Trump proposes DC arch as military complex with sniper and weapon areas
The United Nations General Assembly opens its annual high-level session in New York on Tuesday, with Secretary-General António Guterres delivering his final opening address before his term ends in December. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is set to speak second, followed by President Trump. The high-level event runs through Sept. 28, NPR reported.
Iran’s president is scheduled to address the assembly the day after Trump, NPR’s Michele Kelemen told Up First, though interaction between U.S. and Iranian officials remains uncertain. Trump has tried to position himself as a peacemaker, but his war against Iran looms over the gathering, Kelemen said. The U.N. has been “somewhat sidelined” in the conflict with Iran, Kelemen said, though it has offered to monitor civilian shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Kelemen said those efforts haven’t gained much traction. Despite Trump’s downplaying of artificial intelligence and climate change, those topics are expected to be big topics of discussion at the event.
Trump also is scheduled to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington on Wednesday, NPR reported. The two leaders will meet as their two countries face fierce competition and mistrust over artificial intelligence.
In Washington, Trump announced this week that he wants his proposed 250-foot arch in Washington, D.C., to function as a military complex featuring areas for snipers and weaponry, NPR reported. The president said the military operations are needed to enhance national security. The arch, which would be twice as tall as the Lincoln Memorial, has faced pushback even before Trump posted his latest plans on Truth Social. People submitted more than 100,000 comments to the National Park Service, and the arch has also faced legal challenges.
NPR’s Franco Ordoñez said the president’s plan reflects his push for increased executive power. Trump is bypassing traditional processes and Congress to establish a major national monument by broadly interpreting his executive authority, “challenging opponents to stop him,” Ordoñez added. Many people fear he will act swiftly on this plan, outpacing any court responses and making it challenging to reverse the project, Ordoñez said. Some are also concerned that the president’s proposal for the arch, along with other projects like the ballroom and threats to demolish the Kennedy Center, could significantly alter Washington’s landscape, NPR reported.
Separately, the Federal Aviation Administration is preparing to launch an $875 million AI-powered software overhaul to improve air traffic control efficiency. While regulators and airlines are optimistic about the potential of Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories, or SMART, critics question its effectiveness, NPR reported. The system is designed to help employees by minimizing congestion and potential conflicts in the air before they occur, NPR’s Joel Rose said. SMART is supposed to analyze airline schedules, weather patterns, and other factors to optimize flight plans.
FAA leaders say the new tool is not meant to replace human controllers, Rose reported. Dave Riley, a former air traffic controller, told NPR he was not worried that the AI tool would lead to problems because humans would still oversee safety. But Riley said the tool will not address larger issues such as the FAA’s staffing shortage, which has left the agency lacking thousands of controllers and forced mandatory overtime on those on duty.
In Austin, the Department of Homeland Security said Monday it is investigating a shooting in which a federal immigration agent shot and injured 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a Venezuelan national, during a Sunday operation. DHS described the victim as “an illegal alien” and said he is in stable condition and in federal custody pending removal. The circumstances leading to the shooting remain unclear, according to DHS. Garces Perez’s attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, said her client called his wife to report he had been shot while sitting in his car and was yelling in pain. His wife has legal status to be in the U.S., Lincoln-Goldfinch said.
In other news from NPR’s Up First newsletter: Ms. Rachel is releasing her first album. “I’m So Happy,” a 23-song compilation of original tunes and beloved nursery rhymes, is scheduled for release on Sept. 25. She and her husband, Mr. Aron, started their YouTube channel, Songs for Littles, in 2019. Her signature pink headband and singsong voice have since amassed more than 17.2 billion views, making her one of the most recognizable figures in children’s entertainment. In an interview with Morning Edition’s Leila Fadel, Ms. Rachel discussed her new music and why she uses her platform to advocate for children affected by war and humanitarian crises.
A photo essay in the newsletter visits the Kasimedu Fishing Harbour in Chennai, India, where basket men carry around 35 pounds of fish on their heads and make 40 to 50 trips to the daily auction during long shifts. The harbor, originally built for fewer than 600 boats, now serves more than 1,000. Bhagat Singh, a researcher and social worker, said members of the fishing community understand the risks of the business. Fishermen there earn about $200 a month with good catches, but one bad season could potentially plunge them into poverty, Singh said. The precariousness of the career path is driving younger generations to seek more reliable employment, Singh added.
Three brief items closed the newsletter: Rose Friedman, an influential editor and reporter at NPR for 15 years, has died from cancer at the age of 38; she co-created the annual Books We Love reading guide. A judge has ordered Fox Corp. to hand over hundreds of documents that could reveal how founder Rupert Murdoch managed some of his media companies’ most significant scandals over the past two decades. Florida citrus growers are planting trees with gene-editing technology to combat the deadly citrus greening disease that has devastated many of their crops.
The newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.