NPR News: 02-27-2026 5PM EST

How could your favorite NPR podcast get any better? Well, what if it had bonus features such as extended interviews and zero sponsor breaks? There is a remarkably easy way to turn that fantasy into reality. It's called NPR Plus. You get perks across more than 25 NPR podcasts while supporting the teams that make them. Make great podcasts even greater by visiting plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. President Trump says the U.S. government will stop using Anthropics artificial intelligence software. NPR's Shannon Bond reports the announcement comes ahead of a deadline the Pentagon set for the company to drop restrictions on how the military uses its technology. In a post on his Truth Social platform, the president said he was directing all federal agencies to immediately cease using Anthropics' AI tools. He also said agencies, including the Pentagon, would have six months to phase out Anthropics' products. Anthropic and the Defense Department have been at loggerheads over how the military can use its AI model, Claude, under a contract worth up to $200 million. Anthropic says Claude cannot be used for domestic surveillance or to power autonomous weapons. The Pentagon says AI companies must allow all lawful uses of their technology Anthropic CEO had said the company would not back down despite the government threats Shannon Bond NPR News Scouting America formerly known as the Boy Scouts says it keeping its new name and will continue to welcome the 200 girls who participate in its programs That's despite Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticizing the rebrand he sees as part of woke culture. President Trump says he's not happy with the latest talks over Iran's nuclear program, but indicated he would give the negotiations more time to reach a deal to avert another war in the Middle East. I'm not happy with the fact that they're not willing to give us what we have to have. I'm not thrilled with that. We'll see what happens. We're talking later. We'll have some additional talks today. But no, I'm not happy with the way they're going. He spoke a day after U.S. envoys held another inconclusive round of indirect talks with Iran in Geneva. Trump has threatened military action if Iran does not agree to curtail its nuclear program. Iran insists it has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes and denies seeking a nuclear weapon. The father of the suspected shooter at a Georgia high school took the stand in his own defense today. Colin Gray is charged with second-degree murder, among other charges, for giving his son a gun as a present. GPB's Chase McGee has more. Colin Gray refuted allegations that he was a negligent or absent father instead recounting his family troubled history with multiple moves and workplace injuries He spoke of his wife drug addiction and an episode where she threatened to kill him and their son Colt. He described a trusting relationship with Colt, who was charged with the killings of two students and two teachers. I don't know if anybody could ever see that kind of evil. And I, like the Colt I knew, and relationship I had, there's this whole other side of coal I didn't know existed. Prosecutors asked Gray about several instances where his son had severe anger or behavioral issues going back as far as first grade. For NPR News, I'm Chase McGee in Winder. U.S. stock sank today. The S&P 500 fell nearly half a percent. This is NPR. Mexico is trying to reassure soccer's international governing body, FIFA, that it can safely host the Men's World Cup this summer after deadly cartel violence this week. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says FIFA will review security and transportation mobility in host cities. Sheinbaum says transportation projects remain urgent in Mexico City, Monterey, and Guadalajara. NASA's plan to send humans to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years is changing course As Central Florida Public Media Brendan Byrne reports delays prompted NASA to rethink the plan NASA was working with a three process to land humans on the moon An uncrewed mission around the moon followed by one with a crew doing a lunar flyby The third mission would take astronauts to the surface. That third mission will now launch the Orion crew capsule to Earth orbit, where it will practice rendezvousing with a lunar lander. A fourth flight will return humans to the moon. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says it looks more like the agency's Apollo program. No one at NASA forgot their history books. They knew how to do this. They've had plans like this for a long time. Now we're putting it in action. NASA is still proceeding with a crew test flight around the moon and back that could launch as early as April. For NPR News, I'm Brendan Byrne in Orlando. In other moon news, a blood red moon will soon grace the skies for a total lunar eclipse. There won't be another until late 2028. The spectacle will be visible Tuesday morning for much of the Western Hemisphere. During a full lunar eclipse, the Earth is between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow that covers the full moon. The moon looks red because of stray bits of sunlight filtering through Earth's atmosphere. I'm Rylan Barton. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.