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NPR News Now — NPR News: 09-10-2026 11AM EDT. Machine-transcribed; use the interactive transcript above to jump the player to any line.
Line from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. This is the second and final day of the Republican midterm convention. President Trump got attention for a promise last evening to give each American adult $5,000 if Republicans keep control of Congress in the midterms. Critics say that could be illegal and would cost more than a trillion dollars. This morning the White House announced it will offer $500 rebate checks to about 1 million Americans. The White House says these are refunds for people who were overcharged on Obamacare coverage. Chucks are supposed to be issued next month. It's been one year since right wing activist Charlie Kirk was shot to death during an event at Utah Valley University. As NPR's Alina Moore reports, Kirk's organization, Turning Point USA, will return to that campus this evening to memorialize him. Turning Point says the memorial will both honor Kirk and serve as a quote call for students and supporters to continue his life's work.
But the event is expected to look quite different compared to Kirk's funeral last year in Phoenix, where top Trump administration officials, including both the president and vice president, delivered remarks. As did Kirk's widow and Turning Point CEO, Erica Kirk. None have speaking slots at the memorial this evening. It'll also coincide with the final day of the GOP's midterm convention in Dallas, where President Trump, vice president, Bance and Erica Kirk were all in attendance on Wednesday. Alina Moore and Pair News, Orem, Utah. Newly released text messages from billionaire Elon Musk show him bragging about using quote, lasers from space to elect Donald Trump president in 2024. And Piers Bobby Allen reports. Director Alex Gibney's forthcoming documentary Musk reveals text messages between the tech mogul and his ex, Ashley St. Clair, a former MAGA influencer. The messages which NPR has obtained and authenticated are perplexing. And then Musk says he is feeling newly confident just before the November presidential election, and he writes it's because he plans to quote, unleash the anomaly
in the matrix. When pressed for clarity, Musk writes that he has 10,000 lasers in space. Musk representative declined to comment, but the techs have spurred the reason speculation about its meaning and Musk's intentions. Musk has expected to spend $100 million on key house and senate races in November. Bobby Allen and Pair News. U.S. Supreme Court has again stopped Missouri from using a newly drawn congressional map. It's the second time this week it's done so and the court did not explain its reasoning this morning. The decision seems to defer to the Missouri State Supreme Court. The state court has blocked the new map which favors Republican candidates, but there is still confusion. Missouri has already held primary elections using the new map and it's not clear how the general election will now be managed. You're listening to NPR. Extreme heat is blanketing much of California today. More than 32,000 customers do not have power as temperatures are hovering around the triple
digits. In some areas today it will feel like 109 degrees. Utilities are asking customers to conserve power. Drinking very hot beverages regularly could raise the risk of developing esophageal cancer and Piers-Mareg-Doy reports on a large new study of nearly a million people in the UK. The study followed tea and coffee drinkers over 14 years. The researchers found that people who regularly drink very hot beverages had three times the risk of esophageal cancer compared to those who sit their drinks warm. The findings are in line with prior studies in Asia, South America, and the Middle East. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies drinks hotter than 149 degrees Fahrenheit as probably carcinogenic to humans. Drinking very hot liquids can damage the cells lining the esophagus and repeated injuries can raise the risk of cancer over time. Experts say it's best to let hot drinks cool for a few minutes before taking a sip.
The findings appear in the International Journal of Cancer, Maria Gadoe, and Piers News. The Poetry Foundation has awarded its Lifetime Achievement Award to former US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky. It's worth $100,000. The Foundation named Poet and Children's author Nikki Grimes as its next Young People's Poet Laureate. She will also receive a $50,000 prize. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.
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