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Episode Date: September 1, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is in Asheville, North Carolina, hosting G20 finance ministers, as the Trump administration seeks to pressure other countries to help isolate Iran's economy. Here's NPR's Emily Fank. There's been one big success so far, and that's the United Arab Emirates. It was a big trade hub for Iran, but the UAE said it was cutting off trade tides with Iran earlier this month. But a bigger source of oil revenue for Iran has been from China. And China is where a lot of these front companies which help Iran move money around are also based.

There were just two dozen of them sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury last week. And sanctions exports I've spoken to agree that the U.S. needs China to police this activity itself for it to be successful. But the problem is China has flatly rejected the U.S.'s new economic pressure campaign last week. Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Kyrgyzstan for a summit of the Shanghai cooperation, organization. Russian leader Vladimir Putin is there and he's scheduled to meet with Iran's president on the sidelines later today. Vice President J.D. Vance says there is in his word something evil about Michigan's Democratic Senate nominee. Vance spoke during a campaign-style event in Metro Detroit Monday put on by President Trump's Super PAC. Michigan Public Radio's Colin Jackson reports. Vance's comments

come as Republicans framed Democratic nominee Abdul El-Said as too extreme for supporting measures such as Medicare for all and abolishing immigration and customs enforcement. Vance accused him of being too divisive. This guy is a gold mine of content. But unfortunately, it's a gold mine of content of him fighting against the interests of the people in this room and fighting for the most terrible ideas and terrible policies and the craziest ideas out there. El Sayed says evil is taking away health care while starting trade wars and actual wars and, quote, dividing people for your own gain. did not discuss the war with Iran or tensions with Canada. For NPR News, I'm Colin Jackson in Shelby Township, Michigan.

The first tropical storm system hit Texas this year, on track to make landfalls sometime this afternoon. Houston public media's Andrew Schneider reports on tropical storm, Edouard. Texas Governor Greg Abbott warned that Harris County, which surrounds Houston, should take the brunt of the rain and flooding from the storm. Because of rapidly rising waters, especially in Harris County, We've seen too often vehicles being swept away. It's so incredibly important for anybody in any region of the state, but especially in Harris County, to avoid driving in to what appears to be waters on the roadway.

Abbott warned that this will also be a windstorm. He said people need to be careful to avoid doing anything that could cause a spark that the storm could fan into a wildfire given previously dry conditions. I'm Andrew Schneider in Houston. And you're listening to NPR News. Officials at Arizona's Grand Canyon National Parks say one person remains unaccounted for. Following flash flooding over the weekend, Park Service officials said Monday that the bodies of two flood victims have been recovered

and that search and recovery operations are ongoing. About 80 people were rescued during the flooding. Amazon faces a new federal lawsuit over the company's advertising prices. It's a third suit brought by the... Federal Trade Commission this time, focusing on how the tech company has treated brands and sellers who pay for the ads. NPR's Alina Selyuk reports. The Federal Trade Commission in 22 states are suing Amazon. They allege that the company made tens of billions of dollars over seven years by misleading brands and sellers.

The lawsuit argues Amazon, quote, secretly and systematically overcharged advertisers. And note that Amazon is among NPR's financial supporters. Specifically, the FTC focuses on the special auctions that Amazon used. uses to set advertising prices for what shoppers see as sponsored listings. The FTC alleges that Amazon manipulated the bidding to push up the prices. Amazon, in response, says the lawsuit fundamentally misrepresents how its advertising works and says its platform has, in fact, saved advertisers billions of dollars. Alina Seluk, NPR News, Washington.

The online prediction market company, Kalshi says it has permanently banned former New York Congressman George Santos. Kalshi said Monday that Santos likely engaged in insider trading when he made a more than $17,000 profit on a bet against his attendance at the State of the Union address. Kalshi says it's the company's first ever permanent ban. This is NPR News.