NPR News: 04-25-2026 7AM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News and Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The White House is sending negotiators to Pakistan today to resume peace talks with Iran, but it's unclear whether the negotiations will take place. Iran's foreign minister arrived in Islamabad overnight with Tehran denying he will speak directly with the Americans. Iran is starting to reopen its airspace to domestic and international flights. Story BeScaren reports the move ends a more than 50-day suspension. For weeks now, Iran's land borders were the only options for people to leave the country. In Turkey, they would then catch flights from a small regional airport and continue on to international destinations. In a statement, Iran's national carrier, Iran Air, said it would resume flights to five international destinations, Istanbul, Baku, Doha, Najaf, and Baghdad. Iran Air's first flight from Tehran landed in Istanbul's Saturday morning, as well as

1:00flights operated by private carriers, Meraj, Airlines, and Mahan Air. For NPR News, I'm Joy BeScaren, an Istanbul. President Trump is trying to reassure voters about the economy, even as new polls show growing concerns. NPR's Deepashiv Iran reports the president's messaging is focused elsewhere. This message is basically, you know, it could have been worse. This war could be going on longer. House prices could be higher. He wants to try and talk about, you know, other issues and his other economic messaging things like no tax on tips in Las Vegas or his plans to lower the cost of drugs. Meanwhile, people are in polling, clearly showing that they're really, really worried about the economy, and he's standing in front of voters, saying that the economy is booming. So his message right now is to sort of dance around the main topic without hitting it head on. At NPR's Deepashiv Iran reporting, a federal appeals court has ruled that the White House ban on asylum at the U.S. Southern border is unlawful. It's a blow for the proclamation that President Trump signed on his first day in office.

2:02NPR, Sergio Martinez-Beltran reports. Back in January 2025, the White House said that suspending asylum at the Southern border was meant to prevent immigrants, participating in a quote, invasion from coming to the U.S. But now that this is circuit court of appeals, has ruled Trump's proclamation circumvents the removal procedures crafted by Congress. The court also says the administration's policy cast aside the federal laws that give people the opportunity to claim asylum. Immigrant rights groups say they're ruling is a victory for those seeking safety and protection at the U.S. Mexico border. Sergio Martinez-Beltran and PR News. Wildfires are continuing to burn in South Georgia. Fire activity is expected to remain extremely high through the weekend. Officials say at least two fires have destroyed dozens of structures, including 120 homes as dry conditions and wind fuel the flames. This is NPR News. The Justice Department says it will allow firing squads as a federal method of execution,

3:07as the Trump administration moves to speed up capital punishment cases. It's also bringing back lethal injection using Pentebarbitol, the same method used in 13 federal executions during President Trump's first term. The Biden administration had removed that drug from federal protocol, citing concerns about the risk of unnecessary pain and suffering. It was a mixed week on Wall Street as investors digested more big company earnings. The Dow Jones industrial average edged down 217 points from a week earlier. The S&P 500 was up a fraction while the tech heavy Nasdaq rose 1.5 percent. NPR's Maria Aspen reports. Tech optimism helped end the week on a high note for investors, and distracted them from the ongoing back and forth over the war in the Middle East and its heavy impact on oil prices. Shares in Intel's sword after the chipmaker reported higher sales and being analysts expectations. Intel shares have almost quadrupled in price since the U.S. government announced last

4:09share that it was taking a rare 10 percent stake in the company. These hopes for the AI boom also helped chip darling Nvidia, the most valuable company in the world. It stuck closed Friday at a new high, making Nvidia now worth more than $5 trillion and lifting the broader market. The benchmark S&P 500 and the tech heavy Nasdaq also hit new records. Maria Aspen and PR News. I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News in Washington. This week on the NPR Politics Podcast, for decades the Southern Poverty Law Center has tracked and even infiltrated hate groups. But the Justice Department now alleges the way they funded that work amounted to bank fraud. Is it an honest pursuit of justice or just the latest example of the Trump DOJ targeting the president's political opponents? Listen this week to the NPR Politics Podcast.