"Live from NPR News in Washington, on Corva Coleman, the U.
their strikes against Iran, Iran is also continued to fire at Israel, and at neighboring
“countries in the Persian Gulf, including Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.”
Israel is also widening its strikes on southern Lebanon, its warred residents to flee for their lives. And Piers Hadil Al-Shelty reports, displaced Lebanese are surging into the capital, Beirut. Beirut itself is just crowded with the displaced, you know, those with money are able to forthotels or rent apartments, but then those who can't afford hotels are sleeping in
their cars. And on the streets, the sidewalks are packed here with displaced families, mothers and children, huddled under blankets to stay warm, mentsitting around little fires to keep warm, also smoking, cigarettes, and Lebanese officials say over 95,000 people are now displaced.
And Piers Hadil Al-Shelty reporting from Beirut.
The Treasury Department is issuing a temporary waiver to allow refineries and India to purchase oil from Russia, and Piers Julia Simon reports on what energy experts are saying about this move.
“In a statement on X, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant wrote the 30-day waiver for India”
to buy Russian crude will "not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government as it only authorizes transactions involving oil already stranded at sea." This is a significant turnaround, after months of the Trump administration leaning on India to stop accepting Russian oil. Experts tell MPR, it's a move to try to avoid higher oil prices in the US and around the
world. India is vulnerable to the current shortage of oil from the Persian Gulf, because of the war with Iran. Around 40% of Indian crude imports come through the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively blocked.
India, Simon, and Piers News. President Trump is going to nominate Oklahoma Republican Senator Mark Wayne Mullin to replace Homeland Security Secretary Christy Nome, Trump fired her yesterday.
“The change in leadership comes as the agency remains partially shut down.”
Travel industry leaders are urging Congress to end the funding stalemate. And Piers Joel Rose reports, "They're warning the shutdown could slow air traffic during the busy spring break season." The head of the US Travel Association, Jeff Freeman, says airport security workers deserve to get paid, as they show up to work through the partial government shutdown.
"They're doing their job and they're not getting paid. It's not just unfair. It's reckless." DHS has been shut down for nearly three weeks after lawmakers failed to agree on changes to how immigration officers operate.
That means about 50,000 employees at the TSA, the Transportation Security Administration are working without pay. Travel and aviation industry groups worry that those officers will call out sick and
start working second jobs, just as travel volume picks up in March and April.
Joel Rose and PR News, Washington. And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. The Labor Department has released its latest report on jobs. It says the US lost 92,000 jobs last month. The economists had forecast a gain of 50,000 jobs.
The unemployment rate inched up to 4.4%. The February news is a big change from January when 126,000 jobs were added to the US economy. Texas Republican Congressman Tony Consolus has announced he's dropping his reelection effort.
He's faced growing pressure from GOP House leadership. Texas Public Radio's David Martin Davies reports Consolus says he won't resign. " Consolus made the announcement on social media days after admitting he had an unfair with a former staffer, which is against House rules." He also said he'd serve out the rest of his term in Congress.
That former staffer, Regina Suntlisa Villas, took her own life in September. House Republican leaders had called on Consolus to end his reelection bid over the scandal and the House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into Consolus' conduct. Earlier this week, Consolus made it into the runoff in the Republican primary for the 23rd congressional district in Texas, trailing Brandon Adeta, a YouTube pro-gun influencer.
Adeta is now the GOP nominee and will face Democrat Katie Padilla Stout in the November General Election. For NPR News, I'm David Martin Davies in San Antonio. One of the last celebrations of the life of the late Reverend Jesse Jackson is set for today in Chicago, former President Clinton, Obama, and Biden, will attend.
I'm Core of a Coleman and PR News.
