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Episode Date: September 25, 2026

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Live from NPR news, I'm Jail Snyder. President Trump hosted a state dinner at the White House Thursday night for Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Earlier in the day, the two held much anticipated meetings. MNPR's Emily Fang reports on Taiwan being the top issue for China. Trump and Xi met for under two hours, and they were joined by members of the U.S. cabinet and senior Chinese officials. While the two delegations met in the White House, China's state news agency published a statement on Taiwan, a Democratic island China wants control over. The statement urges the U.S. to oppose formal Taiwan independence. Trump had also indicated artificial intelligence would be discussed, and in his opening remarks, Xi Jinping stressed that artificial intelligence should remain, quote, under human control. The two sides have also been negotiating trade and technology issues, including what the U.S. says is a two-month extension on an agreement to access Chinese rare earth elements.

So far, China has not confirmed the details of that extension. Emily Fang and Pier News, Washington. There's been some back and forth following a federal judge's decision to temporarily block President Trump's ban on reporters from three media outlets, CNN, MS Now, and Politico. Journalists from CNN and MS Now say they were denied entry to cover the state dinner. Earlier Thursday, reporters from all three outlets said the White House continued to block them from the grounds before access was granted after a few hours. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling accusations of genocide in Gaza, the greatest, lie of the century. Is this genocide? Of course not. It's the opposite of genocide. So to all those spreading these lies about my country and about our brave soldiers, whether they sit in this hall

or in the office of the anti-Semitic mayor of New York, I say this, shame on you. Netanyahu, speaking to the UN General Assembly in New York, accusing New York mayors Iran-Mam Dhani of endangering Jewish New Yorkers with his criticism of Israel's military actions in Gaza. Mamdani has called Netanyahu a war criminal. When Netanyahu took the podium, dozens of diplomats walked out while supporters cheered from the public gallery. Netanyahu spoke on the same day as leader of the Palestinian Authority. Here's Mbiers Michelle Kellerman. For a second year in a row, the Trump administration denied a visa for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, accusing him of glorifying terrorism.

Abbas, speaking via video and through an interpreter, says he rejects terrorism and seeks a democratic, non-militarized Palestinian state. Saving the solution begins with preserving the land on which the Palestinian state is to be established and protecting the people who live on it. Many countries here have raised alarms about Israeli moves to annex parts of the West Bank after a brutal war in Gaza, which started after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2003. Michelle Kellerman and PR News, the United Nations. News. The California Supreme Court is forcing the Republican Sheriff of Riverside County to return

more than 650,000 ballots he seized following a special election last year that favored Democrats. Sheriff Chad Bianco said he confiscated the ballots after a local group complained about the vote count. Bianco said he will comply with the ruling. A Democratic senator is asking the White House for answers about a new television ad. The ad features President Trump. and says it is paid for it by the U.S. government. New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan says the ad raises questions about the use of taxpayer dollars and says it appears to run afoul of federal law. The White House describes the ad as a public service announcement. The parent company of Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse Restaurant Chain saw its share price fall Thursday after reporting slowing sales, as NPR's Alina Salyuk reports. Darden Restaurants is one of the biggest restaurant operators in the U.S. Its chains include Olive Garden, Yard House, and Ruth's Chris.

In the latest quarter, the company's sales and profits both grew, but so did costs, up 6.5%. Executive specifically cited the cost of food and labor. Plus, some people pulled back on going out to eat as they worried about the cyclospora outbreak. And then there was the World Cup. The chain yard house, with its classic American fair and big beer selection, drew more visitors at that time. But it was not lucrative for Longhorn Steakhouse

and especially Olive Garden, which missed out on visitors that went elsewhere to watch the matches or celebrate. Alina Sieluk, NPR News. And I'm Jail Snyder. This is NPR News.