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Chapter 1: What is the current state of military actions in Iran and Israel?
Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theschmidt.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. The U.S. and Israeli militaries are continuing to attack sites in Iran.
Israel is pushing deeper into Lebanon, and it's now striking the suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Iran is attacking Israel, but NPR's Ea Batraoui reports Iran is also firing on several other countries in the Persian Gulf region.
We're seeing these attacks on these countries because they host US troops and because they host US forces that are actively now at war with Iran and have made very clear from the assassination of Khamenei that this is about regime change. This is not about diplomacy or trying to bring Iran back to the negotiating table when you take out its supreme leader.
This is about regime change and fomenting the kind of chaos that's that really is going to ricochet across the region, as we're seeing. NPR's Aya Batraoui reporting. Shipping traffic remains stalled in the Strait of Hormuz. That's the narrow waterway controlled by Iran. And 20 percent of the world's crude oil goes through there, as well as critical amounts of natural gas.
Countries such as Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates could be forced to reduce or even stop their oil output. Qatar has already halted all its shipments of natural gas. Asian and European nations badly need these energy supplies. President Trump has promised the U.S. will escort ships in the region, but that hasn't yet happened.
The House has blocked a measure to limit President Trump's war powers in Iran. It comes after the Senate rejected a similar resolution on Wednesday. NPR's Claudia Grisales reports. House Speaker Mike Johnson said blocking further operations in Iran now would have been a, quote, dangerous gambit. It would have been a very serious misstep by Congress, and I'm grateful that that resolution failed.
Both GOP-led chambers blocked the bill largely along party lines. In the House, Kentucky Republican Thomas Massey and California Democrat Ro Khanna teamed up again to force the vote. Only one other Republican, Ohio Congressman Warren Davidson, joined Massey to advance the resolution. Democrats saw four defections, including Maine's Jared Golden and Henry Cuellar of Texas, who sided with the GOP.
Claudia DeSales, NPR News, the Capitol. President Trump says he will name Oklahoma Senator Mark Wayne Mullen to run the Department of Homeland Security. Trump fired DHS leader Kristi Noem yesterday. Minnesota Public Radio's Chandra Colvin reports on reaction from officials in that state.
Terry Noem has been under criticism from state leaders over some of the tactics used during the federal surge in Minnesota, and especially after the killing of two Minneapolis protesters, Renee Macklin-Good and Alex Preddy. Governor Tim Walz posted to social media, stating that it's, quote, good she's gone.
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Chapter 2: How are U.S. military operations impacting the Persian Gulf region?
For NPR News, I'm Chandra Colvin in St. Paul. It's NPR. A federal panel has delayed a vote on President Trump's new ballroom at the White House until April. The president tore down the East Wing for this, but there have been about 35,000 public comments submitted about the construction, and they're almost all negative.
One comment said, quote, the size and design of the proposed White House ballroom are hideous. The panel heard testimony from 31 people yesterday about the proposed ballroom, and all but one opposed it. The State Department says it is reestablishing diplomatic relations with Venezuela's interim authorities. The embassy was closed seven years ago. NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports.
After the Trump administration ousted Nicolas Maduro in a military operation earlier this year, the State Department has been working to re-establish a diplomatic presence there. Now, it said it's agreed with Venezuela's interim authorities to re-establish diplomatic and consular relations. The State Department calls this a step to promote stability and support economic recovery in Venezuela.
At the White House, President Trump said the interim leader, Delce Rodriguez, has been doing a, quote, fantastic job working with his administration. He also praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio and said his next job will be Cuba. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.
Officials in Cuba say power is slowly returning to western parts of the island that were knocked offline this week. Cuba's power grid is fragile, and now the Trump administration is blocking fuel shipments to that country. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News in Washington. This message comes from Subaru.
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