"Live from NPR news in Washington, on Corv.
Iraq hold a second round of talks in Pakistan, according to the Associated Press.
“The report says the proposed talks could be held in coming days before the end of the”
current ceasefire. Meanwhile, shipping traffic now appears to be almost halted in the state of Hormuz. The U.S. and Iran are both blocking oil exports through the narrow waterway. NPR's Greg Mayri reports country's worldwide are feeling economic pain. The dual blockades have limited the number of ships passing through the straight to just
two in the past day. This is according to ship tracking firms and media reports. Iran's closure of the straight has been, in effect, for weeks, though it allowed the passage of a small number of ships considered friendly, or, at least, neutral. Now the U.S. Navy is blockading ships traveling two or from Iranian ports.
Most owners of oil tankers and other commercial ships appear unwilling to challenge the blockade. The result is higher global oil prices hovering around $100 a barrel.
“Iran is heavily dependent on oil exports, and is now facing even more economic pressure.”
Greg Mayri, MPR News, Washington. Today in Washington officials from Lebanon and Israel will hold direct diplomatic talks
for the first time in more than 30 years.
This is a possible first step to end the conflict between Israel and Iranian back his Ebola militants. That broke out again after the U.S. and Israel launched the war against Iran in February, and B.R.'s Kat Lonstor reports from Beirut. The Lebanese government has been asking for these talks for weeks, and Israel didn't take
them up on it until last week, after the U.S. agreed to a ceasefire with Iran. Hezbollah has urged the Lebanese government to cancel the talks. Meanwhile, people in Lebanon tell MPR, they're exhausted by the war, but are skeptical that peace with Israel is possible. Israel won't agree to any deal unless there's a tangible plan with the Lebanese government
“for disarming Hezbollah, a long-standing Israeli demand.”
But Hezbollah has rearmed regardless, firing near constant rockets into northern Israel during this war. If talks dissolve, Israel says it's prepared to remain occupying southern Lebanon for many months, even years. Kat Lonstor, F. MPR News, Beirut.
President Trump is getting criticized for his online postings. He took down an apparent AI image of himself yesterday that depicted him, looking like Jesus. Many of his supporters were angry and shocked by the post. And Beirut's Daniel Kurtz-Lavin says others were upset over Trump's online comments bashing
Pope Leo.
"It's not the first time he's clashed with a Pope, in 2016, Pope Francis criticized Trump
then a candidate for wanting to build a border wall, and suggested that Trump wasn't a real Christian. And as far as AI images go, once last year, Trump posted a picture of himself as Pope." NPR's Daniel Kurtz-Lavin prepared that report. You're listening to NPR.
Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez and Democratic Congressman Eric Swallwell of California say they will resign from Congress, both have been accused of sexual misconduct. Swallwell has dropped his campaign for California governor, and strongly denies the allegations. The Pentagon says he conducted another strike on an alleged drug boat yesterday in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, officials say too alleged drug traffickers were killed, no evidence of their
link to drug trafficking has been provided by the Pentagon. The WNBA held its draft last night, the top overall pick by the Dallas Wings was UConn Star as he "fud," that disselection rather reunites Fud with another former UConn Star in the upcoming WNBA season, NPR's Becky Sullivan has more. The Wings had the top pick in the draft for the second year in a row, and again they chose
a star guard from the UConn Huskies. Last year that was Paige Becker's now, AZ Fud, who became the seventh player all-time from UConn to be chosen first overall. The Minnesota Lings picked second and chose Olivia Miles of TCU to play alongside their star in a piece of collier and hopes of returning to the WNBA finals.
Soon after the three senior stars of UCLA who just led the Bruins to an NCAA national title were taken back to back to back. The Washington Mystics chose Center Lauren Betts, the Chicago Sky, to guard Gabriella Hawkes, and the Toronto Tempo picked guard Kiki Rice. The Tempo are one of two expansion teams joining the league this season, along with the
Portland Fire, Becky Sullivan and PR News. And I'm Kurva Coleman and PR News from Washington.
