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Episode Date: August 20, 2026

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Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. At the White House Wednesday, President Trump spoke to reporters about the emerging deal that would avert Trump's 50% tariffs on Canadian imports. As you know, the 50% tariffs across the board were going on against Canada today. And they called yesterday and they gave us the points that we had to have. Very fair deal for both. The import taxes on Canadian goods were to take effect Wednesday, but Trump hit the pause. button. Negotiators now face a Saturday deadline to finalize the agreement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with his Canadian counterpart at the White House leader today. NPR has learned an unusual Census Bureau report that President Trump says shows widespread illegal voting by non-U.S. citizens has ties to a Trump-aligned think tank. NPR's Hansi Lo Wong reports at data and election experts say the report's conclusions are quix.

In a social media post, President Trump claimed the Census Bureau's initial analysis of more than 128 million voter records from 2020, quote, proves that over 24,000 non-citizens voted illegally, unquote. Trump said the final number will, quote, explode after the Bureau checks more records. Many past studies and audits, however, show illegal voting by non-U.S. Citizens is incredibly rare. The Census Bureau's report lists no authors and gives little explanation about how it analyzed records. NPR has learned the analysis was not done by career civil servants. and the team behind it included individuals affiliated with the America First Policy Institute, a think tank started by officials from Trump's first administration.

It's according to a bureau employee who NPR agreed not to name because they fear retaliation at work. Spokespeople for the Bureau and the think tank did not respond to requests for comment. Ansila Wong, NPR News. Authorities in Ukraine's capitals say Russia's latest missile barrage has left at least a dozen people dead and more than 30 injured. The attacks hit multiple locations across Kiv and damaged residential buildings, of medical facility and in educational institutions. Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia have carried out another prisoner of war exchange. Imperus Hanna Palomerenko reports from Kiev on the more than 100 Ukrainian defenders who have returned home.

Ukrainian ombudsman in Metro Lubinets released footage of the first moments the freed prisoners spent on Ukrainian land. It's like a dream. I can't even believe I'm home, says an exhausted but happy UK. Ukrainian soldier. Lieutenant General Oleg Iveschenko, head of the coordination headquarters, was personally present at the exchange. He thanked all the agencies directly involved in the return of Ukrainian POWs and emphasized that the negotiation process for the return of Ukrainians is ongoing. More than 9,700 Ukrainian servicemen have returned as part of prisoners' exchanges

since the start of the Russian full-scale invasion. You're listening to NPR News. The Justice Department is pushing back on former FBI Director James Comey's allegations that his criminal case over a social media post is improper and vindictive. Federal prosecutors urging a judge to deny Comey's bid to have the case dismissed as NPR's Ryan Lucas reports. In a new court filing, federal prosecutors deny that Comey is being selectively targeted for prosecution. They say the decision to pursue the case was made without any influence from the Attorney General or the president. Comey is charged with making threats against President Trump in a photo posted on social media of seashells arranged to say 8-647. Prosecutors argue that, quote, there is no serious dispute, end quote, that the photo could be viewed as a violent threat against Trump.

And they urged the court to deny Comey's bid to have the case dismissed. Comey asked a judge to throw out the case last month, arguing that he has been. singled out because of his criticism of Trump. Ryan Lucas and PR News, Washington. The authorities in Pennsylvania say an airplane pilot was killed in a collision with a state police helicopter. The collision happened Wednesday night at a small airport in Carlisle, northwest of Philadelphia. Both state troopers aboard the helicopters survived.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Border are investigating. The founder of China's Evergrand Real Estate Group was once Asia's richest man. Hua Kalyan has now been sentenced to life in prison, and a Chinese court has fined Evergrand $1.3 billion. Wei was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty in April to eight charges, including fraud and bribery. I'm Jail Snyder, NPR News.