NPR News: 09-16-2026 7PM EDT
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What new sanctions did the House pass to target Russia’s economy?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. The House has passed a package of sanctions targeting key pillars of the Russian economy, sending it to President Trump's desk. Lawmakers are trying to deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin of the financial resources needed to wage the war against Ukraine. The legislation also gives President Trump new authority to impose tariffs on the biggest purchasers of Russian oil and natural gas, like China and India. The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time since 2023 today in an effort to quell inflation. As NPR Stephen Bissaha reports, the quarter point hike is a small move, but the Fed also signaled more increases.
It's not a lot more. I was talking with one of the finance experts at Lending Tree about this and was told today's rate hike is not gonna rock anyone's financial world. By their math, if you have about seven thousand dollars in credit card debt, this rate hike will mean paying only a few bucks more each month.
How will the Federal Reserve’s quarter‑point rate hike affect everyday borrowers?
Remember that the Fed today they only raise interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point. They also projected another similar rate hike this year, though that depends on
Saha reporting. The Trump administration is turning its attention again to Venezuela amid high oil prices. The oil industry there has been in disrepair for decades as President Trump's encouraging investment. NPR's Willarubin reports that now American oil company Continental Resources says it's developing an oil field there.
Continental Resources says it's planning to develop a block holding about 30 billion barrels of oil in a part of Venezuela rich with the kind of thick, heavy crude the country is known for. Continental says it evaluated opportunities in Venezuela after President Trump urged American energy companies to invest. The Oklahoma-based company was founded by Trump ally and donor Harold Ham.
Why is the Trump administration encouraging U.S. investment in Venezuela’s oil fields?
Continental's move comes weak. Weeks after Chevron announced its expanding operations in Venezuela. That announcement came days after the Trump administration said it's working with a private company headquartered in Barbados to develop seventeen Venezuelan oil fields. All of these projects will take months, if not years, to develop. Will A Rubin and PR News.
Nearly one in five members of Congress will not return to their seats next year. NPR Steven Fowler reports there's been a historic level of retirements, resignations, and runs for other office.
There are ninety nine seats guaranteed to have a different member from the start of twenty twenty five. That number is likely to rise as dozens of incumbents are locked in a competitive races and could lose in November. This year, a record number of senators and representatives announced earlier than ever that they were retiring or running for a different office. Sixteen lawmakers died or resigned, and another thirteen lost their primary elections. That includes a number of older House Democrats knocked off by younger challengers and President Trump ousted incumbents he felt had crossed him.
Which members of Congress are retiring or changing seats for the 2026 election?
Stephen Fowler, NPR News. US stock slipped today.
The SP five hundred fell nearly half a percent. This is NPR. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says it's up to each AI company to ensure its technology is safe, distancing himself from calls for a coordinated slowdown in AI development. He argues that companies are already motivated to develop models safely due to liability. He says that companies should focus on building safe AI models rather than systems that can improve themselves automatically. The literary world is celebrating the legacy of Pulitzer Prize winning authored Annie Dillard, who authored more than a dozen books and other works. She died yesterday at the age of eighty one. Atelka Lahoski has this remembrance.
Annie Dillard wrote Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, an American childhood and the writing life. When she was not writing, as she told NPR in twenty sixteen, she loved playing baseball. I didn't quit until my fifties. When I'd go down for the ground or and it would just go under my glove.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What new sanctions did the House pass to target Russia’s economy?
0:00–0:55
2
How will the Federal Reserve’s quarter‑point rate hike affect everyday borrowers?
0:55–1:51
3
Why is the Trump administration encouraging U.S. investment in Venezuela’s oil fields?
1:51–2:52
4
Which members of Congress are retiring or changing seats for the 2026 election?
2:52–4:10
5
What did Meta’s CEO say about the safety and regulation of AI development?
4:10–4:45
6
What is the significance of the newly discovered giant lunar impact crater?
4:45–4:52