NPR News: 09-21-2026 7AM EDT
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What is President Trump's plan for a new triumphal arch and why is it controversial?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. President Trump has been pushing to build a gigantic, gilded, triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., near Arlington National Cemetery. Trump has previously said it's to honor the nation's 250th birthday, but also to honor himself. Now, he says he's going to use the arch as a huge military complex. It's to hold large amounts of weapons and positions for military snipers. Opponents say there's no military reason for this. The Pentagon's right there. But NPR's Franco Ordonez says just as when Trump tore down part of the White House for his ballroom, there doesn't seem to be a quick way to stop this project.
In this case, he's essentially ignoring many of the traditional processes in place, skipping Congress, and taking what is a very liberal interpretation of his own executive authority. And frankly, daring those opposed to him to try to stop him.
How will rising heating‑oil prices affect households this winter?
And like the ballroom, many fear that he will move too quickly, much more quickly than the courts can respond, to the point where it just gets very, very hard to kind of turn the clock back or stop or slow the project to make a difference.
NPR's Franco Ordonez reporting. Customers who use heating oil could pay sharply higher costs for it this winter as the war with Iran continues. Many households are already paying substantially more for gas and groceries. NPR's Windsor Johnston reports.
The fallout from higher oil prices won't end at the gas pump. Mark Wolf is the head of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. He says people who depend on heating oil will really feel it when the cold weather arrives.
They're getting hit twice because they're already paying more for gasoline, and now their home's heating oil. has gone up more than 50 percent since the start of the war. Last year, it paid about $1,750.
What were the latest drone attacks on Moscow and how do they relate to the Russian elections?
This year, it could go as high as $3,000.
That could be especially difficult for people on fixed incomes. Wolf says the Trump administration has not increased energy assistance and argues that pulling back from clean energy programs leaves families more vulnerable to volatile fuel prices. Windsor Johnston, NPR
News. Russia says three people were killed when Ukraine launched a drone attack on Moscow. NPR's Charles Means reports.
The casualties came after drones struck a Moscow apartment building. An oil refinery was also attacked, despite claims by President Trump that both Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt strikes on energy infrastructure. Russia's defense ministry said Ukraine launched some 1,600 drones, all told, with about a third targeting the capital. The attacks also came as three days of voting to determine the makeup of Russia's parliament, the Duma, wrapped on Sunday.
Why are three major news outlets suing the federal government over White House bans?
Early returns showed President Putin's ruling United Russia bloc dominating the field, what the Kremlin is expected to claim as a mandate for continuing the war. Yet anti-war candidates were stripped from the ballot ahead of the vote, leaving pro-war factions the only choice for voters.
This is NPR News. Three press organizations have announced they're suing the federal government to protect First Amendment rights. CNN, MSNOW, and Politico have released a joint statement with their news. This comes after President Trump announced on social media he is banning the three organizations from the White House. Trump has long claimed they're lying about him. The organizations say Trump did this because the White House objected to their reporting.
What is Fat Bear Week and how can listeners vote for the fattest bear?
NPR News has released a statement. It says, barring journalists from the White House because the president dislikes their reporting is a blatant violation of the First Amendment and NPR condemns it without qualification. The brown bears of Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve are massive, and starting tomorrow, they'll face off in the annual Fat Bear Week competition. They're vying to become the weightiest champion. From Alaska Public Media, Ava White has more.
The Katmai National Park Bears are global celebrities, and Fat Bear Week is about celebrating how plump the animals get from feasting on massive sockeye salmon runs.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is President Trump's plan for a new triumphal arch and why is it controversial?
0:00–0:57
2
How will rising heating‑oil prices affect households this winter?
0:57–1:50
3
What were the latest drone attacks on Moscow and how do they relate to the Russian elections?
1:50–2:42
4
Why are three major news outlets suing the federal government over White House bans?
2:42–3:27
5
What is Fat Bear Week and how can listeners vote for the fattest bear?
3:27–4:23
6
How can U.S. citizens living abroad request absentee ballots for the 2026 election?
4:23–4:53