NPR News: 09-12-2026 7PM EDT

0:00This message comes from Schwab. Investing with Schwab is like a hike with endless trails. Go solo with self-directed investing. Take stops along the way with trading or choose a guide with full service wealth management. Whatever trails you take, you can invest your way with Schwab. Live from NPR News in Washington. I'm Linda Kenyon. Iran says it will sign an agreement Monday to temporarily reopen the straight of Hormuz as NPR Sadeel Al-Shalchi reports. The agreement between Oman and Iran to temporarily reopen the straight of Hormuz has been in the works for weeks. It maps out routes that will allow ships to enter the waterway from the Iranian side and exit from the Omani end. In an interview with an Indian media outlet, Iranian President Masoud Pesashkyan said the agreement would be signed at a meeting with Arab states on the Persian Gulf. The Iranian blockade of the strait has affected global oil supplies. US diesel prices hit a new American high at an average of $6 a gallon.

1:01Hadeel Al-Shalchi NPR News is stumble. India hosted the BRICS summit this weekend, where leaders from nearly a dozen countries criticized unilateral tariffs and sanctions. NPR's Amkha Kandaka reports. Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Iran's President Masoud Pesashkyan were among the world leaders gathered in New Delhi for a summit that's seen as a voice of emerging economy. In a joint statement, they condemned the use of sanctions not authorized by the UN and attacks on nuclear facilities. Anilis Say, this was an indirect criticism of the US actions on Russia and Iran respectively, although the statement did not name these countries. The group also condemned Israel's invasion of Lebanon and continued violence in Gaza despite a ceasefire. Israel and the White House haven't commented yet. Omkar Khandekar, NPR News, New Delhi. The group, which includes China and Russia, is aimed at countering Western dominance.

2:02Malin voting for the midterm election is underway in some states, including Alabama, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. This says election officials wait for a Supreme Court ruling on President Trump's push for new restrictions and PR's Hansi-Lawong reports. The Supreme Court is deciding whether to allow the US Postal Service to refuse to deliver male and balanced voters in states where election officials do not turn over voter lists to the male agency and do not have certain barcodes on their ballot envelopes. We should note USPS is a financial supporter of NPR. A federal judge blocked those requirements after finding the Postal Service has no authority to impose them. Tammy Patrick of the National Association of Election Officials says many voters can prepare now. No matter what has changed in your state or how you decide you want to go and vote, make a plan early. And don't wait until the last day of the polls. Still, Patrick says the USPS plan would put some voters at risk of losing the ability to exercise their right to vote, including many disabled voters in those living in places without polling sites. Hansi-Lawong and Pyaar News. Russian strikes have killed eight civilians and wounded dozens in Ukraine.

3:06Ukraine faces mounting pressure from Russia's intensified air campaign, which has included targeted at Ukraine's power grid. You're listening to NPR. Homebuying is expensive enough before these so-called junk fees are included. NPR Steven Bessahar reports. These fees can be more than $1,000 due out of pocket at closing. They also go by different names like Admin fees or Document Storage fees. Hina Matlock is an Alabama real estate agent and has a different name for them. I go on junk fees. She calls them junk because consumers are often already paying north of $10,000 in commission to agents, which should cover those expenses. I think it's unreasonable for it to be automatically on the consumer. Matlock does not charge this fee, but they are becoming more common in home sales, according to the independent think tank the Consumer Policy Center. That group recommends challenging these fees before signing a contract. Steven Bessahar and Pyaar News. The Atlantic hurricane season has been quiet.

4:08Thanks to an enormous El Nino that effectively crushes storms before they develop. The National Hurricane Center reports no Atlantic hurricanes have formed yet this year and none are likely to form for at least another week, even though this would normally be the peak of the hurricane season. Only five are relatively weak and brief tropical storms have spun up this season so far. As of today, 2026 has set a record for the longest a season has begun without a storm that has reached hurricane strength. Still, authorities say people should not let down their guard because it just takes one storm to cause catastrophic consequences. I'm Linda Kenyon and Pyaar News in Washington. This message comes from mattress firm. Different sleep preferences, mattress firm sleep experts can match you with a tempered ex-split king sleep system. Visit mattress firm's best sale of the year and save up to $1,400.

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