NPR News: 04-24-2026 9PM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Aragchi is in Pakistan, but it's not clear if U.S.-Aran peace talks will take place this weekend, as the White House has said they will. On ex-Aranian foreign ministry spokesman says no meeting between the two countries is planned. But as Betsy Joel's reports, Islamabad has been locked down for days in anticipation of another round of talks. In addition to Islamabad, Aragchi said in a post on ex that he'll also visit Muskat and Moscow, for discussions on, quote, bilateral matters. Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement that Aragchi would hold meetings with its senior leadership. White House press secretary Caroline Levitt told Fox News that Jared Kushner and Steve Whitcoff would travel to Pakistan on Saturday for talks. Aragchi did not say if he would participate in talks with the U.S. in Pakistan. For NPR News, I'm Betsy Joel's in Islamabad. The Justice Department is dropping its investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

1:05The decision likely paves the way for the Senate to confirm President Trump's nominee to head the Central Bank, Kevin Wart, and Pierce Ryan Lucas has more. The U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. Janine Piro says in a statement on ex that her office is closing its investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell over cost overruns in the renovations of the Fed's headquarters. Piro says instead the Federal Reserve's Inspector General has been asked to examine the cost issues. The Justice Department's investigation into Powell generated major blowback from the Trump administration when the Probe's existence became public earlier this year. It prompted North Carolina Republican Senator Tom Tillis to threaten to block President Trump's pick to replace Powell at the Fed, Kevin Wart, unless the DOJ dropped its investigation. Now the decision to do exactly that appears to clear the way for the Senate to move forward on Wart's nomination. Ryan Lucas and Piro News, Washington. In Southern Georgia, firefighters continue to battle two major wildfires, where the 120

2:08structures have been destroyed and Governor Brian Camp says around 1,000 more are at risk in the hot, dry, and extreme drought conditions. Camp toward the fire damage area by air today, he says the highway 82 Brantley County fire burned 7,500 acres and is 15% contained as of this afternoon, while the nearby Pineland Road Fire has burned 31,000 acres and is 10% contained. Camp says the pipeline's fire was started by somebody welding their gate and the other fire was caused by a balloon hitting a power line. Camp says the coming weather may not help much. We've got a chance of rain down here tomorrow, which is good, but it's not a great chance. But also if it is a thunderstorm, we could actually have more fires that we've got to deal with because of lightning strikes than the rain helps us. This is NPR News. The Trump administration is sanctioning a major China-based oil refinery and about 40 shipping companies.

3:08Hengley-Petro Chemicals Facility and Allianne is included in the sanctions, it's been getting Iranian crude oil shipments for about three years. This is part of a campaign to cut off Iran's oil exports, which are a key revenue source for the country. This is the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical port for energy exports continues. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson says the agency will continue to restrict Iran's oil network. Another liberal arts college in Massachusetts is closing unable to overcome mounting financial end-of-enrollment challenges. Anna Maria College in Paxton, just outside Worcester, says it will close this summer. Kirk Harapaza of Member Station, GBH, has more. The 80-year-old Catholic school was known for catering to future police officers, firefighters and athletes with its large sports programs. But Robert Keltchen, who teaches higher ed policy at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, says that model was no longer viable for the small private school.

4:09The sweaty butts in seat strategy is pretty common. Many small colleges are 30 percent or more athletes. The challenge is athletic programs are often expensive to run. Following Hampshire College in Amherst, Anna Maria is at least the 11th four-year private college in Massachusetts to merge or close over the past decade. For NPR News, I'm Kirk Harapaza in Boston. Call Street and Mixed Territory by the Closing Bell, I'm Janine Herbst, NPR News in Washington. 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.