Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kristen Wright.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegsev and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine gave
“an update moments ago on Operation Epic Fury, and the U.S. blockade of the Strait of”
Hormuz. The Pentagon says it continues to turn around all ships, two and from Iranian ports. Caine says the blockade is a major pressure point for Iran. U.S. central command continues to maintain a strict blockade on all the ports. We're enforcing the blockade across the board against any ship of any nationality that
is transiting two or from Iranian port or territory. President Trump is extending a shipping waiver to ease oil disruptions caused by the war with Iran. The White House says it's issuing a 90-day extension of a waiver to the Jones Act that
allows more oil supplies to reach U.S. ports more quickly by opening up domestic shipping
routes to foreign flagged vessels. According to AAA, national gas prices are averaging about 406 for regular.
“Drone strikes have hit in Iranian opposition base in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.”
As NPR's Jain Iran reports Iran and its proxies have continued attacks against opposition groups there throughout a ceasefire with the U.S. The Kurdistan freedom party, known as PAC, said several drones hit one of its bases in Erbil province late Thursday, wounding three fighters. Iran and Iran backed Iraqi militias have continued to attack Iranian Kurdish opposition
bases throughout a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran that began April 8. Kurdish government officials say those attacks have killed at least five people since then. These fires fired this week with President Trump announcing a unilateral extension, PAC which was trained along with Iraqi Kurdish fighters by U.S. forces to fight the militant group
ISIS called on Trump to protect Iraq's emitonymous Kurdish region or the U.S. has bases. Jain Iraq and Pyrenees, among the Justice Department, says it's stopping a major crypto-currency scam and PR's Jacqueline Diaz has more.
“Two Chinese nationals are facing charges for operating a major fraud compound in Burma.”
Federal officials say they trafficked workers into Burma. Then forced them to run fake crypto-investment schemes, apps and websites to do victims. Authorities shut down 500 fake investment websites and took down a telegram messaging channel used to recruit workers into forced labor. Nene Piro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, says the work to stop these scams continues.
Some of these victims are so distraught that they end up taking their own lives. This is economic homicide. These scams are one of the fastest growing forms of cyber crime. Jacqueline Diaz reporting, you're listening to NPR News from Washington. Routine childhood vaccination rates are recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports a major push by the World Health Organization and others
delivered more than 100 million annoculations to kids in dozens of countries.
The COVID-19 pandemic threw a major wrench in Routine Childhood Vaccination Programs for diseases like measles and polio. In 2021, more than 25 million children missed at least one vaccination as clinics closed and resources were diverted to fighting the pandemic. In response, Global Health Leaders launched the big catch-up in 2023.
It was a major effort to get vaccines to kids aged 1 to 5 who'd missed doses. As the three-year program winds down, the WTO reports that it reached more than 18 million young kids in 36 countries, roughly in line with the original goals. But millions of kids are still missed by vaccine programs, roughly 14 million in 2024. In the face of declining foreign aid worldwide, officials worried vaccination rates could
worsen again. Jonathan Lambert and PR News Pope Leo is urging the U.S. and Iran to return to the negotiating table for talks to end the war. Speaking during a press conference on his way back from Africa, the Pope insisted leaders adopt a culture of peace, the Pope's comments follow a back-and-forth with President Trump
over the war. The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Indiana quarterback for Nando Mendoza last night as the number one overall pick. The Heisman winner watched from home with his family in Florida. I'm Kristen Wright and PR News from Washington.
Support for NPR comes from this week on the NPR Politics podcast. For decades, the Southern Poverty Law Center has tracked and even infiltrated hate groups. But the Justice Department now alleges the way they funded that work amounted to bank fraud. Is it an honest pursuit of justice or just the latest example of the Trump DOJ targeting
the President's political opponents?
