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NPR News Now

NPR News: 03-18-2026 3AM EDT

18 Mar 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Roman. The head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Cant, resigned Tuesday over his opposition to the war in Iran. He's a military veteran who served multiple tours in Iraq. He had staunchly supported President Trump because Trump had promised not to get the U.S.

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Chapter 2: What are the implications of Joe Cant's resignation over the Iran war?

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involved in new Middle East wars. NPR national security correspondent Greg Myrie reports. He addressed this letter directly to Trump and was very blunt. He wrote, quote, I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation. And it's clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.

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He also said he supported Trump in all three of his presidential campaigns because Trump, quote, understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots. NPR's Greg Myhre. About a fifth of oil and liquefied natural gas supplies remain shut off from the world as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

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But as NPR's Julia Simon reports, some countries are better prepared than others for an energy crisis. On rooftops of millions of Pakistani homes are gleaming solar panels. Pakistan still imports LNG from Qatar for electricity. Those supplies are now cut off. and prices for substitutes are sky high.

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But Nabiya Imran at Pakistani think tank Renewables First says the recent surge of solar and battery installations in just the last three years means the country is less vulnerable. The widespread adoption of solar and batteries is kind of serves as a hedge protection sort of against these price shocks. It's not just solar and batteries.

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Energy experts tell NPR the recent growth of electric vehicles in countries like Nepal and China also make countries more resilient as oil prices climb. Julia Simon, NPR News. The Federal Reserve is expected to hold its benchmark interest rates steady today, NPR's Scott Horsley reports. The price of gasoline and diesel fuel has jumped sharply since the U.S.

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launched its attack on Iran two and a half weeks ago. Even before the war began, inflation was running stubbornly higher than the Fed's target. That makes it harder for the central bank to cut interest rates even as the job market shows signs of needing more support. Over the last six months, the U.S. economy has added virtually no jobs.

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Jerome Powell is nearing the end of his term as Fed chairman, but the timetable for confirming a successor is up in the air. A key Republican senator has promised to block confirmation of President Trump's nominee, Kevin Walsh, until the Justice Department ends its criminal probe at the central bank. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. Venezuela defeated the U.S.

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3-2 in the final game of the preseason World Baseball Classic held in Miami. And you're listening to NPR News. Voters in Illinois went to the polls Tuesday to select the Democratic and Republican nominees for the U.S. Senate seat now being held by the Senate minority whip Dick Durbin, who is retiring.

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Illinois' Lieutenant Governor Julianne Stratton won the primary and is favored to keep the seat in the Democratic Party column in November. Dozens of candidates were also running for several open seats in the House of Representatives. Illinois' Governor J.B. Pritzker also won his primary to seek a third term in Springfield.

Chapter 3: How is the energy crisis affecting global oil supplies?

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This is Ira Glass of This American Life. Do you know our show? Okay, well, either way, I'm going to tell you about it. We make stories that hopefully pull you in at the beginning with funny moments and feelings and people in surprising situations, and then you just want to find out what is going to happen and cannot stop listening. That's right.

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I'm talking about stories that make you miss appointments. This is American Life, wherever you get your podcasts.

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