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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. War in the Middle East widened today with waves of attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran, and Iran striking back on targets in the Gulf as far afield as Cyprus. The Lebanese militia Hezbollah has also entered the fight, launching its first attacks on Israel in more than a year.
Chapter 2: What recent developments have occurred in the Middle East conflict?
NPR's Jaina Raf has details from Amman. Well, there are tens of thousands of displaced here. The Lebanese government closed schools, turning them into shelters, with residents evacuating Beirut's southern suburbs as well as south Lebanon.
And Peresh Jawad Rizqallah spoke with one man who said he left before dawn as soon as he heard the Israeli airstrikes hitting Dahia, the Beirut suburb where Hezbollah has a large presence. He said it's the second time he and his family had been displaced. The last time was two years ago, when the shelters were full and they slept in the streets.
NPR's Jane Aroff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is challenging lawmakers who say President Trump's decision to attack Iran was illegal because he did not get approval from Congress. Rubio briefed top lawmakers on Capitol Hill today. NPR's Sam Gringlas has more.
The Secretary of State met with a bipartisan group of more than a dozen congressional leaders, including the so-called Gang of Eight, who Rubio called just before the strikes. We've complied with the law 100%, and we're going to continue to comply with it. But we did notify members of Congress. We just can't notify 535 people. That's not possible.
But most Democrats, like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and a few Republicans, dispute the administration's assertion that an imminent threat justified action without authorization. That briefing raised many more questions than it answered. Lawmakers are set to vote later this week on resolutions to curb continued military action against Iran.
Even if they do pass, they are unlikely to overcome a presidential veto. Sam Greenglass, NPR News, Washington. Global crude oil prices are up about 8 percent. Natural gas prices in Europe have spiked much higher than that. As NPR's Camilla Dominovsky reports, tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has halted due to the risk of attacks.
About a fifth of global oil trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and even more than a fifth of the world's liquefied natural gas, or LNG, used for heating and electricity. Despite threats, Iran has never closed the Strait before. Claudio Gallimberti is with Reistat Energy. We have not seen anything like this in pretty much the history of the Strait of Hormuz.
Higher oil and natural gas prices will drive up costs for gasoline, electricity, and inflation overall. The U.S. is the world's top oil producer and the number one exporter of LNG, so higher prices are a boon to some U.S. companies. Camilla Dominovsky, NPR News. Wall Street, the Dow ended the day off 73, the Nasdaq gained 80, and the S&P 500 basically unchanged. This is NPR.
The family of Baltimore native Henrietta Lacks settled their second lawsuit with a major biotech company. Her cells have been used to develop major medical breakthroughs. We get details from WYPR's Scott Mossione.
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