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Episode Date: September 14, 2026

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols has blocked the Trump administration's plan to use the Postal Service to track mail-in-election ballots. The Trump appointee said parts of the post office rule exceed any conception of the outer bounds of the agency's power, and he added that the Postal Service has no statutory role in regulating elections. Election officials around the country, meanwhile, are getting ready to mark national voter registration day this week, as NPR's Hansi Lo Wong reports. The first set of registration deadlines for November's midterm election is coming up in some parts of the country. The window starts to close the first weekend of October for registering to vote or updating your registration for the midterm general election.

That's in places including Alaska, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Then October 5th is a major voter registration deadline for Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, and American Samoa. October 5th is also the last day to sign up in the southern states of Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. If you're already registered, election officials recommend confirming your status and contact information before the deadline by visiting your state's official election website. Officials can remove your name from voter rolls, especially if you recently moved, change your name, or haven't voted in a while.

Hansila Wong, NPR News. President Trump has asked Ukraine's president Sunday night to stop attacking Russian diesel production facilities. He said those attacks are raising diesel prices. around the world. Diesel is being driven up by the fact that it's having a hard time coming out of Russia, and that's the case that hurts the world. We've got to stop. Diesel prices in the U.S. hit an all-time high on Friday, reaching an average of $6.20 a gallon. They've been climbing ever since the Strait of Hormuz was blocked by Iran following U.S. attacks on that country. Russia does not export oil through the straits. A documentary on the Israeli military's

killing of civilians in Gaza has received the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, but as NPR's Daniel Estrin reports, Israeli officials are contesting the film's allegations. The documentary is called Naza, that's the Israeli military term, for collateral damage. The film features 24 anonymous Israeli soldiers who discuss the tracking and killing of Hamas targets and Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The Israeli military said it categorically rejects the film's allegations. It didn't give specifics. but said soldiers' claims in the film do not match their junior level ranking and level of involvement. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called the film a blood libel.

The film's Israeli co-director Yuval Averham spoke at the premiere. I'm thinking of all the people, the Israeli politicians, the journalists back home who are now attacking this film, denying it, without even seeing it. The film got a record 25-minute standing ovation. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. And this is NPR News. News. President Trump says he plans to remove a 10% tariff on Irish whiskey. He made the comment at the Irish Open in Dunbeg and said everyone there has been asking him to drop the tariff. Earlier this year, he placed a 10% tariff on most imports from the EU. Celine Dion returned to the stage this weekend, nearly four years after announcing she had been battling a rare, painful condition. And Pierre's Chandelis Duster reports.

Celine Dionne kicked off her 16-show residency in Paris at the Plenitude Arena on Saturday. wearing a black dress, the Grammy award-winning singer opened the concert with the French song on a Sean Japa, which means we don't change in English. Videos posted on social media by variety show Dion performing hits such as Power of Love, and My Heart will go on, an iconic classic from the Titanic movie soundtrack. Emotional and with tears in her eyes,

Dion thanked the audience throughout the night. It was her first performance nearly four years after announcing she had been battling stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological condition that causes stiff limbs and severe muscle spasms. Shandalee's Duster, NPR News. Alexander Zaveriff won his second major championship Sunday, beating Ben Sheldon 6-3-765762 in the U.S. Tennis Open Final. Shelton's loss kept the American men without a grand slam title since 2003.

Shelton had a shaky start in his first major final and it was never able to catch up. Zaverif captured his first first. major earlier this year when he won the French Open. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News.