NPR News: 09-14-2026 6PM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, on Ryle and Barton, the Department of Homeland Security ordered investigators to pretend to be voters to access records in New York, according to a whistleblower complaint. Democrats say the operation was part of the Trump administration's efforts to find non-citizens on voter rolls. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says the administration broke state laws. Apparently, agents are being commanded to violate state laws and lie. To access private voter information and create law enforcement records as part of DHS' quote, unlawful voter initiative. The New York Times first reported the apparent operation. Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell says he'll vote tonight for the first time since his hospitalization in June. The 84-year-old was hospitalized after a fall in his home. His three-month absence from the Senate generated a flood of criticism, and speculation as he initially remained quiet for weeks about his condition. The leaders at three major AI companies are ramping up their calls to slow the development

1:03of more powerful AI systems, but experts worry restrictions may accomplish little unless the U.S. can reach an agreement with China and other countries and P.R.'s Windsor-Johnston reports. Gary Marcus is an Artificial Intelligence researcher at New York University. He says the United States and China share an interest in placing limits on AI agents that can operate freely online. He also says building larger AI models matters less than preventing poorly controlled systems from attacking critical infrastructure. You're going to find banking industries attack, electrical grids attack. China shouldn't want that, we shouldn't want that. We can make a deal about unrestrained agents. The leaders of major AI companies say they support global cooperation on safeguards. Marcus says that could be done without requiring American companies to slow development on their own. Windsor-Johnston and P.R. News. A nationwide study found that military veterans have higher levels of PFAS in their blood.

2:03P.R.'s quote Lawrence reports some of the so-called forever chemicals have been linked to cancer and liver failure. The study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that 58 percent of veterans have elevated levels of PFAS in their blood. P.R.'s associated with illnesses like kidney or test is cancer, liver or cardiovascular disease. The lead author of the study Christian Hoover at Brown University says young veterans in particular had levels 18 percent higher than their civilian counterparts. If you are a veteran that is between 20 and 39, by really strongly advise that they get tested and that they consult with their physicians. But PFAS blood testing isn't covered by VA health insurance or offered it via medical centers. VA is currently quote re-evaluating blood testing in accordance with new federal research. Quill Lawrence and P.R. News. AI stocks slid worldwide today after leaders of the industry warned that a slowdown is needed for the safety of humanity. This is NPR. Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil is suing Columbia University alleging it failed to

3:06address harassment against him and other members of a pro-Palestinian campus group. The suit says the university's deliberate indifference led to the doxing of multiple group members and Khalil's detention by immigration agents. The Republican candidate for Texas's oil and gas regulating body is under fire after posting a statement that Republican and Democratic officials are condemning as racist, Houston Public Media's Andrew Schneider reports. Both French, the GOP candidate for Texas Railroad Commissioner, posted a photo Sunday of a group of Asian Americans at a University of Texas football game, saying it illustrated quote, how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners? Asked about it on the mark Davis show on Monday, French doubled down. DEI was discriminating against deserving people so that these liberal bureaucrat administrators at University of Texas and places like that could select their preferred groups of people. Well, that is what is racism. Republican Senator John Corman and Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw of Houston both denounced

4:09French. Meanwhile, French's Democratic opponents state representative John Rosenthal said, both French spent Sunday morning sorting our student section by skin color. I'm Andrew Schneider in Houston. Pope Leo XIV celebrated his 71st birthday today, but it was Vatican employees who got a gift. He issued a papal decree repealing salary cuts that Pope Francis had imposed during the pandemic. Leo said the financial challenges can now be overcome. This message comes from DataIQ agent management. Most enterprises can't count their AI agents, let alone manage them. DataIQ agent management lets you do both from a single view. Visit dataIQ.com to learn more.