NPR News: 09-02-2026 7PM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. The oil giant Chevron says it's expanding its operations in Venezuela, where it's operated for more than a century. This says the Trump administration partners with a private company and with Venezuela that would give the U.S. access to 65 billion barrels of oil. Impires Willa Rubin has more. In an online statement, Chevron said it's gotten new land in Venezuela to tap for oil. It plans to invest more than $7 billion over the next five years, and that eventually it'll produce 600,000 barrels a day. For context, the entire country of Venezuela produces around 1 million barrels daily. Venezuela's oil infrastructure has been in disrepair for decades. Analysts say it'll take time and millions of dollars to repair or rebuild it. But Venezuela is sitting on lots of oil. Chevron's move is part of a larger American push to rebuild Venezuela's oil infrastructure

1:01and to gain access to that oil. Willa Rubin and P.R. News. President Trump hosted officials from tourist-facing organizations like travel companies and hotel brands at the White House today. He says the world cup the summer and other events he's hosted, like the recent IndyCar race in DC, have boosted the economy, but overall tourism to the U.S. is still down. Here's Deepa Shiverham has more. Trump flanked by company leaders from places like Hilton Hotels and Booking.com said that the men's FIFA World Cup brought in visitors from around the world and more than $18 billion to the economy. It's a total record we've had. The country is thriving. But overall tourism in the U.S. has declined since Trump took office, in part because of his immigration policies and his economic fights with allies like Canada. Las Vegas, for example, saw more than 17 percent drop in visitors from Canada last year, dealing a blow to the city's tourism dependent economy. Deepa Shiverham and P.R. News.

2:03The federal judge ruled that Google doesn't need to break up its advertising business, but it does have to make changes to benefit competitors. Ampios John Ruich reports comes after a court ruled last year that Google's ad business was an illegal monopoly. The vast majority of Google's revenue comes from ads, and in a case brought by the Justice Department, a judge ruled last April that Google's ad business amounted to a monopoly. The DOJ sought the breakup of parts of Google's ad tech business. But now the judge has rejected that idea. The parties are instead ordered to jointly propose a final judgment within 30 days, including changes to Google's ad business that address the monopoly concerns. Google has lost at least two other recent antitrust cases, but judges have rejected restructuring as a remedy. An outcome that analysts say is a win for the company. John Ruich, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. The remains of tropical storm Edward, which is now a tropical depression, is dumping heavy

3:06rain and causing flash flooding across East Texas. The National Hurricane Center says flood watches remain in effect as nearly two feet of rain has fallen in some hearts of the area. Tens of thousands are without power. Jazz Vogel is Cassandra Wilson has died. She was known for her distinctive voice and blending genres. From Member Station WJSU and Jackson, Mississippi, Meredith Hirston has more. Cassandra Wilson's unmistakable voice carried the sound of Mississippi to audiences around the world. Her acclaimed recordings included Blue Light Till Dawn and New Moon daughter. Wilson attended Jackson State University before moving to New York. There she emerged as one of the most celebrated and unconventional Jazz vocalist of her generation. Wilson won two Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album. In 2022, she was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master. Wilson's manager said she died peacefully at her home, surrounded by family and friends.

4:08She was 70 years old. For NPR News, I'm Meredith Hirston in Jackson, Mississippi. He was meant to selling a $1 gold-colored commemorative coin to celebrate America's 250th birthday featuring President Trump's face on one side. The coin is actually money. Its design includes Trump's face as heads and the great seal of the United States as tales. Federal law bars living presidents being depicted on currency. You're listening to NPR News. Billionaire Mark Cuban has stared into the belly of the beast of America's healthcare system. I mean, it's so bad. You can go through a long list of really quality hospitals and they don't know their costs. So can Medicare for all be a solution? We take a hard look at the cost of the program along with US Healthcare itself. Find this and hear more stories from the indicator for planet money on the NPR app.