NPR News: 09-07-2026 11AM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnson. A federal investigation is underway to determine what caused the crash of a cargo plane at Miami International Airport yesterday that left at least five people dead. NPR's Arzu Resvani reports the National Transportation Safety Board is focusing on several factors. They'll be looking at everything from possible mechanical failure to environmental variables to flight crew performance. I spoke with Peter Goldts last night. He's the former managing director of the NTSB. He's now a transportation safety consultant. And he explained to me how this usually goes. That listen to the cockpit voice recorder to make sure that the pilots were following the checklist were aware of the extenuating circumstances. Another detail investigators will likely examine our thunderstorms and winds that were directly over the airport at the time of the crash. NPR's Arzu Resvani reporting.

1:01Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to South America this week as the Trump administration embraces a new group of right wing leaders and pushes to expand US influence across the region. NPR's Michelle Kellman reports on what's on Rubio's agenda. The State Department says Rubio will travel to Columbia, Ecuador and Peru to talk about enhanced cooperation in the fight against what it calls Narco Terrorism. The Trump administration has killed at least 227 people in the past year in strikes on what it alleges are drug boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific. Critics say these strikes are illegal and have not had an impact on the drug trade. But Rubio may not face much pushback on this trip as new right wing governments promise to work with the Trump administration. The State Department says Rubio will also discuss trade and support for recovery efforts from a recent earthquake in Columbia. Michelle Kellman and PR news the State Department. Consumers with by now pay later debt may now find it harder to get relief.

2:05NPR Steven Bessahaw reports these installment programs covered about $70 billion last year. By now pay later. Let's consumers split payments on everything from furniture to close. The credit counseling company Money Management International says it's seeing more clients with by now pay later debt. Ted Rossman is the group's consumer finance analyst. He says these newer by now pay later companies are not as willing to offer debt relief. Like credit card lenders are often willing to work with us. We can negotiate something like an 8% rate over four or five years. The by now pay later companies are often not willing to make the same accommodations. By now pay later does have lower delinquency rates than credit cards. But Rossman worries with the growing debt those delinquencies could rise. Steve M. Bessahaw and PR news. This is NPR. Canada is set to impose new retaliatory tariffs on US goods starting tomorrow.

3:06The duties range from 15 to 50% and cover about $20 billion worth of American imports. Products include steel, aluminum, appliances, electronics, clothing and some food. Canada says the tariffs are a dollar for dollar response to President Trump's new 50% duties on Canadian goods. The move comes after trade talks between the two countries broke down last month. Spending on security at synagogues and other Jewish institutions has reached a record high that's according to a new study from the Jewish federations of North America. NPR's Jason Deros says the data is being released as the high holy holidays begin later this week. According to the report Jewish groups spent just over $1 billion on security in 2025. That's up more than 33% from the previous year. The study finds that on average an individual Jewish institution now spends roughly $225,000 on security measures

4:07from guards and shadowproof glass to cameras and alarm systems. The Jewish federations of North America says the increased spending is a measure of how much more dangerous life has become. The most recent FBI statistics show that anti-Jewish incidents account for nearly two thirds of all religiously motivated hate crimes in the US. Jason Deros, NPR News. Gas prices are at a record high this Labor Day. The gallon of regular is averaging at $4.14 per gallon. This is NPR. You count on sunscreen to protect your skin, but that SPF rating on the bottle might not be exactly as advertised. So you could measure an SPF 50 at one lab and an SPF 30 at another. On the Sunday story, is it time to update sunscreen guidance? Listen now to the Sunday story from the Up First podcast on the NPR app.