NPR News: 06-18-2026 6AM EDT
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What recent actions has the Trump administration taken regarding NATO?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the Trump administration is launching a six-month review of U.S. forces based in Europe. He says President Trump wants to make sure NATO member countries are leading and paying for their own defense.
This review will be conducted with the benefit of inputs from the United States military, from European command. It will involve consultations with the U.S. Congress and with our allies. But make no mistake about it, this will be a real review. It will be designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading.
Hegseth is visiting NATO headquarters in Brussels. President Trump is furious that European countries denied the U.S. the right to use their bases when he launched the war in Iran. Today, Hegseth called these European choices, quote, shameful. President Trump has signed a memo of understanding for a 60-day ceasefire with Iran. NPR's Franco Ordonez reports it outlines further negotiations with Iran.
The president told a group of eager reporters that he signed the memorandum of understanding while dining with the French president at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris.
And according to Iranian state media, Iran has also signed the agreement.
At an earlier press conference, Trump said the new agreement opens the Strait of Hormuz to toll-free shipping and states Iran will not pursue a nuclear weapon. Franco Ordonez, NPR News, Geneva.
The price of jet fuel has fallen to its lowest level since the war with Iran started more than three months ago. But NPR's Joel Rose reports the cost of airfares may not fall as quickly.
When jet fuel prices shot up this spring, airlines responded by raising ticket prices and fees. Now fuel costs are coming back to earth. The average price for a gallon of jet fuel in the U.S. dropped this week to less than $3, according to the tracking firm Argus. That's down more than $2 per gallon from the peak in April. But aviation consultant Michael Boyd says don't expect the airlines to give those price hikes back right away. If people will pay it, why would you take it back? Boyd says travelers have shown they're willing to pay higher airfares, at least so far. And airlines face rising costs across the board, including labor. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.
Gas prices are straining Americans' wallets. Many are gloomy about the economy. The latest poll from NPR, PBS News' Marist, finds only one-third of Americans approve of how President Trump is handling the economy. Most Democratic respondents and two-thirds of independents said they disapproved. So did one in five Republicans. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Authorities in eastern Washington state say a fast-moving wildfire is burning homes outside Spokane. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office says authorities have located possible human remains in a burned home after a person there refused to evacuate. NPR's Kirk Siegler reports the Upriver Fire has already triggered scores of evacuations.
The State Department of Natural Resources says the Upriver Fire ignited about one mile east of the city limits of Spokane, a city built out into old-growth ponderosa pine forests. That has long been a major concern for fire managers. There has been some rain in the northwest in recent weeks, but not enough to chip away at a major moisture deficit after one of the driest and warmest winters on record. The National Interagency Fire Center in neighboring Idaho says this and other wildfires have already burned more than 2.5 million acres across the country this year, well ahead of the 10-year average. In Spokane, firefighters are hoping to take advantage of calmer winds, but unseasonably hot and dry weather is forecast through the weekend.
Kirk Sigler in PR News, Boise.
Firefighters in Los Angeles are keeping an eye on any leftover embers from a fire at a downtown warehouse. A huge blaze broke out yesterday, sending a huge plume of black smoke into the air. For several hours, residents nearby were told to shelter in place.
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