TODAY'S TALKING POINTS 09-18-15

TODAY'S TALKING POINTS

The Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady. The central bank’s decision to keep interest rates near zero is bad news for your savings account, but great if you’re looking to borrow money on the cheap. It also means your mortgage won’t be pricier, and your student loan payments (thankfully) won’t rise.

There could be a birth control battle in the Supreme Court. A St. Louis, Missouri, federal appeals court ruled that the Affordable Care Act “unjustly burdens religiously affiliated employers” by mandating that insurance for employees covers birth control. Since the court’s decision goes against every other ruling on the issue, the final word may have to come from the top court.

The Iran deal is officially happening. Senate Democrats blocked Republicans’ third and final attempt at thwarting the deal on Thursday, paving the way for the Obama administration to begin implementing the accord. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, meanwhile, reiterated to his country that the United States is the “Great Satan,” and said Iran won’t enter into talks with the U.S. about anything other than the current nuclear deal.

GOP House leaders are advancing a bill to end government funding for Planned Parenthood. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans say they'll take up legislation outlawing all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Many are worried as the fight over abortion grows more heated that it could lead to another standoffthat could cause a government shutdown before September is through.

The Syrian refugee who was tripped on camera got a stellar job offer. The video of a camerawoman tripping Osama Abdul Mohsen while he was holding his 7-year-old son sparked international outrage online — but the upsetting incident had a silver lining. Spain’s national soccer coach training school just offered Mohsen a job and a place to live, hoping to set a good example for the rest of Europe while the continent has looked increasingly hostile to people seeking refuge.

Just one day after Croatia announced that they’d help carve a new path for refugees through Europe, they closed seven of eight border crossings. More than 13,000 refugees came into the country this week alone. The European Union called an emergency summit for next week to address the crisis.

New Orleans is grappling with an "unconstitutional debtors' prison." A federal lawsuit alleges that hundreds of people are jailed for failing to pay court fees, and thousands more are threatened with arrest, a practice that illegally targets the city's poorest people with perpetual jail time.