NPR News: 04-21-2026 9AM EDT

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. The status of peace talks between the U. S. and Iran remains unclear. The ceasefire in Iran is due to expire tomorrow. President Trump has said he is ready to send a negotiating team to peace talks in Islamabad Pakistan, led by Vice President Vance. Trump told CNBC this morning Iran will have to attend. But Iran has not indicated it will send a team to the talks. A UN study estimates Gaza needs $71 billion dollars for reconstruction and recovery. And Pierre's A Batrawi reports a third of that total is needed immediately for critical infrastructure repair. A new assessment by the UN World Bank and European Union notes that more than 370,000 homes in Gaza were destroyed or damaged in Israeli attacks, leaving more than a million people without homes. Israeli troops, meanwhile, occupy around half of Gaza and have leveled thousands more homes there, they say, to dismantle Hamas tunnels. The study also says around 75% of all people in Gaza who were employed before the war are now without jobs, relying on aid to survive. It notes Gaza has the lowest levels ever recorded globally on the human development index, which measures life expectancy, standards of living and access to education. President Trump's nominee to succeed Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve is scheduled to testify today to the Senate Banking Committee. An