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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. British authorities have arrested former Prince Andrew, one of the most prominent known associates of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He's accused of misconduct in public office. His brother, King Charles III, says he supports a full, fair and proper investigation.
Chapter 2: What recent developments involve former Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein?
The U.S. military looks to be sending even more ships and top-of-the-line warplanes to the Middle East. This coming as the U.S. and Iran are still discussing a possible nuclear deal. Here's NPR's Greg Myhre.
The Pentagon isn't talking about the U.S. military buildup. But flight tracking groups on social media say the U.S. is moving around 50 more fighter jets to countries near Iran. And President Trump has confirmed a second aircraft carrier is on the way. He says he favors a nuclear deal with Iran, which would necessitate more negotiations.
Yet he's also voiced support for regime change in that country, which would likely require a major U.S. military operation. Iran says it's prepared to retaliate if attacked by the U.S. or Israel. Greg Myhre, NPR News, Washington.
President Trump raised concerns about Iran's nuclear program today.
Chapter 3: How is the U.S. military responding to tensions with Iran?
We do have some work to do with Iran. They can't have a nuclear weapon. It's very simple. They can't have ā you can't have peace in the Middle East if they have a nuclear weapon. And they can't have a nuclear weapon. And they've been told that very strongly.
Trump speaking at the first meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington, D.C. Some U.S. allies expressed concern that Trump's Board of Peace would rival the United Nations. Fire crews in Oklahoma are facing down multiple wildfires. Governor Kevin Stitt tells NPR he declared emergencies in three counties.
He had to evacuate the town of Tyrone. Woodward, they're about 15% to 20% contained, but we have about, I don't know, 150,000 acres so far that's burned, reports of livestock that were damaged.
He says firefighters are dealing with powerful wind gusts and low humidity, further complicating containment efforts. The U.S. trade deficit jumped more than expected in December. NPR's Scott Horsley reports for all of last year, the trade gap barely budged despite President Trump's much higher tariffs.
The U.S. trade gap widened sharply in December, topping $70 billion. Exports were down during the month while imports were up. For all of 2025, the trade deficit was just over $900 billion. That's down from the previous year, but only by about two-tenths of one percent. New applications for unemployment benefits dipped last week, as 206,000 people applied for aid.
The modest numbers suggest that while U.S. employers are not adding a lot of jobs, they're not laying a lot of people off either. Walmart reported another strong quarter of sales and profits as even upscale shoppers go looking for discounts. The retail giant issued a cautious forecast, though, about what's ahead. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
From Washington, this is NPR News. All but one of the Trump-appointed members of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts are signing off on construction of the White House ballroom despite heavy public opposition. A commission staff member says 99 percent of the roughly 2,000 written comments sent in were negative.
A new study shows the expanded federal care subsidies that expired at the end of last year led more people in the U.S. to sign up for health insurance. Scott Massioni with member station WYPR says that is according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University.
Subsidies enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic led to significant enrollment gains among children, Black and Hispanic people, and those who live in rural areas, according to the data analysis. In total, researchers found the number of people enrolled in health insurance increased about 7 percent after the subsidies were implemented in 2021. Paul Jacobs is a health policy scientist at JHU.
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Chapter 4: What are President Trump's views on Iran's nuclear program?
The Nasdaq is down 150 points. S&P is off 42 points. It's NPR.