NPR News: 09-06-2026 10AM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. President Trump's diplomatic envoys are in key for the first time since Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. NPR's Joanna Kikizus reports they arrive from Moscow where they spoke with the Kremlin about ending the war. Jared Kushner is Trump's son-in-law and Steve Whitcoff is the president's longtime friend. They arrived in Kiev by train since Ukrainian airspace has been closed since the Russian invasion. Kushner and Whitcoff arrived on a rainy day with a black motorcade, an embraced Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky outside St. Sophia's Cathedral, next to a square with portraits of fallen Ukrainian soldiers. Zelensky had pushed for months for this visit. Speaking to reporters outside the cathedral, he thanked Trump for allowing the envoys to travel to Kiev despite security concerns.

1:01Russia paused it strikes on Kiev for this visit. Joanna Kikizus and P.R. News, Kiev. Republicans are gathering in Dallas this week for a midterm convention headline by President Trump. James Hartley from the station, KERA reports it's the first midterm convention held by a major political party in more than 40 years. In the Texas Race for Senate, Democrat James Talleriko holds a slim lead over Republican Ken Paxton, according to the latest polls. Southern Methodist University political science professor Kal Jilsen says leaders on the right seem concerned. He's not sure Republicans can assuage voters' concerns over the cost of living. If they're sitting around the kitchen table, worrying about the electric bill, gas prices, those kinds of things, those are gut level issues. And if they can't pay those bills, there's nothing you can tell them about how good the broader economy is. In the end, Jilsen says the impact of the convention on the outcome of the midterms could be negligible.

2:02For NPR News, I'm James Hartley and Dallas. The Labor Department is set to issue a pivotal report on inflation this week. NPR's Godworsley reports financial markets and the Federal Reserve will be watching closely. The annual inflation rate jumped to 4.2% back in May as the U.S. War with Iran sent energy prices soaring. By July, inflation had cooled somewhat, but prices are still climbing faster than the Federal Reserve would like. That puts the spotlight on the August report, which comes out Friday. If inflation continues to cool, Fed policymakers may feel content to leave interest rates where they are. But any acceleration in price hikes could prompt the Fed to raise rates. Investors think a September rate hike is more likely than not, especially after a better than expected jobs report on Friday. Federal prices have also climbed to a record high, which has the potential to raise the cost of transporting a wide array of goods. It's Godworsley in Pair News, Washington. This is NPR News. Mounting gorillas in Rwanda are an endangered species.

3:05So when there are new gorillas born in the country, it calls for a celebration. Joseph King from the Gulf States Newsroom reports from the East African nation. Wanda hosted his 21st annual Quintazina. The day is dedicated to giving names to newborn Mount gorillas. Every year, a group of philanthropists, community servants and celebrities are given the honor of choosing those names. Former French soccer star Mamadou Saku named one of the 22 gorillas in Wadane, which translates to United and Pursuit of a common goal. The name is inspired by the collective effort to conserve the gorillas. Saku says it's an honor. It's important for me to put Africa in light and show how Africa is beautiful. There are fewer than 1,200 Mount gorillas in the wild. Wanda takes pride in his conservation efforts and acknowledging that people behind them. For NPR News, I'm Joseph King and Kenigee from Wanda. Rescue crews in Nepal are still searching for survivors more than a week after catastrophic

4:10flooding triggered by a glacier collapse. More than 1,300 people have died while nearly 5,000 are still missing in Nepal. Crews are continuing to search tunnels and debris around damaged hydropower projects where hundreds of workers were caught in the flooding. The floods also devastated communities across the border into bed where hundreds of people remain missing. I'm Windsor Johnston and P.R. News in Washington. As the political landscape shifts beneath our feet, we're all vulnerable to a well-funded distraction economy determined to take our eye off the bomb. Our weekly politics series, if you can keep it, is here to help where our focus is not the horse race, but the state. We tackle the big political stories of the day and why they matter for our democracy. Join me Todd Zwilland and me Jen White on the 1A Podcast from WAMU and NPR.