NPR News: 06-23-2026 9PM EDT

“It’s not just calling. It’s cooking.” That was UN Secretary General António Guterres at Climate Week in London, as Europe swelters through a heat wave that has already killed a two-year-old and a four-year-old in France. The continent is the planet’s fastest-warming region, and this episode of NPR News Now covers a range of developments from the Iran War to AI stock jitters, all unfolding on June 23, 2026.

Congress pushes back on the Iran War

Congress has passed a non-binding resolution seeking to end the Iran War, signaling growing unease even among Republicans about the conflict and President Trump’s interim deal to end it. The resolution does not carry legal force, but it reflects a deepening split between the White House and Capitol Hill over the trajectory of U.S. involvement in Iran. The core dispute now centers on whether Iran agreed to allow UN inspections of its nuclear sites. Pakistan’s prime minister, who mediated between the U.S. and Iran, clarified that the memorandum of understanding between the two countries did not include Iran’s ballistic missile program. “It was never on the table,” he said. The understanding has also triggered disquiet because it appears to strengthen Iran by lifting sanctions and promising hundreds of billions in aid. As the prime minister spoke, Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in the Gulf for a two-day visit.