NPR News: 04-08-2026 3PM EDT
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. There are reports Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz again because Israel continues to attack Lebanon. But Israel says Lebanon was never part of the two-week ceasefire that's underway. The White House says reports of the Strait's closure aren't true.
What recent events have occurred in the Strait of Hormuz?
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Ruda is meeting this hour with President Trump at the White House amid Trump's repeated threats to withdraw from NATO. Terry Schultz has more.
Mark Rutte is one of few European leaders who've spoken out in favor of the U.S.-Israeli-led war on Iran, part of the NATO chief's ongoing efforts to flatter Trump enough that he doesn't withdraw U.S. support for the military alliance. Linus Kojala is the director of the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center in Vilnius, Lithuania. He says while some NATO countries are now mostly allowing the use of their military bases and airspace, damage has been done.
The emotional atmosphere is extremely tense, and unfortunately the political emotions matter more sometimes than the operational reality.
Now Rutte, whom Trump calls a great person, must use his personal relationship to try to keep Trump from walking away. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels.
The ceasefire has crude oil prices trading lower, but as NPR's Scott Horsley reports, it'll take a while for drivers to see any savings.
Crude oil prices dropped sharply on hopes the wartime bottleneck and the Strait of Hormuz might begin to unwind. There was no immediate relief at the gas pump, though. AAA says the average price of gasoline continued to climb overnight to $4.16 a gallon. The Energy Department warns restoring normal flows of oil will take months, even after the strait reopens. Airlines are having to pay more for jet fuel, and some are responding with higher prices for checked bags.
How is NATO responding to tensions with Iran?
Delta is raising its fees by $10 to $50 per bag. United and JetBlue announced their own fee hikes last week. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
The four astronauts on board Artemis II are on their way home after looping around the moon, and they're scheduled to splash down to Earth on Friday. And Piers Cadia-Riddle reports, among other things they're doing in space, exercise.
Exercise is essential in space. That's because without the usual gravity from Earth, the human body can quickly atrophy. That's why engineers designed the flywheel. It's a small piece of equipment that astronauts can strap their feet into and then use much like a rowing machine. Astronaut Reid Weissman had this recent report from space after using the flywheel.
It is a really good piece of gear, and we can actually get a nice workout. I look forward to the next time I get to try a resistance workout.
The flywheel allows for both cardio and resistance workouts. Some of the scientists who designed it say it could set a precedent for exercise equipment even back on Earth. Katie Riddle, NPR News.
Wall Street's trading higher this hour. The Dow is up 1,128 points. The Nasdaq up 534. For both of them, it's up 2.4 percent. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. In Georgia, Republican Clay Fuller, who was backed by President Trump, won Marjorie Taylor Greene's former U.S. House seat. Fuller, who vows to be a, quote, warrior for Trump, beat Democrat Sean Harris, who put on a strong showing in the heavily Republican district. Greene quit in January after breaking with Trump over Jeffrey Epstein and other issues. And in Wisconsin, Liberal Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor won a seat on the state Supreme Court. It's the fourth victory for Liberal Court candidates since 2020. The justices served 10-year terms on that nonpartisan court.
The Trump administration is acknowledging ICE used spyware to intercept encrypted messages as part of its efforts to disrupt trafficking of fentanyl. And here's Jude Joffe Block has more.
ICE's acting director, Todd Lyons, described for the first time his agency's use of spyware in a letter last week to Democratic House members. It was a response to questions the lawmakers had sent six months ago.
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