FDA approved yet. This comes on the heels of an executive order from President Trump that directs federal health agencies to prioritize research on psychedelics. Scientific interest in these drugs for treating mental health has grown substantially in the last few years, though an effort to get MDMA approved for treating PTSD fell short in 2024. Tornado's ripped through northern Oklahoma last night, leveling homes, downing power lines and damaging roads.

2:01Grayson Wheeler, who up member station KOSU, has more on the destruction near the town of Enid, and a nearby military base 100 miles north of Oklahoma City. After the tornado glanced off Vance Air Force Base, it shifted course toward Dave Lamerton's son's woodworking business. And as you can tell, it was in full force when it made its turn. Lamerton's family first saw the destruction soon after the storm moved past them. And we flashed light in and we looked at it and we said this is, you know, terrible. So from that point, we just didn't get much sleep last night and waited to get the son up and went from there. Lamerton says his son lost all his equipment and will have to totally rebuild. Many others are in the same boat. Emergency management officials estimate 40 homes were damaged or destroyed. For NPR News, I'm Grayson Wheeler in Oklahoma City. Wall Street ended the day in mixed territory. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.

3:01For the first time in decades, worship attendance at congregations in the U.S. has increased. Ampere Jason DeRose reports that's among the findings of a major new study out today. median in-person weekly attendance has risen to 70 people that's up significantly from the pandemic low of just 45 and slightly higher than right before COVID restrictions. The study draws on surveys from nearly 7,500 houses of worship and was done by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. It found that volunteering, giving and clergy well-being are also up. The survey included Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu congregations among others. There's caution these changes don't make up for a decade's long decline. The median U.S. congregation is about half the size it was in the year 2000. Jason DeRose, NPR News. China is sending two giant pandas to the Atlanta Zoo. Its Beijing's latest efforts of panda diplomacy, less than a month before President Trump is

4:02set to visit China. The China Wildlife Conservation Association says Ping Ping, a male and fushuong, a female, will kick off a decade-long conservation partnership under an agreement it signed with the zoo last year. That's not clear when the pandas will arrive, but the zoo is doing upgrades to the facility to create a more comfy place for the pair. Giant pandas have been a symbol of U.S.-China friendships since 1972 when China first sent pandas to the United States. Wall Street ended the day in mixed territory, the dot-on 79 points, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ both closed at records. I'm Janine Herbst, NPR News. Wanna hear this podcast without sponsor breaks? Amazon Prime members can listen to NPR News now, sponsor free through Amazon Music. Or you can also support NPR's vital journalism and get NPR Plus at plus dot NPR dot org. That's plus dot NPR dot org.