NPR News: 09-12-2026 1AM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. Mail and voting for the midterm election is underway in some states, including Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin. But as NPR sounds, a little long reports, election officials around the country are still waiting for a Supreme Court ruling on President Trump's push for new restrictions. The Supreme Court is deciding whether to allow the U.S. Postal Service to refuse to deliver mail and bounce to voters in states, where election officials do not turn over voter lists to the mailing agency and do not have certain barcodes on their ballot envelopes. We should note U.S.P.S. is a financial support 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 U.S.P.S. plan would put some voters at risk of losing the ability to exercise their right to vote, including many disabled voters, and those living in places without polling sites.

1:01Anzila Wang and Jarnoos. Iran says it will attend a regional meeting of foreign ministers of countries in the Persian Gulf. The Iranian Foreign Ministry says that eight foreign ministers will be attending to discuss issues around the straight-of-four moves, which Iran has blockaded since the beginning of the war with the U.S. Emperes Hadil al-Shultzhi reports. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Bakhai announced that the meeting of foreign ministers will take place in Oman next week. He said the foreign ministers of Iran, Iraq, and other Arab states on the coast of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman will be attending. He said that the meeting will address negotiations Iran and Oman have been part of to reach an agreement to temporarily reopen the straight-of-harmous. Iranian blockade of the straight has affected global oil supplies. U.S. diesel prices hit a new American high at an average of $6 a gallon this week. The deal al-Shultzhi and PR news is dumbled. A major pipeline that carries crude oil across the Saudi peninsula to the Red Sea has been shut down.

2:01Officials in Saudi Arabia say the move is a precaution after Houthi rebels captured an island at the southern end of the Red Sea. The Houthis have been supporting Iran by periodically firing on ships in the region. President Trump is continuing to promise that gas prices will come down after the mid-term elections, but he is not explaining just how that will happen. The U.S. prices remain above $4 a gallon since the U.S. war against Iran began and diesel costs have hit a new record. And Americans in every state are feeling the effects of the war, even if they don't drive. That's because many of the goods purchased in the U.S. are moved around the country using diesel. Arizona Trucker Daniel Wood says he and his family are hurting. One Philip was over $1,000. And when these prices just skyrocket like this, it takes food out of the mouths of your children. The U.S. government crude prices, meanwhile, it's the international oil standard they fell by 2.8% to $104.61. This is NPR News. The U.N. Security Council voted Friday to extend the current arms embargo on Sudan's

3:06western Darfur region. The vote came as negotiations continue on a contentious U.S. proposal to expand the embargo throughout the country. The U.S. says the current embargo is insufficient to bring the three-year-old conflict to an end, but Russia has said it will block any expansion of the embargo. Nintendo of America is using tariff refunds for a sale that starts Sunday. NPR Stephen Bessaha reports that while companies have received more than $100 billion back, many have been reluctant to offer customers refunds. Nintendo says it will offer up to 30% off on some digital games and savings on other products like Close. The Japan-based company is facing a U.S. class action lawsuit from customers demanding direct refunds. Nintendo responded in court filing saying it does not have an obligation to offer refunds, and customers paid those higher prices willingly. The company said in the sales announcement that it absorbed most of the tariff costs, but the refunds helped make this sale possible. Other companies like Walmart have also said they'll pass long tariff savings, not through

4:09custom refunds, but lower prices, though they haven't offered details yet. Stephen Bessaha in pure news. Alexander Zavarov will be playing for his second Grand Slam title this year after beating Karen Hachinoff Friday 637676 in the U.S. Open semi-finals. He'll be playing in Sunday's finals against Ben Shelton, who beat Francis T. Foe for late Friday night. The U.S. is looking for its first men's Grand Slam since 2003. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News.