Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Kiewone.
Iran's military is warning it will retaliate by blocking other important shipping routes
“if the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues, and P.R.'s Jackie Northam”
explains what that would look like. Major General Ali Abdullahahi, the commander of Iran's top military command center, threatened to hold all trade in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Red Sea. A particular concern is the Babel Mandeb, a narrow waterway in the Red Sea for vessel sailing between Europe and Asia.
Iranian aligned Houthi militias in Yemen control much of the coastline near the Babel Mandeb, and severely disrupted shipping during the height of the Gaza war. Saudi Arabia started diverting crude oil from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea by pipeline just after the Iran war began in late February.
That route could be in jeopardy if Iran retaliates.
The Trump administration appears close to nominating a new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and P.R.'s pain-wong reports on the leading candidate. Dr. Ericishword previously served as chief medical officer of the U.S. Coast Guard and Deputy
“Surgeon General in the first Trump administration.”
She could be announced as President Trump's pick for CDC Director, as early as the last week, according to an administration official, who wasn't authorized to speak to the media about the deliberations. Earlier this month, Schwartz posted video to Instagram for National Public Health Week. "Now, when I was in military position, my job was all about readiness. It was all about public health, prevention, vaccines, early detection."
In response to her request for comment on Schwartz's candidacy, White House spokesman
Kush Desai said it was baseless speculation, unless officially announced by the White House.
"On the April 15th, tax filing day IRS Commissioner Frank Bizigdano told a Senate panel that legislative efforts by the GOP-led Congress have met bigger tax refunds, and P.R.'s Steven Bassaha reports." "Fizigdano said new tax provisions like limiting taxes on tips and overtime, and especially deduction for seniors have led to tax refunds 11% higher than last year."
"Let me be crystal clear. This is the most successful filing season in IRS history." But Democratic Senator Mark Warner said refunds aren't nearly as large as the original Republican goal. "Any benefit people get from the laws swamped by inflation resulting from tariffs,
and additional costs with the war and Iran." The White House estimated refunds would be around $1,000 higher on average this year. So far, filers are getting about $350 more instead. Steven Bassaha and P.R. News. "The S&P 500 closed at its highest ever level today gaining 55 points, and
any of the day at 722, the Dow was off 72, the Nasdaq up 376, this is NPR." Brent crude prices settled at roughly $95 a barrel today slightly higher than yesterday, but well below a recent peak of $119 a barrel. The chair of President Trump's Religious Liberty Commission is saying that there is no such thing as separation of church and state in the Constitution.
This is the Commission's policy recommendations are poised to emerge. Houston Public Media's Andrew Schneider has details. "Texus Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who heads the Commission, issued the statement Monday, adding, "For too long, the anti-governed left has used this phrase to suppress people of religion in our country."
Sam Martin teaches political communication at Boise State University. "Well, this Commission seems to be heading toward attacking the very fundamental idea that government should remain, look at the institutionally separate from religion. And that is a hallmark of Christian Nationalist practice." Patrick says the Commission will deliver its recommendations to Trump on how to safeguard
Americans' Religious Liberty next month. "For NPR News, I'm Andrew Schneider in Houston." Record-high temperatures are in store for the Northeast through the weekend, including New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., an intense storm system meanwhile hit parts of Michigan overnight,
including Ann Arbor, with heavy thunderstorms damaging property, cutting off power and flooding streets, as much as two and a half inches of rain fell across parts of South Eastern Michigan by the morning. And more was forecast across the Midwest, the Great Lakes, and Ohio Valley Regents.
"I'm Louise Givoni, and PR News, 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 you get your podcasts.
