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Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. Russian President Vladimir Putin is headed to Beijing next week for a state visit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The Russia China summit comes just days after President Trump's own trip to China came to a close. NPR's Charles mainnes has more.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged Moscow was following press reports of Trump's visit to China closely. President Putin's two day trip to Beijing starting Tuesday now gives the Russian leader a chance to learn details firsthand. The Kremlin says Putin and Xi will also discuss pressing bilateral issues as well as key international crises. Presumably that includes Russia's war in Ukraine, where China has provided a lifeline to Russia's economy and, to a degree, its defense industry in the face of Western sanctions. The US And Israel's war against Iran will also feature heavily, with China's appetite for Russian energy exports on the rise amid Tehran's blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. Charles Mains, NPR News, Moscow.
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Voters in Louisiana are at the polls today for a Senate primary election that will test President Trump's grip on the Republican Party. NPR's Sam Greenglass reports. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy is facing two primary challengers, one endorsed by Trump. Cassidy had voted to convict Trump on impeachment charges after the deadly January 6th insurrection.
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Most of the seven Republican senators who voted to remove Trump in 2021 have retired. Cassidy is seeking a third term despite Trump recruiting congresswoman woman Julia Letlow to challenge him. Voters like Kevin Dupre say Cassidy's vote felt like a betrayal.
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I'm the type of person if you cross me, I probably won't trust you anymore. So I think his political career in Louisiana is finished.
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Saint Martin, Paris GOP chair Kelby Daigle says that's troubling.
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Conservatism is about ideas and principles, and they always make it about Trump. What you gonna do when he's no longer in the picture?
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Cassidy wants to repair his relationship with Trump supporters and tout his independence. This race will test whether that's possible. Sam Greenglass, NPR News.
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In New York, thousands of rail passengers are looking for other ways to travel today after the Long Island Railroad, North America's biggest commuter rail system, shut down as workers went on strike over pay and benefits. Workers want a raise, but the Metropolitan Transportation Authority says that would force them to raise fares. Duane o' Connor is a railroad worker.
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All we're asking for is fair wages, record inflation the last few years. Our contract goes back three years. It's not going forward so we went through those record inflationary years, and they're trying to lowball us.
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The union represents around 3,500 workers, including engineers, signalmen and trainmen. Governor Kathy Hochul calls the union's demands unacceptable. And New York City's Mayor Zoran Mondamini says people should get ready for heavier than normal traffic. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The USS Gerald R. Ford returned to Norfolk, Virginia, today after nearly a year at sea, the longest deployment by a US Warship since the Vietnam War. The Navy aircraft carrier supported the US War in Iran and the capture of Nicolas Maduro when he was president of Venezuela. The most advanced US Warship and two accompanying destroyers docked at the naval station with around 5,000 sailors waiting to see their families for the first time since last June. Defense Secretary Pig Hegseth welcomed them back, telling them, job well done. Much of North America will get to experience the lights of the aurora borealis over the weekend. NPR's Alana Weiss reports. The lights will be most visible in Canada and the northern United States.
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Brilliant splashes of green, purple and pink are expected to streak the night sky, and a rare treat for some stargazers. The beauty of the display belies the chaos behind it. The phenomenon is caused by energized particles colliding with atoms in the earth's atmosphere. The effect the streaky, colorful, psychedelic display of the northern lights. Canada and the northern US Will have the best view of the lights, but they can be seen from up to 1000km away. Some of the states with the best views include Alaska, Wisconsin, Montana and Maine. The best times to see the light display are just after sunset or just before sunrise. The lights are not visible during the day. Ilana Wise, NPR News.
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And I'm Jeanine Herbst. And you're listening to NPR News from Washington.