NPR News: 09-15-2026 11PM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. Attorney General Todd Blanche as rising concerns about artificial intelligence are politically motivated. Imperus Franco or Donia's reports. The Attorney General says the reason that AI concerns are drawing so much attention right now is the same reason the president dismisses those concerns as a hoax. Blanche says it's because the midterm elections are less than two months away. Every Democrat Senator suddenly races to a microphone to talk about AI. They're being eerily silent for months and months and months. So to talk about the timing of this is being nothing but an effort to influence the midterms. I shouldn't have to say that out loud. Asked about the need for regulations, Blanche says it's not the job of the Justice Department to regulate AI. Indeed it was highly unusual for the US Attorney General to wait in to overtly political matters. Franco or Donia's in Pionese, the White House. The nonpartisan Congressional budget office estimates that the Iran War has cost taxpayers

1:01at least $38 billion so far. An Imperus Quil Lawrence reports that amount does not include damage to US military bases. The largest cost is the depletion of US munitions, $21 billion this year. The war has used more than half the US stockpile of interceptor missiles which are often expended to shoot down much cheaper Iranian rockets and drones. CBO estimates those will take five years to replenish. The office estimates the war will cost another two to three billion dollars per month going forward. Higher oil prices worldwide are also hitting the military as air operations in the war with Iran used an increasing amount of fuel. The Pentagon did not respond to CBO's questions about damage to bases. The CBO did not put a price on American service members killed in action or the future cost to care for disabled veterans. Quil Lawrence and Pierre News. To Los Angeles now where emergency crews are on the scene of a fiery helicopter crash, local media say the crash happened in the chat's worth areas. Multiple helicopters were over the scene of a bus crash.

2:04Officials say least one person was killed on the ground and KNBC TV says it's lost contact with its aircraft. Flying around the Thanksgiving holiday, likely be more expensive this year here, here's Stephen Pasa. The average domestic round trip ticket economy only cost nearly $400 on kayak last week. This included tickets for Thanksgiving travel and is about $110 more than the same time last year. Kayak CEO, Pierre Bueller says the increases have not slowed down travel searches. Previously whenever prices go up or down, people don't quite tweak the demand they have for travel. They tweak how they want to travel where they want to travel. Bueller's looking to drive to save money still have to deal with high gas prices. Compared with before the US is really war against Iran started, an average gallon of regular today is up about $1.34 according to AAA. Stephen Bessaha and Pierre News. This is NPR. Nick Reiner has avoided the death penalty prosecutors in Los Angeles announced Tuesday that they

3:07will not pursue death in the killing of Reiner's parents last year, but that Reiner still faces life in prison. The L.A. County District Attorney says his office took into account the wishes of Reiner family members. Nick Reiner has twice pleaded not guilty to first degree murder in the deaths of Hollywood filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner. A coalition of business groups from across the West calling on the federal government to give at least $2 billion for work on the Colorado River. From member station KJZZ Alex Hager reports that the shrinking river provides water to nearly 40 million people from Wyoming to Mexico. In a letter to federal officials, business groups from seven states say long-term investment is needed to help the Southwest adapt to record dry conditions. Mike Huckins is a spokesman for the Greater Phoenix Chamber. This is a big deal to the West Coast economy, especially, and the economy as a whole. So the federal government should have some stake in the game for helping us fund some of these solutions that are going to be needed to get us through the next number of years.

4:10The money could be used for a wide range of projects from raising dams and accessing groundwater to preventing leaks in city pipes. Business groups say reliable water infrastructure is foundational to the region's economy. For NPR News, I'm Alex Hager in Phoenix. Following losses on Wall Street, the major Asian financial markets are mixed as investors wait for an interest rate decision. The federal reserve widely expected to raise rates when state-of-fight inflation. I'm Trial Snyder, NPR News.