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Chapter 1: What recent events occurred involving U.S. embassies in the Middle East?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. Drones struck the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia's capital today. The Saudi Foreign Ministry says it was an Iranian attack. There were no injuries immediately reported.
This comes as the death toll from the war continues to rise, with over 700 people killed in Iran, according to the Iranian Red Crescent, and 11 people in Israel, according to Israeli officials. NPR's Hadil El-Shelji reports. 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 U.S.
citizens to avoid the compound until further notice and advised them to shelter in place in three different Saudi cities. This comes after an attack on the U.S. embassy in Kuwait on Monday.
Chapter 2: How has the U.S. government responded to the attacks on embassies?
Iran has been striking Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, which are normally considered safe. in retaliation to U.S. attacks which started last Saturday. President Trump has said that the war may extend for weeks and threatened to increase the intensity if Iran continues to retaliate. Hadil Al-Shalji, NPR News, Cairo.
Meanwhile, the State Department is telling Americans to leave the Middle East region. The agency told Americans in some 14 countries, including Israel and Saudi Arabia, to get out. Trump administration officials are expected to brief rank and file lawmakers in Washington today on the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran.
As NPR's Barbara Sprunt reports, this follows a closed-door briefing yesterday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and top congressional leaders. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters ahead of the briefing that the U.S. knew Israel planned to attack Iran. and that would prompt Iran to attack U.S. forces. He called it an imminent threat.
But Democrats leaving the briefing said the administration hasn't given sufficient justification for the strikes or explained what their plan is going forward in the region. Both the House and Senate are expected to vote this week on measures to curb further action from the president in Iran. A similar effort to pull back intervention in Venezuela failed in January.
Barbara Sprint, NPR News, Washington. The average price of gas has risen above $3 a gallon. That's the first time since early December. Prices were rising gradually for most of February. Now the military actions in Iran are also boosting them. NPR's Camilla Dominovsky has more. Concerns about the risk of a conflict in Iran were part of the reason why gasoline prices inched up last month.
And as world oil markets respond to the actual attacks, rising crude oil prices naturally push gasoline prices up more. But that's not the only factor affecting prices at the pump right now. Spring also sees a lot of refinery maintenance, so less supply. And warmer weather means both more driving and a more expensive summer blend of gasoline.
Cheap gasoline has been an economic bright spot over the last year, while some other consumer costs, including utility bills, have been rising. NPR's Camilla Dominovsky. It's NPR. It's primary election day in three states today, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas. Arkansas' Secretary of State says more voters than ever before have cast early primary ballots.
In North Carolina and Texas, observers are watching closely contested Democratic and Republican primaries for U.S. Senate seats. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will testify before a Senate committee today. It's her first hearing since federal immigration agents shot and killed two Minneapolis protesters in January. This also comes as part of her agency is shut down.
Democrats will not back a funding bill without changes in how immigration agents operate. Nearly a quarter of the U.S. population now has no religious affiliation. That's according to a new Gallup poll. NPR's Jason DeRose has more. Those claiming no religious affiliation now account for 24 percent of U.S. adults, more than doubling in the last two decades.
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