Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.
The White House says the U.S. has not agreed to extend the ceasefire with Iran, even
as President Trump signals he wants the war to end, and P.R.'s Tamry Keith reports. In an interview with Maria Bartiromo on the Fox Business Network, Trump talked about the war with Iran in the past tense. Is this war over?
“I think it's close to all of you. I mean, I view it as very close to all of you.”
At her briefing, press secretary Caroline Levitt battered down the idea that the U.S. had formally requested an extension of the two-week ceasefire. She said, "That is not true at this moment," adding that the U.S. also hadn't agreed to further in-person peace talks. Those discussions are being had, but nothing is official until you hear it from us here
at the White House. She said the White House feels good about the prospects of a deal.
Tamry Keith and P.R. News. The Republican-led Senate has blocked a measure to limit President Trump's war powers in Iran. Democrats have forced the vote for time since the conflict began and failed each time. The ZMPR's Claudia Griselys reports, they say, will take it up again.
Democrats are demanding defense secretary Pete Hexeth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio
“testify publicly on the conflict. Your Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.”
Not a single hearing. Not a single discussion. Well, I'm going to tell my Republican colleagues, they're not going to be able to escape continuing to vote on this. Only Kentucky GOP Senator Rand Paul has defected joined Democrats who have argued for an end to the costly and unpopular war. So far, most Republicans have defended Trump, but more are speaking out saying publicly that support could run out. When the war hits a 60-day mark at the end
of this month, Claudia D'Sullys and Pierre News, the capital. It was a mixed day on Wall Street as the S&P 500 index climbed to a record high, and P.R. Scott Horsley reports the Federal Reserve offered a cautious update on the economic outlook. A collection of anecdotal reports and the Federal Reserve's beige book shows the war has added considerable uncertainty to the economic outlook on balance consumers continue to increase their
spending. But that's largely thanks to upper-income shoppers, lower-income families,
“or showing signs of strain, with more returning to food banks and the face of sharply higher”
gasoline prices. Energy companies are pocketing more money, but many are reluctant to increase drilling operations, because they're not sure how long those high prices will last. The housing market remains sluggish. As higher mortgage rates are a drag on already-tepad demand. There's limited turnover in the job market, with both hiring and firing largely on hold. Scott Horsley and Pierre News, Washington. At last check-on Wall Street,
the Dow Jones industrial average was down 72 points, the Nasdaq up 376. This is NPR News. The jury has found that live nation and ticket master operated as a monopoly, dominating the live events and ticketing industry and driving up fees for fans. The Justice Department and nearly 40 state attorneys general sue the company in 2024,
arguing its control over ticketing venues and promotion, harm fans and artists. Insurance coverage of blockbuster obesity drugs may be getting worse. NPR Sydney Lupkin reports some plans are dropping coverage, or adding more restrictions. Megan Lena is a special ed teacher in Massachusetts who joined millions of people without coverage for obesity drugs. First, her pharmacy benefits manager dropped Zep-bound last July. Then a few months later, her
employer dropped will go V2. It felt like a double punch. And that's kind of the point where I was like, "I guess I can't make it work." She was devastated because the drugs had helped to lose 50 pounds. Lena isn't alone, according to research by GoodRX, a website that helps patients find discounts on
prescription drugs. It found that over the last year, 12 million people lost coverage for
Zep-bound and 12 million lost at 4 Wigovie. The trade group for pharmacy benefit managers says it is making progress on coverage despite cost challenges. Sydney Lupkin and PR News. The National Zoo in Washington, D.C. is introducing its first baby elephant in nearly 25 years. The two-month-old Asian elephant calf named Lin-Mei is making her debut today, during a five-day preview. The exhibit opens to the general public next week.
This is NPR News in Washington. We've all been there. Maybe somebody tells you too much about the twist ending of a movie or they tell you who dies at the end. In other words, you've run into a spoiler. How should you handle spoilers and what even counts as a spoiler? We'll tell you how we handle spoilers as critics on NPR's pop culture hacky hour. Listen via the NPR app or wherever ever you get your podcasts.
