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Chapter 1: What recent events have occurred in Iran and Israel?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. Israel says another high-ranking Iranian leader has been killed in the latest airstrikes targeting the country's top officials. This comes as thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran for a mass funeral of the heads of Iran's National Security Council and others. NPR's Carrie Khan reports.
Defense Minister Israel Katz says Iran's intelligence minister, Ismail Khatib, was responsible for, quote, the regime's apparatus of repression and assassination and instrumental in the deadly crackdown on Iranian demonstrators earlier this year. Katz says the war is in a decisive phase and that, quote, no one in Iran has immunity. Everyone is a target.
Meanwhile, mourners packed a huge Tehran square for the funerals of two leaders also killed by Israel. Live stream of the massive crowd carrying multiple coffins was broadcast on Iranian TV, Kerry Khan, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Oil prices are climbing towards $110 a barrel.
Chapter 2: How are rising oil prices affecting global markets?
This comes after reported Israeli strikes on a major natural gas field in Iran. NPR's Julia Simon has the latest. South Pars is part of the largest natural gas field in the world, shared by both Iran and Qatar. In a statement on X, Majid al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry, blamed Israel for the strikes. He described it as a, quote,
dangerous and irresponsible step and said, quote, targeting energy infrastructure constitutes a threat to global energy security. When asked by NPR, an Israeli military spokesperson would not confirm the strike. Iran's government-linked news agency issued a warning for residents to stay away from energy assets in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Qatar Energy says its liquefied natural gas facility has already been hit. Julia Simon, NPR News.
Chapter 3: What impact does the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision have on the economy?
Stocks tumbled today as the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the Fed is sticking with its forecast of just one quarter-point rate cut this year. The war with Iran has already triggered a sharp jump in gasoline and diesel prices, but Fed Chairman Jerome Powell says it's too soon to tell how big or lasting that effect might be.
Powell's term as chairman is set to expire in May, but President Trump's picture of place Powell has not been confirmed yet, so he may end up serving longer. If my successor is not confirmed by the end of my term as chair, I would serve as chair pro tem until he is confirmed. That is what the law calls for, and it's what we're going to do in this situation.
A Republican senator is blocking the confirmation of Kevin Warsh's Fed chair until the Justice Department drops its investigation of the Fed. A federal judge ruled that probe is simply a pressure tactic to get the central bank to lower interest rates. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. Wall Street, the Dow fell 768 points today, closing at 46,225.
Chapter 4: How have gasoline prices changed due to the conflict in Iran?
This is NPR News in Washington. The AAA reports the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped to over 384 today, up from 298 before the war in Iran. The last time gas prices were this high was September 2023. Kiki Shepard has died. For years, she co-hosted Showtime at the Apollo, a storied showcase for black entertainers. NPR's Netta Ulaby has more.
It's time for the lovely Miss Kiki Shepard, y'all. Starting in 1987, Kiki Shepard was the impeccable, elegant face of Showtime at the Apollo. She worked alongside prominent MCs like Sinbad and Steve Harvey. The variety show was filmed live at the Historic Theater in Harlem, where Shepard shone a light on newcomers and paid tributes to legends, such as Motown musician Eddie Kendricks.
Chapter 5: What legacy did Kiki Shepard leave behind in the entertainment industry?
His was a clear, crystal, powerful tenor falsetto voice. On top of her work on screen and on stage, Shepard also founded a nonprofit that helped people with sickle cell disease and their families. Netta Ulibi, NPR News. Decades after the death of Mexican-American labor and rights leader Cesar Chavez, several women have told the New York Times.
He was responsible for child sexual abuse, assault, and rape. Among these accusers, one of the most prominent allies of Chavez, Dolores Huerta. In a separate statement, she says Chavez twice forced himself on her and that she became pregnant both times. His accusers say that they stayed quiet for decades, in part to protect the cause that Chavez championed.
The Times interviewed dozens of people, including friends and family of Chavez and former members of the United Farm Workers co-founded by Chavez. I'm Louise Schiavone and PR News.
Chapter 6: What allegations have surfaced against Cesar Chavez decades later?
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