>> Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman.
U.S. envoy Steve Whitcoff and Jared Kushner met with President Vladimir Putin at the
Kremlin Saturday.
“It was a new effort to try and find an end to Russia's war with Ukraine as Emperor's”
Charles Mayans tells us from Moscow. >> Their re-engagement on Ukraine now comes as some things are changing with Russia's war. Keep in mind, CIA director John Ratcliffe was recently in Moscow for a brief visit with his Russian counterparts in the intelligence community, presumably Ukraine was part of those discussions. So it could be there's a new diplomatic window here, but the prevailing view is that
the U.S. is concerned this conflict is about to escalate even further than it already has. >> The envoy's will be in Kiev on Sunday for meetings with that country's president, both sides say they will halt airstrikes on each other while the envoy's travel throughout the region.
The U.S. ambassador to Israel says he will continue to denounce what he calls acts of terrorism against Palestinians by settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. However, he says the U.S. is limited in its power to curb the escalating violence. That violence has increased dramatically this year, report a new emuslaw who is in the West Bank has more on our story.
“>> And best of their mike hockey be referred to the settlers as terrorists during a visit”
Saturday to the Palestinian town of Turmus Aya. He visited with relatives of Palestinian Americans killed by settlers, 80% of the residents here are U.S. citizens. Huckabee, a Baptist minister, has made several visits to the West Bank, which he refers to by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria.
He's a long-time supporter of Israel's settler movement and says those carrying out the violence are a quote, "very tiny minority," when asked by residents what the U.S. will do to stop the violence against American citizens, Huckabee said U.S. jurisdiction is limited. For NPR news, I'm almost left in Turmus Aya. >> The U.S. forest service is closing dozens of research stations across the country, but
the cuts are not as deep as they could have been. This week, the head of the forest service backtracked from an earlier projection that it would shutter even more of these facilities where scientists are working to preserve public land. NPR's Kiara Eisner has our reports.
“>> On Thursday, the Forest Service announced it had finished its review of which research”
stations it would close. Forty-one facilities across Hawaii, Alaska and New York City were among the locations added to the list of places that wouldn't be shuddered, because of their "critical importance." The news came after months of lobbying and advocacy from scientists, lawmakers, and defenders of public lands.
Some scientists were relieved their research could continue. Their staff believed the months of dispute and review were an enormous waste of time, and
that the facilities should never have been endangered in the first place.
Kiara Eisner and PR news. >> And you're listening to NPR news. Spider-Man has swung past another box office milestone this week, NPR's Bob Mandelo has our details. >> When Supergirl flopped earlier this summer, there was much talk about audiences suffering
superhero fatigued, apparently they were just waiting for the right superhero. >> Spider-Man brand new day passed $900 million in what the American ticket sales on Friday. Only one movie has ever made more money at the American box office. Star Wars The Forest Awakens, which topped out at 936 million back in 2015. Spidey is expected to swing past that all-time domestic record in the next two weeks.
>> I am totally out of call for any day who even better overseas with global ticket sales.
Not topping $2.3 billion.
>> I didn't know you could get that day. >> They can get the third highest earning film in history, Bob Mandelo and PR news. >> The US Central Command says American forces have hit three Iranian oil tankers in a statement. The military says the tankers were hit with missiles after Navy warships were targeted.
The Navy ships were able to evade what the military calls multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks. In no US forces were injured. The military says the tankers were part of a shadow network helping to fund Iran. 10 days after devastating floods hit the country, rescuers into Paul were able to free two people who had been stranded by the high water.
A woman was rescued alive from a house while a man was pulled alive from a tunnel at a hydro power project, at least 1,300 people were killed by the flooding, and more than 5,000 others remain missing. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News. >> As the political landscape shifts beneath our feet, we're all vulnerable to a well-funded
distraction economy determined to take our eye off the bomb. >> Our weekly politics series, if you can keep it, is here to help where our focus is not the horse race, but the state. >> We tackle the big political stories of the day and why they matter for our democracy. >> Join me, Todd's Willard.
>> And me, Jen White, on the one-a podcast, from WAMU and NPR.
