NPR News: 03-18-2026 8PM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Skivone. Persian Gulf allies of the U.S. are warning of escalating repercussions after Israel's attack on Iran's south-pars gas field. Qatar says it shares the underwater field and the attack is a threat to both the environment and to global energy security. Energy surprises are skyrocketing around the world. The U.S. is facing the steepest gasoline prices in two-and-a-half years at 384 a gallon. President Trump is temporarily lifting the Jones Act as his administration attempts to lower gas prices. NPR's deepest shipper on reports the law limits domestic shipping routes to just U.S. vessels. Trump announced a 60-day pause on the Jones Act. That means domestic shipping routes can now be utilized by ships built and operated outside the U.S. The decision comes as gas prices have shot up in the aftermath of the U.S. and Israel's war on Iran. High prices remain a top of mind concern for voters in the midterm elections later this

1:00year, which are expected to be close in determining control of Congress. Deep Shiverham and P.R. News, the White House. In the skies across the Middle East, cheap drones are shaping the warfare of the 21st century, as NPR's Kat Lonsdor reports. One-man drones mean military superpowers like the U.S. no longer automatically control the skies. But it's also about money. Iran has fired more than a thousand one-way attack drones since the war began. U.S. defense systems stationed throughout the region have taken out a majority of them. A typical Iranian-shahed attack drone is relatively cheap, tens of thousands of dollars. The U.S. missiles that intercept them cost millions, something Kelly Greco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, points out is unsustainable. That type of caustic change favors the Iranians over the long term. And the U.S. may run out of interceptors before Iran runs out of drones. Something U.S. officials who were not authorized to speak publicly have told NPR, they're concerned about, as the war drags on. Kat Lonsdorff, NPR News, Washington.

2:02Senator Mark Wayne Mullin faced tough questions at his confirmation hearing to lead the Department of Homeland Security. He's been tapped to replace Christy Nome's head of the department that's come under fire for its tactics, including the deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis. And PR's Hemenobostio reports. He was asked about his initial response to the deadly shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretty. He was a U.S. citizen killed by border patrol agents in Minneapolis. Mullin at the time called him, quote, deranged. Those words probably should have been retracted. I shouldn't have said that. And in the secretary, I wouldn't. The investigation is ongoing. And like I said, there's sometimes going to make mistakes in our own it. Nome also faced pushback about how she characterized Pretty, and she was slower to admit mistakes like that. It'll be up to Mullin to prove that he would be able to strike a new tone when leading the agency. And PR's Hemenobostio Wall Street, the Dow fell 768 points, then Aztec off 327. This is NPR. In Austin, Texas, local leaders want to rename Cesar Chavez Street, after allegations

3:07emerged that the late civil rights leaders sexually assaulted women and girls. From Member Station KUT, Luz Moreno-Loccaszano reports. Back in 1993, the city of Austin renamed the road after Chavez in honor of his legacy as the labor and civil rights leader. But a recent New York Times investigation has revealed accusations that Chavez abused women and girls, including labor rights activist Dolores Weta. Austin City Council member Vanessa Fuentes is one of several council members now pushing to change a street name. These are very serious allegations, and Dolores Weta, you know, she is a living leader of the labor movement, and her sharing, her story, her personal experiences with Cesar Chavez is something that we have to take seriously. To rename a street, the Austin City Council would have to approve it. I'm Luz Moreno-Loccaszano in Austin, Texas. Across the nation, airport travel is becoming more complicated by the day as congressional

4:08Democrats refuse to fund the Department of Homeland Security. As a result, TSA agents are working without pay, sickouts are on the rise, and this is causing long screening delays at airports. More than 100,000 employees of Homeland Security have been working without pay due to the stalemate. Democrats demand changes to immigration enforcement practices. Republicans argue that Homeland Security needs to be fully operational during a heightened level of security. I'm Louise Givone and PR News.