Sep 16, 2026 · 53 min
Fed raises rates as inflation and political pressures intensify
September 16, 2026 - PBS News Hour full episode
The episode connects a consequential shift in monetary policy with war, sanctions, elections, artistic speech, and climate threats affecting public life.
- 1The Federal Reserve raises rates for the first time in three years as energy costs and geopolitical pressures keep inflation elevated.
- 2Iranian institutions endure prolonged war while protests face repression and journalists and dual citizens confront heightened risks.
- 3The 2026 Senate map, Gaza-related speech disputes, and climate damage to Greek heritage show politics extending beyond Washington.
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The Mystras report pairs the reopening of a restored Byzantine palace with the escalating climate threats facing Greece’s monuments.
The brief
The Federal Reserve raises interest rates for the first time in three years, as elevated inflation, energy costs, Treasury yields, and geopolitical pressures complicate household finances.
Correspondent Reza Sayah describes wartime life in Iran nearly seven months into the conflict, including institutional resilience, public attitudes, protest crackdowns, and risks to journalists and dual citizens.
Cuba’s deputy foreign minister Carlos Fernandez de Cocio discusses U.S. sanctions, diplomatic contacts, possible invasion, blackouts, shortages, and the government’s contested economic reforms.
The 2026 Senate contest takes shape across a dozen competitive races, while the Macklemore dispute tests where political speech ends and commercial consequences begin.
At Mystras, a restored Byzantine palace reopens after four decades, even as wildfires, heat, erosion, and rising seas threaten Greece’s archaeological heritage.
Books & mentions
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