Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst.
The U.S. and Iran are exchanging fire for the 15th day in a row and neither side is showing
signs of backing down. The Pentagon says the U.S. attack new Iranian military sites today targeting Iran's ability to threaten ships in the state of Hormuz following Iranian attacks on military operations U.S. military operations in the region. The U.S. also reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Three confirmation hearings took place on Capitol Hill today for President Trump's nominee to be the director of the CDC. Dr. Erica Schwartz, struggle today to convince senators she'd stand up to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy questioned whether she'd be able to act independently from political appointees for the good of the people.
“Will you have the ability and the firmness to stand up to that political meddling?”
To say no, that's wrong, and this is right. Chairman, you have my assurances that I will continue to lead by my integrity.
I will never compromise on the science.
I will always, always, have the public's health in mind. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche also confronted skeptical questions today. Over the creation of a fund to compensate allies of President Trump and the tax audit immunity deal for Trump and his family. The director of National Intelligence nominee, Jake Clayton, the U.S. Attorney for the
Southern District of New York, faced a tense round of questions from Democrats who questioned his stance on the 2020 election, which President Trump continues to falsely claim was rigged. But Clayton refused to answer Georgia Senator John Ossoff. Who won the 2020 election? I'm not going to do this with you.
This is a job interview.
“We have established that you have an obligation to be honest and forthright with the committee.”
Yes, you do have an obligation to be honest and forthright with the committee. Yes, who won the 2020 election? Like I said, I'm not going to get into that with you. Republicans and some Democrats are eager to get a permanent head confirmed. Trump's interim DNI, Bill Holti, has no intelligence experience.
More than 830 wildfires are burning in Canada, along with more than a dozen in northern Minnesota, that's forcing mandatory evacuations and spreading unhealthy smoke across the upper Midwest through the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic. Some of the large wildfires are burning in West Central Ontario. In remote northern Minnesota ranges are working to evacuate thousands of campers from the
boundary waters canoe area wilderness, officials warn the fire could burn for months. Holti will inflation fell from May to June and plunging energy prices, but intensifying
“hostilities with Iran, are clotting the outlook.”
The Labor Department says it's produced surprise index, which captures inflation before it reaches consumers to have three tens of a percent in May. You're listening to NPR news. More health workers in Congo are striking over unpaid wages as Ebola cases surpassed 2,000, including 754 deaths.
Many health professionals say they're working under difficult conditions without adequate compensation, the outbreak continues to spread faster than officials can track, and efforts are challenged by the lack of approved vaccines or treatments for this Ebola virus strain. Hong Kong National Security Police have rated two bookstores and arrested five people in the latest crackdown against independent bookstores.
Danny Vincent has more. Video and photos captured by local media showed police officers removing boxes from independent bookstores. The police said that five people were arrested, suspected of displaying and selling seditious materials. Officials said it suspected the publications were sent to Hong Kong from overseas.
The raids were carried out on the first day of Hong Kong's annual book fair,
one of the largest publishing events in Asia, known for attracting hundreds of exhibitors. The operation is the third round of national security arrests, targeting independent booksellers in recent months. Critics say it's the latest example of a crackdown on descent. For MPR News, I'm Danny Vincent in Hong Kong. Amazon says it will launch its new satellite internet service in South Africa next year.
Apparently putting Jeff Bezos' company ahead of Elon Musk's rival Starlink, to claim business in Africa's largest economy. South Africa is also Musk's homeland. I'm Janine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington. The last time Antonio May's senior heard from his son, it was in a note, the 16-year-old left in the family's garage. He told me he was going to make me cry.
Antonio Jr. left home to join a protest in Seattle. A week later, he was shot and killed there. I need some arithmetic, just as for my son.
