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Chapter 1: What recent events have escalated tensions in the Middle East?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. Iranian drones struck the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia's capital today. There were no injuries immediately reported. The U.S. State Department told U.S. citizens to leave more than a dozen countries in the Middle East. The drone strikes caused, quote, limited fire and minor damage to the U.S.
embassy in Riyadh, according to the Saudi Defense Ministry. The embassy told citizens to avoid the compound until further notice. This comes after an Iranian attack on the U.S.
Chapter 2: How is the U.S. responding to the drone strikes on its embassy?
embassy in Kuwait on Monday. Iran has been striking Gulf countries like the United Arab Emirates, which are normally considered safe, in retaliation to U.S. attacks which started last Saturday. The death toll from the war continues to rise, with over 500 killed in Iran, according to the Iranian Red Crescent, and 11 in Israel, according to Israeli officials. The U.S. military says six U.S.
service members have been killed since the beginning of the war. Hadil Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Cairo. Meanwhile, Israel is also striking the capitals of Iran and Lebanon. The Israeli military says it's sending its soldiers into southern Lebanon to guard the border. President Trump has said the conflict could last up to four weeks, but he says the U.S. can go far longer than that.
He hasn't said much more about a timeline. And Trump has yet to explain his war rationale to Americans. Members of the Trump administration are set to brief members of the Senate and then the House this afternoon. Yesterday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed top congressional leaders from both parties. Most Republicans say they approve of what Trump is doing.
Most Democrats say they oppose it. NPR's Barbara Sprunt says Congress will soon have a chance to vote again on the president's war powers. This week, the House and Senate are expected to vote on measures to require congressional approval for more military operations in Iran.
And it may feel a little like deja vu because back in January, there was a separate War Powers Resolution to pull back intervention in Venezuela. That failed. The resolution this week faces similar challenges. NPR's Barbara Sprunt reporting. Oil analysts are watching the war's effect on gas prices. The site GasBuddy says these are starting to climb at the pump.
The group says the national average cost for a gallon of gas has now moved above $3. Patrick DeHaan is the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. He says the gas cost will rise more. The national average does continue to tick higher. By the end of the week, it could be another 10 to 15 cents higher than where it stands today.
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Chapter 3: What are the implications of the ongoing conflict for U.S. military personnel?
He also says oil refineries are starting to do annual maintenance in the United States. DeHaan says this means it is possible that by Memorial Day, average gas prices could jump again. He estimates it could be another 25 to 40 cents higher at the pump. You're listening to NPR. It's election day today in a handful of states.
These are the first major primary contests for the 2026 midterms, including in North Carolina and Texas. NPR's Stephen Fowler reports on what's at stake. Texas and North Carolina are large states with diverse populations that will provide an early glimpse of how voters are feeling about the current political landscape.
A handful of incumbent lawmakers, like North Carolina Democratic Representative Valerie Foushee, Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn, and others face serious primary challenges. A number of races could be competitive in the general election and help determine which party controls each chamber of Congress.
Primary results and voter turnout in these states will set the stage for a midterm election where affordability and immigration enforcement are key issues. Stephen Fowler, NPR News, Atlanta. It is also primary election day today in Arkansas. The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a California law involving transgender children.
The law generally blocks California public school teachers from revealing transgender students to their parents. A group of Christian teachers and parents had sued. They said the state of California was helping students gender transition against the will of their parents. There is a total lunar eclipse underway right now, and at this very moment, this is the best time to see it.
Now, if you have clouds outside, you can watch the lunar eclipse at several sites online, and that includes space.com. NASA says the next total lunar eclipse won't happen until New Year's Eve 2028. This is NPR.
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