"Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Roman.
behind closed doors before the House Oversight Committee. NPR's Ava Burger reports in a
“prepared opening statement Gates said he met Jeffrey Epstein in 2011 through his work”
on a global health project and the two continued to have conversations through 2014." "We also got more information because Gates released the text of his opening statement this
morning and it he said he never witnessed or knew about any of Epstein's crimes and lawmakers
say Gates is not accused of any wrongdoing related to his association with Epstein." Gates also said he should have used more care when it came to his introduction to Epstein. Inflation hit 4.2 percent last month, the highest rate in three years with higher energy caution pushing up the prices across the economy. Economists said consumers are likely to keep feeling the squeeze this ahead of the mid-term elections. NPR's Windsor Johnston reports.
Rising energy costs continue to work their way through the economy, pushing up the price of everything from food and airfare to shipping and manufacturing. Economist Mark Sandy says consumers shouldn't expect much relief anytime soon.
“"You know that old ad, prices go up like a rocket, they come down like a feather. Oil prices”
now are kind of surround 90 bucks a barrel. Now that may be as low as it gets for a while. Even if the president nails down some kind of deal here in the next few days, few weeks." Sandy says the typical household has paid more than $500 in added energy costs since February. That alone is more than the roughly $350 families received in tax relief this year. Windsor Johnston and PR news.
In Southern California, the FBI and the Environmental Protection Agency executed his search warrant Wednesday. This is an aerospace plant in Garden Grove. The investigation follows a major chemical scare last month. It forced some 50,000 nearby residents to flee their homes. Jill Replegal reports. For several days over Memorial Day weekend, firefighters warned that a tank holding several
thousand gallons of a toxic chemical known as MMA was in danger of exploding. With potential
“blast zone that included surrounding neighborhoods that chemical eventually stabilized.”
Here's first assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Assaley.
"Obviously this was a huge case that had a big impact on the community. So we want the public to be assured that we're going to take this seriously." He says the EPA and other federal agencies are looking into whether the company, G.K. and aerospace, failed to take precautions to prevent the scare. For NPR News, I'm Jill Replegal and Garden Grove.
Iran and the United States are exchanging new military strikes, putting in jeopardy of fragile ceasefire. The U.S. says the attacks are in response to Iran's continued aggression, including the attack this week of an Army Apache helicopter. President Trump is the warning there could be more attacks. It's NPR. Federal prosecutors are charging eight people with threatening University of Michigan administrators
and others according to an indictment that was on sealed Wednesday. Michigan Public Radio's Beamish Amade reports prosecutors say the threats were part of an effort to get the University to cut ties with Israel. The indictment describes actions the defendants allegedly took against several unnamed victims, including littering, shrouded, and broken baby dolls across the lawn of one victim, and
spray painting explitives and throwing jars full of a noxious chemical into the home of another. Six of the defendants are current or former University of Michigan students. The indictment says the goal was to get the University and other businesses to sever perceived ties to Israel. The defendant's face charges of conspiracy to transmit a threat, destruction of property, and witness tampering. The indictment also includes encrypted messages and
social media posts. Prosecutors say were used by defendants to plan and boast of these and other actions. Fran P. R. News. I'm Benish Amade in Detroit. The New York NICs have taken a commanding three games to one lead in the NBA finals. It was a stunning win Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden in game four. Down 27 points at
the half and the third and fourth quarters the NICs chipped away at the lead and went ahead with one point two seconds left. On a no G. Evernobie basket the final score 107 to 106. It is the biggest comeback in the NBA final history. The next can win the NBA Championship Saturday night in San Diego. This is NPR. Support for NP. This is our glass. On this American life, when they mean like, it's a good mystery. Sometimes
about really big things. But most times, the little mysteries of the best are lost and found
as currently filled with pants. I don't know what I've never seen this happen. This is true.
