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If buying a home feels out of reach, you might have more options than you think. You might be able to, especially if you have a little bit of money saved up and if you qualify for a low down payment mortgage, maybe even with some down payment assistance. It definitely could be a possibility for you. Listen to the LifeKit podcast from NPR for first time home buyer tips. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. The latest round of talks over a future peace plan for Ukraine was paired back in London Wednesday amid disagreement on some of the details.

As Villamarks reports, US patience with Ukraine and Europe appears to be running short. After US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pulled out of the meeting at the last minute, it threw the status of a possible framework for negotiations between Kiev and Moscow into doubt. Rubio's no-show meant British Foreign Minister David Lammy cancelled meetings with his French and German counterparts, talking instead with Ukraine's Foreign Minister and Defence Minister. As President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff travels to Moscow this week, the obstacles to a peace agreement that the Ukrainians will accept may now extend beyond Russian missiles to the White House itself.

That's because Trump is pressing President Zelensky to accept that territory seized in Russia's invasion and Crimea could permanently remain in Moscow's hands, something Kiev has repeatedly rejected. For NPR News, I'm Villamarks in London. President Trump has once again said he intends to lower tariffs on goods from China. Trump also says he could announce more tariffs in the coming weeks depending on negotiations with U.S. trading partners. Appearing with Commerce Secretary Howard Ludnick, the president was hesitant to suggest a timeline

for any possible agreements. What's happened is we've, Howard, how many countries have we spoken to already? Ninety. Ninety. What's happened is we've...How many countries have we spoken to already? 90. 90. And they all want to make deals, and we're gonna make deals, but they're gonna be fair deals. Trump says a trade deal with China will depend on what that nation brings to the table. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Iran must end its uranium enrichment activities in order to make a deal with the Trump administration. Speaking at a podcast Wednesday, Rubio says Iran must end its uranium enrichment activities in order to make a deal

with the Trump administration. Speaking at a podcast Wednesday, Rubio said Iran would be able to import enriched nuclear material for a peaceful civilian program. Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear program is meant for generating energy. A major wildfire in New Jersey, about an hour east of Philadelphia, has consumed almost 14,000 acres and is 50 percent contained. As WHYY's Kenneth Burns reports, the blaze is expected to continue into the weekend. Officials say the fire grew exponentially from when it was first reported Tuesday morning. Sean Lottereck, Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, expects the fire to continue growing.

Ultimately, when all is said and done, a greater number of acreage affected, and this could very well end up being the largest wildfire in New Jersey in 20 years. About 5,000 residents were evacuated at one point. They've been since allowed to return to their homes. Though one business and several vehicles were lost in the blaze, homes were saved and lives were spared. For NPR News, I'm Kenneth Burns in Chatsworth, New Jersey. U.S. Butteurs are flat in after hours trading. This is NPR. Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church met Wednesday to finalize plans for the funeral

of Pope Francis and the conclave to succeed him. Thousands of people have been streaming through St. Peter's Basilica where the pope lies in state. Francis died Monday at the age of 88. His funeral will be held on Saturday. The number two Senate Democratic leader, Dick Durbin, says he will not seek reelection. NPR's Deidre Walsh has more on the Illinois Democrats' decision. Durbin said the decision not to run for reelection was not easy, but he said in his heart he

knew it was time to pass the torch. The people of Illinois have honored me with this responsibility longer than anyone elected to the Senate in our state's history. I'm truly grateful. Durbin served seven terms in the House and was first elected to the Senate in 1996. He told WBEZ his age was a big factor in his decision. As chair of the Senate Judiciary Panel,

he presided over the confirmation of more than 200 judges to lifetime positions. A competitive primary is expected to replace him, but Durbin told WBEZ he did not intend to endorse a candidate in the primary. Deirdre Walsh, NPR News, The Capital. A new study by researchers at Dartmouth College estimates that the world's biggest corporations

are responsible for $28 trillion worth of damage to the climate. More than half that amount is being linked to just 10 fossil fuel providers, including Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and Saudi Aramco. The study's findings are published in the journal Nature. This is NPR News. You have your job, but you also have a life. And you're not just one thing. Neither is the Here and Now Anytime podcast. Every weekday, we break down the biggest story of the day and something else, like a new

trend everyone's talking about. It's Here and Now Anytime, a daily podcast from NPR and WBUR.