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Today’s top stories

President Trump hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a state dinner last night, after the two met for around three hours at the White House. It was the first of a two-day summit for the leaders of the world’s two largest economies.

• 🎧 NPR’s Deepa Shivaram tells Up First that expectations were low for major announcements from the summit. U.S. and Chinese officials had discussed an information-sharing system to alert each other to AI incidents affecting national security. She adds that this would be a big development in global AI security, because few guardrails exist for this technology. But it remains unclear how far this proposal will go. Trump has said he wants to leave AI regulation “exactly where it is.” Even as the U.S. and China compete over AI, experts from both countries have been holding informal talks on shared risks, including cyberattacks and loss of control.
• 🎧 Despite a federal judge’s ruling restoring White House press access, CNN and MS Now were still denied entry to last night’s state dinner. NPR’s Brian Mann says journalists for state-controlled Chinese media were allowed in. Major TV networks have not restored full shared pool coverage of the president and are seeking written assurance that CNN will receive equal access without government interference. Listen to a press freedom expert explain what the ruling does — and doesn’t — settle.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returns to Israel today after a short trip to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Dozens of diplomats walked out as Netanyahu took the podium for his address, while some supporters cheered from the public gallery. Netanyahu went on to celebrate and defend the U.S. and Israeli-led war in Iran, reject claims that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and downplay the escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, where settlements are illegal under international law.

• 🎧 NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf says that this week has underscored how increasingly isolated Israel has become both at the United Nations and in public opinion. About 100 people were arrested after large groups gathered in Midtown Manhattan to protest Netanyahu’s visit, chanting “Let Gaza live” and “the whole world is watching.” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has also been outspoken against the Israeli prime minister’s visit. Netanyahu met with very few world leaders before returning to Israel, and notably did not meet with Trump.

The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has surpassed 7% for the first time in more than a year. The sharp rise in rates since March risks further squeezing homebuyers’ budgets and deepening the freeze on the housing market. High mortgage rates contributed to a 2% decline in existing home sales in August from the previous month, according to the National Association of Realtors. Housing researchers had hoped 2026 would provide some relief. But while mortgage rates briefly fell below 6% in February, they quickly shot back up after the war in Iran led to volatility in bond markets