Bloomberg News Now
US-Iran Talks Stall Before They Begin, Iran Floats Insurance Fees, More
20 Jun 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Listen to Bloomberg Tech on your commute home and stay ahead of the news cycle. Subscribe today on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen.
News when you want it, with Bloomberg News Now, I'm Ed Kalecki.
Chapter 2: Why did US-Iran negotiations stall before they began?
Iran delayed the start of negotiations over a permanent peace deal with the U.S. after fighting intensified in southern Lebanon, a potential setback to President Trump's efforts to end the war and curb Tehran's nuclear program. The talks, which were meant to take place in Switzerland on Friday, were pushed off because of those clashes between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire later Friday.
Chapter 3: What are the implications of Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz?
Both sides said they would commit to a truce if the other side did the same, but would respond otherwise. Iran has asserted control of the Strait of Hormuz and floating insurance fees as further peace talks stall with the U.S. Bloomberg's Monica Ricks reports.
Iran says ships that cross the Strait of Hormuz need its permission to pass the vital waterway.
Chapter 4: How are insurance fees affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz?
That's according to the country's Persian Gulf Strait Authority, which posted a document on its website setting the stage for future tolling arrangements by requiring ships to buy insurance from Tehran. Right now, crossing is free under an interim peace plan between the U.S. and Iran, but supertankers are still stalled in the Persian Gulf with about 80 million barrels of oil ready to go.
Maritime officials warn despite this ceasefire, ships still face significant safety and security risks.
Chapter 5: What challenges is UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer facing?
Monica Ricks, Bloomberg Radio.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he's not resigning and plans to run against rival Andy Burnham for his job. After Burnham's decisive victory for the Labour Party overnight, Bloomberg's James Woolcock weighs in on Starmer's potential ouster.
The economics have been very difficult. The UK's growth is flatlining.
Chapter 6: What recent legal developments involve former President Joe Biden?
You could say that you might be personally on a fan of Starmer.
Chapter 7: How is UnitedHealth Group utilizing AI in healthcare?
He's very, very unpopular. It's been the fastest slide in the polls of any prime minister in modern UK history. Or you could say that his policies aren't right. Now, the thing about this is, is that Andy Burnham has an answer to all of those. He says that he would make things run like Manchester, where he comes from, which he says is the fastest growth in the UK.
He's far more personally liked than Starmer. And also he's seen as bringing in this kind of new wave of left wing Labour voices.
Bloomberg's James Wolcock on Bloomberg surveillance. Burnham is seen as a potential savior for labor, with surveys suggesting he would shrink or even reverse labor's deficit to reform UK if he became leader.
A federal judge in Washington denied former President Joe Biden's request to block the Justice Department from turning over tapes and transcripts of interviews he privately recorded almost a decade ago to a conservative advocacy group. The Justice Department is poised to produce the materials to the Heritage Foundation and U.S.
District Judge Dabney Friedrich on Friday rejected Biden's request for an immediate order halting the disclosure while he presses his claims to keep the materials out of the public eye. Biden's lawyers immediately alerted the judge that they intend to challenge her decision before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and asked Friedrich to temporarily stop the disclosure in the meantime.
UnitedHealth Group is planning to invest $3 billion in AI over 2026 and 2027. More on this from Bloomberg's Erica Herskowitz.
Executives say they're seeing a return as AI automates manual processes and makes workers more efficient. UnitedHealth Group uses AI to read aloud summaries of medical charts, listen to customer calls, and schedule appointments with many healthcare transactions still involving phone calls, faxes, and paper.
The company is facing a challenge, though, to persuade a skeptical public, with a Gallup survey finding 69% of respondents had little or no trust in businesses to use AI responsibly. Erica Herskowitz, Bloomberg Radio.
Sources tell Bloomberg bankers for Elon Musk's SpaceX are getting ready for a bond sale of at least $20 billion. More from Bloomberg's Charlie Pellett.
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