NPR News: 03-16-2026 12AM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Roman. As President Trump returned to Washington from Florida, he told reporters he had, quote, demanded that about seven nations that are heavily reliant on the Middle East oil joined the coalition to protect the critical, straight-of-horn moods, of which about 20% of the world's oil flows through. Trump did not say what nations that he had spoken with, but did say they should come in and, quote, protect their own territory. A board Air Force one Sunday night, Trump discussed the military situation in the strait. It only takes a couple of people to screw up the strait, a couple of terrorists. You don't need their military is defeated, but all you need is a few people dropping mines here and there, and you allow us enough. Iran over the weekend threatened to strengthen the oil infrastructure of its neighbor, the United Arab Emirates. In the first two weeks of the U.S. war with Iran, the average gasoline price is surged to $3.70 a gallon, that's according to Triple A. Crude oil prices are now hovering

1:04about $100 a barrel. But as the war continues, the Trump administration insists the spike in prices will be short-lived. NPR's Luke Garrett reports. During the war, Iran has largely closed the strait ofhorn moods, a key shipping lane for the world's oil and economy. But energy secretary Chris Wright told ABC News, the war will quote certainly end soon. The conflict will come to the end in the next few weeks, and we'll see a rebound in supplies and a pushing down a prices after that. The energy secretary then argued the war will ultimately make gas cheaper. This is short-term pain to get through to a much better place, where the Middle East can no longer be held hostage by the one rogue nation in Iran. But Wright also said, quote, there's no guarantees in wars. Luke Garrett and Pyrenees, Washington. The 98th Academy Awards saw one big after another win big with six awards, including Best Picture, Director Supporting Actor, and Casting. The Academy Awards also brought some other surprises.

2:07Here's NPR's Bob Mondello. Best actress went, as widely expected, to Jesse Buckley, who played Will Shakespeare's wife Agnias in the historical drama Hemm. Michael B. Jordan took home Best Actor for playing two characters, the Smokestack Brothers, Smoke and Stack, in the blues-inflected thriller, Sinners. Sorry, I could keep you safe. Oh, we sorry. You always do. Seriously, unhinged characters dominated the supporting categories, Sean Penn, who already has two Best Actor Oscars, one Best Supporting Actor, for his volatile Colonel Lockjaw in one battle after another, and Best Supporting Actress went to Amy Madigan's witchy and Gladys in the horror film Weapons, Bob Mondello, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News. The United States is advanced to the finals of the preseason world baseball classic Tuesday night in Miami by hanging on to beat the Dominican Republic two to one Sunday night.

3:11The U.S. will not play the winner of Monday's other semi-final game between Venezuela and Italy. Home runs from shortstop gun or Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles, and Boston Red Sox Outfielder Roman Anthony paced the American team, which also played solid defense behind the starting pitching of Paul Schien's of the Pittsburgh Pirates. A line of thunderstorms with high winds is stretching through Arkansas, Tennessee, and to the Ohio Valley. Tornado watches are in effect. Kimmel Burris from member station WPLN reports from Nashville. The weather could cause extensive power outages. Heavy rain and wind gusts as high as 75 miles per hour are sweeping through much of middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky. Meteorologists are categorizing the severe storms as a level 3 out of 5 risk and are expecting the most impact to hit in the early morning hours. A cold front will follow with temperatures dropping down to the low 30s. This may include light snow and a hard freeze by Monday evening.

4:11A recent ice storm left thousands of Tennesseans without power for days, but city officials say they are prepared for potential power outages caused by high winds and broken trees. For NPR News, I'm Kimmel Burris in Nashville. Trade and economic negotiations between the United States and China have begun in Paris since the talks are expected to pave the way for talks later this month between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. I'm Dan Run on NPR News. With March Madness getting underway, coaches are pushing their players to the limits. But an investigation finds that in some instances, tough coaching can go too far. She would call us idiots, stupid, worthless, low off the low. On the Sunday story, coaches accused of emotional abuse and the players who pushed back. The Sunday story from the first podcast listed now on the NPR app.