Live from NPR news in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton.
done to ships in the Iran war will be paid for with Iranian assets that the U.S. has
frozen in a post online Trump said, quote, "This is the fair and equitable thing to do." Meanwhile, Yemen's Iran backed Houthi rebels say they have attacked two Saudi oil tankers
“in the Red Sea. That comes as the Houthis have threatened to shut down another key trade”
route after Iran's closure of the state of Hormuz, and Piers Alina Salyuk has more in the ripple effects of surging oil prices. Today, we saw airline stocks really have a rough trading day because the surge in oil prices does suggest the surge in jet fuel. Another piece of news today came from the mortgage market, which is also interestingly connected to all this. It's kind of a reflection of
how the price of oil goes into the cost of shipping all kinds of things. And so there's a concern about inflation, how the government would respond with interest rates already fuel prices are driving up the yield on the 10-year treasury bond. And this is the part that matters. That has been boosting mortgage rates. The average rate for a 30-year mortgage hit 6.58% this week, the highest in nearly a year.
And Piers Alina Salyuk reporting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio helped direct talks with
“his Russian counterpart today on the sidelines of a summit in the Philippines. And Piers”
Charles Mayns reports their conversation focused heavily on Russia's war in Ukraine. The meeting between Rubio and Russian Foreign Ministers Sergei Lavrov lasted just over half an hour. Head of it, Rubio said the U.S. remained open to plain a role in ending the conflict between Russian Ukraine if Rubio added, "The opportunity presented itself. A Russian Foreign Ministry
read-outs said Lavrov had informed Rubio of the real situation on the battlefield. Russian cysts, its forces, are steadily advancing that despite Western intelligence that shows minimal Russian gains, coming with heavy losses. Charles Mayns impere news. Moscow. The U.S. Department of Education announced a big move today reversing in Obama and Biden era civil rights policy. And Piers Corey Turner has more.
The policy called disparate impact was previously used to tell the nation schools that
“an action may be considered discriminatory, even if there's no intent to discriminate.”
For example, classroom discipline. Schools were warned that if your data shows students of color were being suspended or expelled at unusually high rates, whether it's intentional or not, you could be investigated. Today, the Trump administration announced its dropping disparate impact, assistant secretary for civil rights Kimberly Richie said, "Schools will be empowered to address classroom
issues without fearing the federal government will weaponize anti-discrimination laws. Meanwhile, 60 civil rights and educational organizations jointly condemned the move." The returner NPR News. A new report from the Council on Criminal Justice shows an 18% decrease in the homicide rate across 30 American cities in 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. It's trend could lead to the lowest annual homicide rate in over a century. This is NPR News.
Federal health advisors are meeting to review a group of controversial chemicals called peptides. The unapproved injections have become a popular wellness trend promoted by influencers and celebrities like Joe Rogan for building muscle, healing injuries, and other uses. The two-day meeting comes at the direction of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who has described himself as a big fan of peptides.
President Trump welcomed the Los Angeles Dodgers today to the White House to celebrate last year's World Series Championship and Piers Franco or Donas reports it's the team's
second consecutive visit. President Trump noted this ceremony was one of the first
to take place on the newly renovated Rose Garden with paving stones replacing the grass. "We're delighted to host the 2025 World Series Championship, Los Angeles Dodgers." "Basin." Trump called out players and recounted some of the biggest moments of the games as attendees wearing their blue Dodgers caps, cheered, and applauded. But the visit was not without controversy. Some fans opposed the players attending because of the
Trump administration's aggressive immigration tactics that have disrupted immigrant communities in Los Angeles. Franco or Donas and Piers News, the White House. "Hawaii lawmakers have raised the minimum legal age for writing in a truck bed from 12 to 16 years old, many see it as a part of island culture, especially in rural areas, but safety concerns have grown as roads become busier. I'm Ryland Barton and you're listening
to NPR News from Washington."
This message comes from the NPR Wine Club, which is generated over $1.75 million to support NPR.
With their buying a few bottles or joining the club, learn more at NPR Wine Club.org/podcast. Must be 21 or older to purchase.
