NPR is reporting that the last U.S. forces have left Iraq, more than two decades after the U.S.-led invasion that overthrew Saddam Hussein. It said Iraq has declared the day "Sovereignty Day." NPR said the withdrawal comes as attacks linked to the U.S.-Iran war raise new questions about Iraq's ability to defend itself without U.S. air defenses. It said the Kurdish region of Iraq has been hit hard during the U.S. war with Iran, leaving its leaders concerned about their defenses, according to NPR's Jane Arraf. NPR noted this is not the first U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, as troops also left in 2011 before returning three years later to help fight ISIS. It said Iran-backed militias are celebrating the withdrawal, and that many Iraqis enjoying the holiday want a normal, peaceful life for their families.
NPR is reporting that the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Trump administration to resume, for now, deporting migrants to countries not listed in their removal orders. It said the court will hear full arguments in December. NPR said the court did not explain why it paused a lower-court ruling blocking the policy, but asked both sides whether lower courts had authority to intervene and whether the policy violates due process or protections against torture. It said third-country removals allow the government to send immigrants elsewhere when their home countries refuse to accept them, according to NPR's Linda Kenyon. NPR said immigration advocates warn the policy could cause irreparable damage, and that one immigrant challenging it fears being sent to a country where he would not receive treatment for his severe mental illness. It also said Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent face of Columbia University's pro-Palestinian movement, is fighting the administration's effort to deport him and told Fresh Air that 104 days in immigration detention strengthened his resolve.
NPR is reporting that President Trump says tech companies can largely self-regulate on artificial intelligence. It said that after meeting with top AI executives Tuesday, he signed an executive order referring to the technology as "superintelligence" for government agencies and launched an AI-powered website, America.gov. NPR said Trump said the Justice Department or FBI could step in if companies break the law, but NPR's Emily Feng noted there are no new AI laws behind the meeting. It said executives from six major AI companies signed a one-page document pledging to monitor their models and prevent harmful uses such as hacking, and that Trump called the agreement "morally binding" and said the companies would be policing each other.
NPR also reported that since the 2020 police killing of George Floyd, programs sending unarmed responders to some 911 calls instead of police have grown from six in 2020 to nearly 100 today. It said its correspondent spent several days with the community response program in Durham, North Carolina, where responders handled calls about trespassing and panhandling and defused difficult situations, but often had few long-term solutions. NPR said researchers describe the tension as common, and that Durham and other cities are wrestling with whether success means resolving the crisis or offering a path to stability so fewer 911 calls are made.