Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, but on earth it's in short supply. And Iran's retaliatory strikes on helium-rich Qatar have made it even more scarce.
Copyright 2026 NPR
Ayesha Rascoe is a White House correspondent for NPR. She is currently covering her third presidential administration. Rascoe's White House coverage has included a number of high profile foreign trips, including President Trump's 2019 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam, and President Obama's final NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland in 2016. As a part of the White House team, she's also a regular on the NPR Politics Podcast.
