National Security

Trump Administration Has Been Downsizing The National Security Council

4:13pm January 10, 2020

President Trump has been cutting back the National Security Council — a group that gives him advice on decisions like the strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin answer questions about the new round of sanctions against Iran.

Trump Administration Announces More Economic Sanctions Against Iran

1:01pm January 10, 2020

by Brian Naylor

The new restrictions had been promised by the president after Iranian missiles struck an Iraqi air base, threatening American and allied service members this week.

A Border Patrol agent and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent oversee the people waiting to cross into the U.S. from Matamoros, Mexico, at the Port of Entry in Brownsville, Tex., Tuesday, last month.

CBP Says Enforcement Actions At U.S.-Mexico Border Down For 7th Straight Month

5:51am January 10, 2020

by Scott Neuman

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said there were just over 40,000 cases where someone was apprehended or refused entry at the southern border.

President Trump boards Air Force One Thursday on his way to Toledo, Ohio, to hold a campaign rally.

House Passes War Powers Resolution In Effort To Restrict Trump's Actions Against Iran

9:51pm January 09, 2020

by Claudia Grisales

The vote, less than a week after the president approved a drone hit on an Iranian general, was mostly along party lines. In the Senate, Democrats are hoping to win GOP support for a similar measure.

The border wall set back from the geographical border in El Paso, Texas. The White House said Thursday that an appeals court ruling has cleared the way for border wall construction to resume.

Appeals Court Allows Trump To Divert $3.6 Billion In Military Funds For Border Wall

7:35pm January 09, 2020

by Bobby Allyn

The decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reverses a lower court order that blocked the president from using the U.S. Defense Department money to build the long-promised wall.

At the White House on Wednesday, National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien hears President Trump address the nation on the ballistic missile strike that Iran launched against Iraqi air bases housing U.S. troops.

Transcript: NPR's Full Interview With NSC Adviser Robert O'Brien

6:21pm January 09, 2020

NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien about tensions with Iran and the future of the U.S. presence in the Middle East.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (left) attends a ceremony with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in November. The Saudi crown prince was in the UAE for talks that were expected to focus on the w

Saudi Arabia Sought Dialogue With Iran. Then The U.S.-Iranian Conflict Escalated

6:14pm January 09, 2020

by Jackie Northam

The U.S. killing of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani has boosted Saudi fears about becoming embroiled in escalating U.S.-Iran tensions.

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Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah (right) and Rand Paul of Kentucky talk following a Jan. 9 classified briefing on last week's targeted killing of Iran's senior military commander, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

GOP Senator Calls White House 'Cavalier' About The Constitution, Backs Curbs On Trump

4:58pm January 09, 2020

by Heidi Glenn

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah calls a briefing on Iran with White House officials "an unmitigated disaster" and is seeking to reassert Congress' role in authorizing the use of military force.

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National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien On Iran

4:21pm January 09, 2020

For the latest on the confrontation between the U.S. and Iran, NPR's Steve Inskeep spoke with National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien at the White House on Thursday.

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United Nations peacekeepers stand next to a patient during a visit of the U.N. secretary-general at an Ebola treatment center in Mangina, North Kivu province, last September.

What Will It Take To Finally End Congo's Ebola Outbreak In 2020?

11:21am January 09, 2020

by Nurith Aizenman

As the world's second-worst Ebola outbreak in history drags into a new year, experts think the solution is less about medicine, and more about security.