NPR Morning Edition launches six-state midterm reporting series in Texas

Zelenskyy says Trump warned of intel cut over refinery strikes

NPR’s Morning Edition this week launched a six-state reporting series on the 2026 midterm elections, which will shape the final two years of President Trump’s second term and serve as a precursor to the 2028 general election. Morning Edition’s A Martínez traveled first to the reliably red state of Texas, where the cost of living is a major concern for many voters. Ground beef hit a record high of about $7 per pound in August, around $1.50 more than when Trump returned to office. In Floresville, Texas, Martínez spoke with a fourth-generation farmer and rancher who raises beef cattle about the challenges he is facing.

Martínez also spoke with residents about what is on their minds ahead of Election Day, including how the redistricting battle launched by Texas Republicans could alter Latino representation; the impact that the Trump administration’s immigration policies have had on a Texas border town and why a conservative pastor near the end of his life shifted his vote and dedicated his life to supporting migrants; and why the Senate and gubernatorial races in Texas are unusually competitive this year. North Carolina and Georgia coverage airs Oct. 20, followed by reporting from Ohio and Michigan.

In an interview with NPR, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Trump administration warned it could cut intelligence-sharing with Ukraine unless Ukrainian forces halt long-range drone strikes on Russian oil refineries. NPR’s Joanna Kakissis reported that Zelenskyy said every piece of intelligence is crucial for Ukraine, with stopping ballistic missiles a top priority. Missiles have killed dozens of Ukrainians, including more than 20 people recently in an apartment building in Pryluky. Zelenskyy recounted visiting a wounded girl in the hospital whose father died in the attack, though she didn’t know it. Zelenskyy said he feels the impact of each attack deeply.

Last week, Trump said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt some strikes on energy sites. Zelenskyy said he would comply if Russia did the same. Two hours after Trump’s announcement, Russia targeted a Ukrainian power plant, and the strikes have continued. Zelenskyy also said the administration’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel will not lower fuel prices, refuting Trump’s claim that Ukraine caused the price to spike, instead pointing to the war in Iran. The interview comes as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches its five-year mark.

The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer following surgery to remove a growth from his lung. Doctors at Gemelli Hospital in Rome removed the lower lobe of the 71-year-old Pope’s right lung during a successful procedure that lasted about 90 minutes. Post-surgery analysis confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma. NPR’s Scott Detrow reported that lung experts he has spoken with are optimistic about the Pope’s condition based on Vatican statements. Dr. Vin Gupta of the University of Washington said doctors’ actions suggest they caught the cancer early, indicating it has not spread. If that is the case, the diagnosis may not impact his lifespan. The Pope will stay hospitalized for several days, and his schedule is cleared for at least a week. Detrow spoke to several of the Pope’s friends, who have been in contact with him and said he remains responsive and in good spirits.

President Trump has ousted Kimberly Guilfoyle as his ambassador to Greece. She was a prominent MAGA figure and the former fiancée of Trump’s oldest son. Guilfoyle faced allegations that she was trying to profit from her position, which she denies. The Wall Street Journal reported a series of questionable actions by Guilfoyle last month. One incident involved her asking a Trump donor for $100,000 to settle a credit card bill, promising to use her connections within the administration in return. Trump called for Guilfoyle’s resignation yesterday, citing unfavorable media coverage, and said he had not spoken to her before she announced her departure on X. NPR’s Michele Kelemen spoke to Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who said the resignation does not equate to accountability and urged Congress and the inspector general to investigate her actions and the possible misuse of taxpayer funds. Meeks added that serving as a U.S. ambassador is a position of public trust, not a business opportunity. Guilfoyle has defended her commitment to advancing Trump’s America First agenda in Greece and vowed to defend her name, reputation, and integrity.

In a separate ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly ruled Tuesday that Trump cannot bar news organizations from covering him at the White House because he does not like their coverage, at least until a formal trial concludes. Kelly found that Trump’s decision to exclude more than 70 journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico violated their free speech and due process rights. Both rights are enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution.

In a separate feature, NPR international correspondent Anthony Kuhn reported on Lady Gaga’s ad for the FamilyMart convenience-store chain in Japan. To report on it, Kuhn wrote, the first thing he did was watch the video of the spot. In the ad, Gaga plays a store worker dancing through the aisles in a leather uniform and platform shoes. Kuhn wrote that “to me, she looked like a high priestess of camp, boogying through a temple of retail efficiency to a mad techno beat.”

Japan’s aging society and its shrinking workforce are an inescapable part of life there, and foreign workers are an inevitable part of the solution, Kuhn reported. FamilyMart’s ad leverages Lady Gaga’s non-conformist pop persona to appeal to an increasingly diverse workforce, a retail analyst told Kuhn. Konbinis, as convenience stores are called in Japan, are also an inescapable part of life there. They function as a deli, post office, copy shop, bank, tax office and Ticketmaster all rolled into one, since it is cheaper for the government and businesses to offer these services through the konbinis than to run their own. Konbinis also offer fresh food, delivered to the stores several times a day. When on assignment in Tokyo, Kuhn wrote, he often heads straight for konbini onigiri with salmon, tofu and seaweed salad, with mochi for dessert.

The newsletter closed with three other developments to know. A federal judge has temporarily stopped the Trump administration from cutting more trees at East Potomac Golf Links after it cut down hundreds with little notice. NPR has announced the winners of the Student Podcast Challenge after reviewing nearly 1,500 submissions from 42 states and Washington, D.C.; the grand prize winner for middle school talks about her dyslexia, and the high-school grand prize winner discusses an important family memory. Cheese company Sargento has updated American cheese, also known in the industry as processed pasteurized cheese, by introducing a natural version, KCUR reported.