President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) speak via an interpreter as they depart following a tour of the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 25. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

President Trump rolled out the red carpet for Xi Jinping this week for the first state visit that the Chinese leader has made since 2015.

The visit comes at an important time for both men. For Trump, the state visit comes about six weeks before the midterm elections. Xi has an important calendar ahead as well, with a key Communist Party meeting scheduled for next month that should set up a widely expected announcement next fall that Xi will rule for another five-year term.

But there were a few commitments that came out of the meetings in Washington this week and more emphasis put on pageantry.

Expectations were low for major takeaways

The U.S. says the two countries will extend by two months a trade truce that lets the U.S. access rare earth elements from China, and for China to access some advanced American semiconductor chips.

But the two delegations did not announce crucial details about two still-unformed boards of trade and investment, Boeing purchases and pending Chinese agricultural purchases.

Instead, the two men relied on cordial remarks that glossed over the significant trade and economic complaints that have driven recent tension in the U.S.-China relationship. At a state dinner of about 145 guests, Xi toasted to Trump's health and a "new chapter" in bilateral relations, while Trump highlighted the long history of commerce between both countries.

Xi "wielded many of the usual feel-good tropes of Chinese diplomacy," said Lucy Hornby, author of The Last Man, an upcoming biography on Xi, such as panda diplomacy.

In his opening remarks, Trump referenced the intertwined histories of the U.S. Marines and Chinese Communist fighters during World War II, a conflict during which "Look at the greatness that we had together fighting in World War II," he said.

"Neither side is really in a position from a domestic standpoint to work out the really complicated issues at the heart of the conflict between the two," Samm Sacks, a senior fellow at the think tank New America, said.

Trump played up his personal relationship with Xi. Xi focused on geopolitics.

The two men and their delegations spent about three hours together in meetings inside the White House on Thursday, but much of the time was spent on a personal tour Trump gave to Xi of the South Lawn, lingering on the new helipad Trump has had constructed there and climbing inside the new Marine One helicopter.

Beijing views the U.S. relationship through sweeping, historical terms, with Xi invoking the "Thucydides trap" in his opening remarks on Thursday — a concept plucked from academia but is increasingly referenced by senior Chinese policymakers to describe possible conflict when a rising power threatens a declining power.

Yet China indicated it considered the visit had gone smoothly. A read-out of the Thursday meetings highlighting positive "aspirations for the future" in the relationship, and praising the diplomacy as "a significant step toward finding the right way for the two nations to coexist."

And Trump announced he is planning to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in southern China in November, and that Xi is planning to attend the upcoming G20 Leaders' Summit in Miami this December.

From Taiwan to technology, significant differences remain

Before Trump and Xi had concluded their meeting Thursday, China's state news agency issued a statement calling on the U.S. to come out against Taiwan's formal independence. The U.S. has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and it has long maintained a position of "strategic ambiguity" as to whether it would defend the self-ruled democracy militarily if China were to use force.

Sacks, the New America fellow, said China sees Trump as being pro-China, more so than anyone around him in his Cabinet and anyone in Congress, which means they think that now is a really rare window to get a deal, even a shallow deal or symbolic deal.

"Because they know there are China hardliners who want decoupling waiting in the wings. The next president, Democrat or Republican, is very likely not to be as amenable to working with Xi Jinping the way we've seen," Sacks added.

Xi raised guardrails around the development of artificial intelligence with Trump, according to China's state news agency, urging the two countries to "work together to prevent the misuse and abuse of artificial intelligence."

Trump, by contrast, has argued forcefully against regulating frontier AI, and he wrote on Truth Social before his meeting with Xi that on artificial intelligence, "I want to leave it exactly where it is. That is China's position also. Our guardrail is the DOJ!"

Yet at a state dinner Thursday evening, Trump and Xi warmly praised their countries' relationship, highlighting a long history of commerce with one another.

"Whenever he meets an American president, [Xi] frames the two countries as equals who can jointly sort out global problems; whereas in meetings with leaders of other countries, especially Russia or developing countries, he talks about solidarity against the "hegemonic" U.S.," said Hornby.

Sacks said it's possible a "cooperative path" on AI has opened after U.S. and Chinese officials deliberated this week ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting. There were discussions over an information-sharing system for alerting AI incidents related to national security. It's unlikely that a deal gets formalized between Trump and Xi, but Sacks said it's still significant.

"The bar is low, but they've set up a mechanism to keep talking," Sacks said.

Was the pageantry worth it?

The red-carpet VIP treatment of the leader of the world's top competitor to American power has raised eyebrows among those who've spent their careers helping manage the U.S.-China relationship.

"This is our most difficult relationship in the world," Nicholas Burns, former U.S. ambassador to China, told NPR's Leila Fadel on Morning Edition.

"American people want their president to be polite and civil to a foreign leader, but the over-the-top flattery by President Trump of President Xi, the red carpets, the pomp and circumstance, the marching bands, President Xi is not going to be swayed by that," Burns said. "He's highly intelligent. Obviously, he is not sentimental and he's very cynical about the United States. And his government's aim is to overtake us in power."

But other observers have argued that the pomp can only help what has become a bitter and tense relationship between the world's two largest economies.

"I don't want to understate the importance of pageantry at this moment. Because things have been so toxic," said Sacks of the New America think tank. "And so the pageantry itself creates a kind of breathing space that is stabilizing."

Stability between the U.S. and China seems to be the aim of this visit for Xi, as it is for Trump. But that stability still leaves the remaining issues between the two countries, including Chinese exports of rare earth minerals, the trade truce, and to what extent the two countries agree on an off-ramp from the potentially dangerous development of AI technology.

NPR does not offer or accept money for coverage or interviews. Anyone who makes such an offer or request is not an NPR employee and does not represent NPR.

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Mortgage rates have just surpassed 7% for the first time in well over a year

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A for sale sign sits in front of a home in Miami. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage leaped to 7.03% on Thursday, according to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., which also goes by Freddie Mac.

Economy

Ever wonder how the Fed's interest rate actually works? We've got answers

This is the first time the rate has passed the 7% mark in 20 months, or since January 2025. While the 7% mortgage rate milestone holds no literal significance beyond the psychological effect of the round number, the sharp rise in rates since March risks further squeezing the budgets of homebuyers. And it's bound to deepen the freeze on a housing market held stagnant for years by the high cost of homeownership.

Mortgage rates tend to follow the 10-year Treasury note, which has risen sharply over the summer amid concerns about high inflation as well as the size of the federal debt.

The Federal Reserve last week raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point — its first move this year — and many policymakers projected it may raise it one more time before year's end. Investors are bracing for potentially even more rate hikes to help fight inflation.

The housing market is hurting

High mortgage rates contributed to a 2% decline in existing home sales in August from the previous month, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Business

Get ready for yet another cost when buying a home: Junk fees

The median sale for an existing home was about $429,000. At that price, a single percentage point increase in the mortgage rate can cost buyers hundreds of additional dollars a month and tens of thousands over the life of the loan.

Housing researchers had hoped 2026 would provide a break for buyers and sellers waiting for cheaper rates and those savings. For a brief moment, that seemed to happen as mortgage rates fell below 6% by the end of February.

But they quickly shot back up with the war with Iran, which has led to volatility in the bond markets. Continued fighting has also prolonged worries about inflation, further helping push up mortgage rates.

NPR does not offer or accept money for coverage or interviews. Anyone who makes such an offer or request is not an NPR employee and does not represent NPR.

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For anyone who grew up staring blankly at museum artwork, this is the fun that was missing: Coco leads interactive and (mostly) factual art history comedy tours.

Growing up, I had a knack for getting distracted on school field trips to museums and art galleries.

Teachers marched us through halls of what felt like the same Baroque painting over and over. Endless soft bodies painted against pale blue skies, their stories offered up with little explanation.

It didn't feel like any of it was meant to be fun.

Then I discovered Coco, the self-described "time-traveling tart."

The brainchild and alter ego of comedian Max Norman, Coco — 6 foot 7 without heels — leads interactive and (mostly) factual tours through galleries in London and beyond.

During the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last month, she made her way to the National Galleries of Scotland for what was billed as a "cheeky romp" uncovering the "gossip, glamour and glorious absurdity hiding behind the art."

Housing affordability challenges are spreading to higher income brackets, according to new research, which found one in five renters struggled last year to pay for their housing in full and on time. (Image credit: Nam Y. Huh)

Housing affordability challenges are spreading to higher income brackets, according to new research, which found one in five renters struggled last year to pay for their housing in full and on time.

(Image credit: Nam Y. Huh)

A "For Rent" sign displays outside an apartment building in Skokie, Ill., in 2024. Researchers from the Urban Institute found that a growing number of renters in the U.S. are struggling to pay for housing each month. Nam Y. Huh/AP hide caption

A growing number of renters in the U.S. are struggling to pay for housing each month, according to new research that found more middle-income families may be defaulting on rent and becoming vulnerable to eviction.

While the country's lowest-income renters have always paid an outsized share of their earnings toward housing costs, a new report from the Urban Institute found that families across all income brackets are facing increasingly stark affordability issues.

One in every five middle-income renters surveyed by the institute said that at some point during 2025, they could not afford to pay the full amount of rent when it was due. That's a significant jump from the year prior, when about 14% reported being unable to pay their rent.

This house trumpets its history in the face of gentrification. Now it's a landmark

Researchers said housing affordability is being made worse due to mounting economic pressures and the rising costs of everyday necessities. A similar number of renters — slightly more than 20% — also reported struggling to pay for gas, oil or electricity last year.

Saudi Arabia on Saturday said that Yemen's Houthi rebels tried to attack Riyadh with a ballistic missile, the first time the Saudi capital has been targeted since the escalation in fighting with the Iran-backed rebels opened a new front in the Iran war. (Image credit: Osamah Abdulrahman)

Saudi Arabia on Saturday said that Yemen's Houthi rebels tried to attack Riyadh with a ballistic missile, the first time the Saudi capital has been targeted since the escalation in fighting with the Iran-backed rebels opened a new front in the Iran war.

(Image credit: Osamah Abdulrahman)

Supporters of Yemen's Houthi rebels shout slogans during a rally in support of the group in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday. Osamah Abdulrahman/AP hide caption

The statement by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis came long after the dawn attempt, which the coalition said was intercepted. Some residents in Riyadh heard an explosion. Later, some saw a plume of smoke near the airport. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

The statement also said the Houthis tried to attack civilian infrastructure in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu — where a key Saudi pipeline ends — and in Taif, Baysh and Farasan but they were thwarted, giving no further details.

The Houthis earlier claimed, without providing evidence, that they had targeted "sensitive sites" in Riyadh and facilities of Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu, causing "massive fires." Aramco, the world's largest oil company, did not respond to a request for comment.

The growing conflict near another important global shipping corridor has brought new pressures for markets.

Three reporters were blocked from the White House grounds Saturday morning, a day after President Trump said CNN, Politico, and MS NOW would be banned for reporting "FICTION and LIES." (Image credit: Charles McQuillan)

Three reporters were blocked from the White House grounds Saturday morning, a day after President Trump said CNN, Politico, and MS NOW would be banned for reporting "FICTION and LIES."

(Image credit: Charles McQuillan)

U.S. President Donald Trump reacts towards members of the media after a courtesy call with Irish President Catherine Connolly at Áras an Uachtaráin on September 12, 2026 in Dublin, Ireland. Charles McQuillan/Getty Images Europe hide caption

WASHINGTON— Reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico on Saturday said they were denied access to White House grounds after President Trump announced a ban on the three media outlets.

Trump said in a Truth Social post on Friday he was banning these outlets from the White House, citing negative coverage of his administration and saying media outlets shouldn't be able to constantly report "FICTION and LIES" when they cover the president of the United States. He warned other news outlets would follow. It's Trump's latest move in an ongoing battle against the media .

On Friday afternoon, a Bloomberg News reporter asked Trump about the ban at a press conference and whether he was trying to intimidate the press. "No, no, no, no. I dislike dishonest press, like you. I think you're terrible," Trump responded.

He also said: "They purposely write negative news, and they do that because they want to try and diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration." Trump said there was no specific news story that led to his decision, instead it was a frustration that had built up over the last two years.

On Saturday morning, MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, said in a statement on X that their journalists were unable to access the White House grounds. MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner said on air that she was denied access to the White House, and an officer asked her to "hand over" her badge because it was "disabled."

The U.N. expanded the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon's mandate 20 years ago to include monitoring adherence to a ceasefire in fighting between Israel and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah — the militant group created in 1982 to counter a second Israeli invasion. (Image credit: Diego Ibarra Sánchez for NPR)

The U.N. expanded the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon's mandate 20 years ago to include monitoring adherence to a ceasefire in fighting between Israel and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah — the militant group created in 1982 to counter a second Israeli invasion.

(Image credit: Diego Ibarra Sánchez for NPR)

French UNIFIL peacekeepers patrol beyond the "yellow line" — the boundary of occupying Israeli forces — through the flattened towns of Houla, Kfar Kila, and Odaisseh. Israel has established a restricted buffer zone beyond that line after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire this year. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for NPR hide caption

The U.N. peacekeepers' armored vehicle moves slowly along the de facto border in southern Lebanon, not because of the terrain or the threat of shelling and drones, but because every mile means relearning a landscape profoundly transformed by war.

UNIFIL — the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon — has been monitoring this area since 1978, when it was created to verify Israel's troop withdrawal after its first occupation of Lebanon.

Almost half a century later, the peacekeeping force's mandate will expire at the end of the year and due to U.S. and Israeli opposition, will not be renewed. There is still no durable ceasefire.

An agreement in June between Israel and Lebanon has brought only a fragile pause to a conflict that the Lebanese government says has killed more than 4,300 people, displaced more than 1.2 million and redrawn the geography of southern Lebanon since it began in March, when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel. Israel says 39 soldiers and a military contractor, plus two civilians, have been killed in Hezbollah attacks since then. Seven U.N. peacekeepers have also been killed since the war began this year, according to UNIFIL.

The 17 goals agreed upon by world leaders are incredibly ambitious. Are we even close to achieving any of them? If we don't, is the project a failure?

By any standards, it was an eye-popping to-do list.

No poverty. Zero hunger. Quality education for all. Gender equality. Clean water and sanitation. Reduced inequalities. Peace, justice and strong Institutions.

In September 2015, these were just some of the 17 goals that global leaders set for themselves to accomplish in the next fifteen years. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals , broken down into 169 targets, were meant to transform the world by 2030.

A decade later, that deadline is closing in, but the world is nowhere near achieving much of what it promised. According to the U.N.'s latest assessment report"

These numbers raise big questions. Were these goals just too unrealistic and ambitious in the first place? Can the world expect to tick some of those boxes before the deadline? And if none of the goals are met, is the enterprise a failure?

While none of the SDGs goals are literally impossible to achieve, many require rates of progress that would be "historically unprecedented" — far beyond what even the fastest-improving countries have previously achieved, says Charles Kenny, senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, a think-tank in Washington, D.C. "In order to meet them, we'd have to see incredibly dramatic global policy change," he says.

Oil supplies are falling, sulfur prices are threatening food costs, and we measuring Lego against Hollywood (Image credit: Screenshot of the Death StarTM from lego.com )

Oil supplies are falling, sulfur prices are threatening food costs, and we measuring Lego against Hollywood

(Image credit: Screenshot of the Death StarTM from lego.com )

If you're wealthy, it might be a little easier to take candy meant for a child. This is one takeaway from a 2012 paper titled "Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior" that just won the Ig Nobel Prize for economics. This is … a satirical prize. It highlights work that will 1) make you laugh and then 2) make you think. Among the paper's examples, wealthier individuals were found to cut off other vehicles more often, cheat more often in a dice game for money, AND take more candy from a jar explicitly labeled for children. If you're wealthy, I guess the rules of society suddenly don't apply.

Coming up, what expensive sulfur means for your dinner table, how low oil supply is becoming harder to ignore, and how Lego measures up to Hollywood.

1) The oil crisis isn't going away What To Know: The Gulf continues to send much less oil to the world than before the Iran war. Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline that bypassed the Strait of Hormuz got shut down last week after drone attacks coming from Iraq. If it doesn't come online within a month, it could have a seismic impact, keeping more than 100 million barrels of oil from international markets. Already, crude oil prices in the U.S. have shot up in the past few weeks. For more than a year, stockpiles of oil have made this seem like less of a crisis than it is, couching gas prices, but they're running out. Now, The Wall Street Journal reports the "Great Fuel Crisis" that execs have warned about for months is finally here.

What does this change?: Even if the Strait of Hormuz fully reopened tomorrow, oil prices aren't just going to pop down to normal right away. Heightened prices are likely to stick around for a while as the market resets. Making things worse, backups available to cushion oil prices have been working on overdrive, and now many are at their limits. For example, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve could be used as a source to transition us back to a higher oil supply if the global taps are turned back on. But it's at its lowest level since 1982 and will take months, if not years, to refill. Then there's refining capacity. Helima Croft with RBC Capital, an investment bank, told CNBC U.S. refiners are operating at 98% capacity. In other words, even if more oil becomes available to be refined, there's no spare capacity to handle it.

2) Expensive sulfur may be another thorn in the side of your dinner table bill - AgWeb

What To Know: Sulfur is needed in fertilizer, which, of course, is needed to grow your food. But the price of it has gone haywire. In 2024, it was $46 per ton. In 2025, $180 per ton. Spot prices in July saw a ton of sulfur go for more than $1,000 per metric ton. A spokesman for Mosaic Company, which produces phosphate fertilizer, told AgWeb the prices are SO high that phosphate fertilizer use is expected to drop significantly. Mosaic confirmed with The Indicator that they have already idled two facilities in Louisiana, impacting 300 families. There's no single number connecting high sulfur prices to food inflation, but Oxford Economics, pointing to higher diesel and fertilizer prices, sees global food prices going up another 4.8% in 2027.

Warren Buffett is stepping down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway after serving in the role for more than 50 years. His son, Howard, will become Berkshire Hathaway's new chairman (Image credit: Nati Harnik)

Warren Buffett is stepping down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway after serving in the role for more than 50 years. His son, Howard, will become Berkshire Hathaway's new chairman

(Image credit: Nati Harnik)

FILE - Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, speaks during a game of bridge following the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting May 5, 2019, in Omaha, Neb. Nati Harnik/AP hide caption

Warren Buffett officially retires as Berkshire Hathaway's CEO

The company said Friday that the 96 year-old Buffett will become chairman emeritus and will take on his new role immediately. His son, Howard, will become Berkshire Hathaway's new chairman. Howard Buffett has served as a Berkshire Hathaway board member since 1993.

Warren Buffett will remain a director. He had served as Berkshire Hathaway's chairman since 1970.

Buffett stepped down as CEO of the company late last year. He was succeeded by Greg Abel.

NPR dug into the upside-down world of FEMA flood insurance in coastal areas, and found many homeowners have no financial choice but to let their homes collapse.

Dramatic videos show waterfront houses collapsing into the water. It's happening across the United States, from California to Michigan to Maine.

One hotspot is Dare County, N.C., where more than 30 homes have collapsed since 2020, including one as recently as this summer. About 100 additional houses there are threatened by erosion exacerbated by sea level rise.

People's houses are collapsing into the ocean. FEMA gives them no other option

Yet there is no plan to remove most of the threatened houses — or to empty them of personal belongings before they fall — because of perverse incentives created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

And the problem is only getting worse. As climate-driven sea level rise accelerates erosion around the country, there is growing alarm among waterfront homeowners, local officials and even members of Congress. Everyone agrees the status quo is unsustainable. But can they agree on a long-term solution?

The legislation was named for the late South Carolina Republican. It gives the president authority to impose tariffs on top importers of oil and natural gas from Russia, such as China and India. (Image credit: Mariam Zuhaib)

The legislation was named for the late South Carolina Republican. It gives the president authority to impose tariffs on top importers of oil and natural gas from Russia, such as China and India.

(Image credit: Mariam Zuhaib)

The U.S Capitol is photographed Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Mariam Zuhaib/AP hide caption

Congress is sending a Russia sanctions bill to President Trump's desk after the package cleared the House on Wednesday. The legislation, which passed 262 to 159, split lawmakers in both parties.

The package is intended to put pressure on the Russian economy with the aim of forcing President Vladimir Putin to end his war in Ukraine. Thousands of civilians have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The sanctions target Russian officials, companies and financial institutions helping fuel the war.

"This is a moral issue that requires moral courage," said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas. "I want us to be able to say that we did everything possible to end this war. That we understood the threat. That we had the courage to do what was right — to cripple the Russian war machine and turn the tide toward peace."

The legislation also gives the president authority to impose tariffs on top countries importing oil and natural gas from Russia, such as China and India. The tariff authority was a sticking point for many Democrats who opposed the measure, citing fears that Trump could gain a new avenue to levy tariffs on nations of his choosing.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office spoke with Reiner's siblings and took their wishes into consideration in the decision. (Image credit: Chris Torres)

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office spoke with Reiner's siblings and took their wishes into consideration in the decision.

(Image credit: Chris Torres)

Nick Reiner in court in February. Chris Torres/Pool EPA via AP hide caption

Prosecutors say they will not seek the death penalty for 33-year-old Nick Reiner. Reiner was previously indicted on charges of killing his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.

"In deciding whether or not the DA's office was going to seek the death penalty, we have gone through a rigorous review, where we look at the aggravating factors as well as the mitigating factors," said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman at a press briefing Tuesday morning. "After a careful and thorough review of all these factors, the district attorney's office will not be seeking the death penalty in this case."

A Los Angeles County grand jury indicted Reiner in July on two counts of first-degree murder. He was first charged with first-degree murder last December, two days after the lethal attack on his parents in their Los Angeles home.

In addition to the double murder charges, Reiner's indictment includes special allegations that he was "lying in wait."

New indictment alleges Nick Reiner was lying in wait before killing his parents

In two board resolutions made public Monday, the arts institution says it is in a dire financial and physical state — and that only President Trump can "rescue" it. (Image credit: Alex Wroblewski)

In two board resolutions made public Monday, the arts institution says it is in a dire financial and physical state — and that only President Trump can "rescue" it.

(Image credit: Alex Wroblewski)

Workers build scaffolding on The Kennedy Center on June 12, 2026. Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

On Sunday evening, the Washington Post reported that the Kennedy Center administration told its board that the arts institution is on the brink of bankruptcy — and that it might be forced to close as soon as Tuesday. Both the majority of the center's administration and board were selected by President Trump.

The document detailing this plan, whose existence NPR has confirmed, was issued ahead of a board meeting slated for Tuesday. That's the same day as a status hearing set by Judge Christopher Cooper, who is overseeing the federal lawsuit brought by Rep. Joyce Beatty to stop the renaming of the center to honor Trump last December. The Democrat from Ohio is an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center board.

The status meeting previously scheduled by Cooper is essentially to set more deadlines and court dates. But critics of the Kennedy Center's administration said the timing of this report may not be a coincidence.

How would a Kennedy Center shutdown impact artists and audiences?

On Monday, Beatty filed two board resolutions with the court. One says it is planning to shut down the center immediately, calling it unsafe for continued occupancy. In a document accompanying the board resolutions, however, Beatty claims that the construction consultants the board brought in have never said any such thing. The board also says the Kennedy Center is in such a "precarious fiscal position that it will not be able to support its payroll obligations, nor routine maintenance contracts within a matter of weeks."

Theatre producer Francesca Moody has a remarkable record of spotting shows that go on to have wide success. At the Edinburgh Fringe festival, she told NPR about what she looks for in a performance. (Image credit: Jeff J Mitchell)

Theatre producer Francesca Moody has a remarkable record of spotting shows that go on to have wide success. At the Edinburgh Fringe festival, she told NPR about what she looks for in a performance.

(Image credit: Jeff J Mitchell)

Francesca Moody, theatre producer on Fleabag and Baby Reindeer, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, summer 2025. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Europe hide caption

EDINBURGH — A Shrek burlesque parody. A one man show inspired by the 2002 Hilary Duff Disney Channel original movie Cadet Kelly . An improvised hour titled David Elms Describes a Room (despite the dry name, it's actually quite entertaining).

At the Edinburgh Fringe, which wrapped up its 79th edition late last month, almost anything can be a show. And almost any show can be an audition.

Hit shows from Edinburgh's Fringe festival are coming to America. Here are our top picks

This year's festival featured more than 4,200 productions, an overwhelming marketplace of comedy, theater, cabaret — and plenty that resist easy categorization. It is also an important hunting ground for producers searching for the next unlikely thing that might travel beyond Edinburgh.

Few have a better track record for spotting it early than Francesca Moody.

The Canadian singer opened up her 16-show residency in Paris at the Plenitude Arena. The entire series is sold out. (Image credit: Aurelien Morissard)

The Canadian singer opened up her 16-show residency in Paris at the Plenitude Arena. The entire series is sold out.

(Image credit: Aurelien Morissard)

Singer Celine Dion performs during the opening concert of her 'Celine Dion Paris 2026' residency at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, outside Paris, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. Aurelien Morissard/AP hide caption

Celine Dion returned to the stage Saturday nearly four years after announcing she had been battling a rare, painful condition.

Celine Dion tribute artist Elisa Furr discusses the iconic singer's return to the stage

"I had promised myself not to cry," Dion told the crowd, according to Variety . "Thank you so very much for coming. If it's your first time in Paris, I hope you fall in love with it just like I did. Finally, it's amazing we are all together. I made a promise to come back, to be back on stage. So here I am, singing for you and singing for me, singing live!"

Videos posted online show Dion wearing a black dress and her hair in a bun singing hits "Because You Loved Me" and "Power of Love." Dion also sang "My Heart Will Go On," an iconic classic from "The Titanic" movie soundtrack.

That's a quote from former rugby star Gareth Thomas, who is HIV positive. At the International AIDS Conference in Rio this year, he spoke out about the isolation and discrimination tied to the virus. (Image credit: Ian Cheibub for NPR)

That's a quote from former rugby star Gareth Thomas, who is HIV positive. At the International AIDS Conference in Rio this year, he spoke out about the isolation and discrimination tied to the virus.

(Image credit: Ian Cheibub for NPR)

Retired rugby star Gareth Thomas, who is HIV positive, came to Rio de Janeiro's famed Ipanema Beach to participate in a campaign called "Tackle HIV." Ian Cheibub for NPR hide caption

RIO DE JANEIRO -- "People are still afraid of those three letters," says Gareth Thomas, a former Welsh rugby star.

He's talking about HIV. Thomas became a global champion for people living with HIV when he announced that he was HIV positive in 2019.

Since then, he has been a strong advocate for sharing knowledge about the virus –- and what it's like to live with it.

This summer, he came to Rio de Janeiro to participate in the International AIDS Conference and to spread his message as part of the Tackle HIV campaign .

That message resonates with another advocate: Welton Gabriel, a 36-year-old event organizer from Sao Paolo.

Nazira Haji Zada, a lawful permanent resident, conceded to being an "alien terrorist." It marks the first case in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court. (Image credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Nazira Haji Zada, a lawful permanent resident, conceded to being an "alien terrorist." It marks the first case in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court.

(Image credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

FILE - The U.S. Department of Justice logo is seen on a podium before a news conference, May 4, 2026, in Washington. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP hide caption

For the first time, the Justice Department brought a case before a decades-old but until now unused special court to deport a legal US resident to Afghanistan after she conceded to being an "alien terrorist," court records show.

Alien Terrorist Removal Court holds its first-ever hearing after 30 years

Prosecutors alleged Nazira Haji Zada, 47, originally from Afghanistan, supported a plan by her son and son-in-law to commit an Islamic State-inspired mass shooting on Election Day in 2024, according to court documents. Both men have already been charged and will be deported following their release from prison. Haji Zada's son, Abdullah Haji Zada, 19, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Haji Zada was arrested in July at her home in Fort Worth, Texas, and had an initial hearing in late July. Instead of charging Haji Zada in the criminal justice system, leaders at the Justice Department launched the first-ever civil proceedings at the Alien Terrorist Removal Court. The secretive court allows for a lower standard of proof to remove a person from American soil.

Congress created the court in 1996 to make it easier for the DOJ to use classified evidence, that they say poses a risk to national security, to deport people.

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches Aug. 30 on a mission to explore some of the most pressing mysteries of the cosmos. (Image credit: NASA)

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches Aug. 30 on a mission to explore some of the most pressing mysteries of the cosmos.

(Image credit: NASA)

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, named after NASA's first chief astronomer, will launch on Aug. 30. NASA hide caption

The universe is a strange place — filled with exploding stars, ancient galaxies, and unseen worlds. Now, astronomers are about to get a brand new tool to explore it.

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NASA Is Launching A New Telescope That Could Offer Some Cosmic Eye Candy

The $4.3-billion Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled for launch Aug. 30. Named for NASA's first chief astronomer, the observatory is expected to reveal new information about the expansion of the universe and discover multitudes of planets orbiting distant stars.

Roman, as it is known to its friends, has an unusual history. About 15 years ago NASA was making plans to build a space telescope that could, among other things, search for exploding stars known as Type 1A supernovas. These supernovas were used as a kind of cosmological measuring stick to uncover a mysterious force called dark energy that was causing the universe to expand — a discovery that earned the Nobel Prize in 2011.

The singer, actress and philanthropist could have filled a whole quiz, but we had to give other people a chance.

From left: Tim Curry, Dolly Parton, the Duchess of Sussex. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Painted Turtle; Jason Kempin/Getty Images; Cameron Spencer/Getty Images hide caption

Dolly Parton died this week at 80. So did Tim Curry, who's arguably as iconic to fans of a certain movie, also at 80. They say celebrity deaths come in threes …

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