Lakshmi Singh

Major market indices are down roughly 1% this hour, with the Dow down 500 points.

It's NPR News.

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mustafa Khamenei, is making his first public statement since his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on the first day of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.

The younger Khamenei vows to avenge, quote, martyrs, to continue attacks on U.S.

bases in the region, and to keep its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global route for oil shipments.

NPR's Greg Myrie says Iranian state media ran Khamenei's statement.

NPR's Greg Myhre reporting.

Oil prices spiked overnight as gas prices in the U.S.

become a political headache for President Trump.

NPR's Tamara Keith reports it's an economic indicator people track closely.

An internal government watchdog and members of Congress are separately investigating new allegations Department of Government Efficiency staffers potentially misuse sensitive Social Security data.

Here's NPR's Stephen Fowler.

U.S.

stocks are trading lower this hour.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average down 526 points or more than 1% at 46,890.

From Washington, this is NPR News.

Veteran Congressman Jim Clyburn, one of the top-ranking Democrats in the U.S.

House, is seeking an 18th term.

He ended speculation today in announcing plans to run for reelection in South Carolina's 6th District.