Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor, Johnston.
Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to arrive in Pakistan today, ahead of high stakes talks, aimed at ending the war in Iran.
“NPR's Danielle Kirdslaven reports delegations from Washington and Tehran are set to meet”
in Islamabad on Saturday, with pressure mounting for a breakthrough.
Well, a big goal is to make sure the street of Hormuz is open, but that street doesn't appear to be fully open right now, even after the ceasefire. And where things stand there has been really unclear, Trump this week even floated the idea of the U.S. and Iran together, charging fees for ships to pass through, though he didn't explain any further how that would work.
And that said, though, yesterday on social media, Trump posted that Iran better not be his words, charging tankers right now to pass through. That's NPR's Danielle Kirdslaven reporting, at least seven ships passed through the straight on Thursday, far below the nearly 140 Delhi transits. A federal judge says the Department of Defense has violated his order to restore access
for credentialed reporters at the Pentagon. The case was brought by the New York Times, NPR's David Folgan flick reports that the Department had removed journalists who refused to agree and not to pursue information
“that top officials had not cleared for release.”
U.S. Judge Paul Friedman started and ended his opinion by stressing the importance of
the first amendment and of a free press.
The rest of it was just as heavy sledding for the Defense Department. The judge knocked down new rules requiring reporters to work from a remote annex and to be accompanied by an official escort at all times. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the new policy addressed every element of the judge's prior ruling and that the Department would appeal.
Ted Bootrose, the trial attorney for the New York Times, called the decision both of vindication of the court's authority and of the first amendments protections of independent journalism. David Folgan flick and PR news. The Venezuelan government has passed a new law which is likely to open up the country's
mining sector to private and foreign investment. Katie Silver reports the White House has long supported the move.
“In Iraqis, the national assembly, which is controlled by the ruling party, unanimously”
approved the new law. Supporters hope it boosts private investment in Venezuela's mining industry. The bill which still needs the green light from the Supreme Court would increase legal guarantees for investors and allow disputes to be arbitrated independently. It also bans the president vice president ministers and governors from holding mining titles.
Two decades ago, Venezuelan authorities seized the assets of many foreign mining firms. Washington has pushed the New Government of Delsea Rodriguez to open up the sector, following the opposing early this year of Nicolas Maddoudreau. For NPR News, I'm Katie Silver.
This is NPR News. Astronauts onboard the Artemis 2 are on their way back home, the three Americans and one Canadian said a new distance record during Monday's lunar flyby, traveling more than 253,000 miles from Earth, their aiming for slashed down in the Pacific Ocean tonight off the coast of San Diego.
After the first round of the master's golf tournament, the defending champion is tied
for the lead, Steve Futterman reports from Augusta, Georgia. Northern Ireland's worry McAvoy picked up where he left off last year, McAvoy, who won his first masters in 2025 to complete the career grand slam, had an excellent opening round, five under par, and he has tied for the lead with American Sam Bruins. McAvoy began slowly but had five birdies on the final 11 holes.
Stayed really patient when I needed to and played a good stretch of holes there to finish up the round. McAvoy is attempting to become just a fourth golfer ever to win two masters back to back. The last to do what was Tiger Woods in 2003.
The pre- Tournament, favorite scotties, cephler, trying for his third masters is three strokes back at two under par. For MPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Augusta. The cast-strap U.S. Postal Service is seeking approval to raise the price of first-class male in July.
The agency received temporary approval to raise prices for priority male deliveries later this month by 8% to offset the cost of fuel. This also pausing contributions to employees pension fund. This is MPR News in Washington. This week on the MPR Politics podcast, in Iran, President Trump is both escalating and
de-escalating. Pausing strikes on energy sites, claiming Iran wants to make a deal, but also moving troops to the region. We impact what we know about where those troops are headed, and how talks are playing out behind closed doors.
This week on the MPR Politics podcast, listen on the MPR app, or wherever you get your
