NPR is reporting that President Donald Trump hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a state dinner after the two met for about three hours at the White House. It said the meeting was the first of a two-day summit for the leaders of the world's two largest economies.
NPR said its correspondent Deepa Shivaram reported that expectations were low for major announcements from the summit. U.S. and Chinese officials had discussed an information-sharing system to alert each other to AI incidents affecting national security, which Shivaram said would be a significant development in global AI security because few guardrails exist for the technology. NPR said it remains unclear how far the proposal will go, noting Trump has said he wants to leave AI regulation "exactly where it is." It said experts from both countries have been holding informal talks on shared risks, including cyberattacks and loss of control.
NPR also reported that CNN and MS Now were denied entry to the state dinner despite a federal judge's ruling restoring White House press access. It said its correspondent Brian Mann reported that journalists for state-controlled Chinese media were allowed in. NPR said major TV networks have not restored full shared pool coverage of the president and are seeking written assurance that CNN will receive equal access without government interference.
NPR is reporting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to Israel after a short trip to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York. It said dozens of diplomats walked out as Netanyahu took the podium, while some supporters cheered from the public gallery. NPR said Netanyahu celebrated and defended the U.S. and Israeli-led war in Iran, rejected claims that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and downplayed escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, where settlements are illegal under international law. It said its correspondent Kat Lonsdorf reported the week underscored how increasingly isolated Israel has become at the United Nations and in public opinion. NPR said about 100 people were arrested after large groups gathered in Midtown Manhattan to protest Netanyahu's visit, and that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been outspoken against the visit. It said Netanyahu met with very few world leaders and notably did not meet with Trump.
NPR is reporting that the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has surpassed 7% for the first time in more than a year. It said the sharp rise in rates since March risks further squeezing homebuyers' budgets and deepening the freeze on the housing market. NPR said 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. It said housing researchers had hoped 2026 would bring relief, but while rates briefly fell below 6% in February, they quickly rose again after the war in Iran led to volatility in bond markets.
NPR also reported that the people of Switzerland will vote this weekend on whether to make the country's historic neutrality stance more legally binding. It said online retailer eBay has joined competitors in banning sales of airbags after federal regulators found substandard inflators imported from China were linked to a dozen deaths or injuries since 2023. NPR said Star Wars creator George Lucas opened the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art this week in Los Angeles.