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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton.
Chapter 2: What recent allegations led to Congressman Eric Swalwell's resignation?
California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell says he will resign from Congress following multiple sexual assault allegations made against him. He had been seen as a frontrunner in California's gubernatorial race before dropping out yesterday after the accusation surfaced.
In a statement, he says he will fight what he called a false allegation against him, but added, quote, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make. Swalwell was one of four House members, two Democrats and two Republicans facing possible expulsion over alleged misconduct. The temporary ceasefire between the U.S.
Chapter 3: How is the U.S. handling the ongoing conflict with Iran?
and Iran appears to be holding, though talks over the weekend produced no deal to end the conflict. President Trump announced a blockade of Iranian ports today in an attempt to force it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Ambassador Wendy Sherman, the lead negotiator of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal under former President Obama, said it was unrealistic for the Trump administration to expect to strike a deal in one day.
You have to understand the culture.
Chapter 4: What impact is the blockade on Iranian ports having on global oil prices?
This is a culture of resistance. They don't give in easily. You have to be pretty tough to make progress. So I think now they feel like it's a setup.
Chapter 5: What controversies are surrounding President Trump's recent social media posts?
The Trump administration just wants full capitulation. And that's not likely to happen.
Meanwhile, Israel is continuing its war against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Lebanon's health ministry says Israeli airstrikes have killed 2,089 people. Crude oil prices are hovering around $100 as markets continue to watch what's happening in the Strait of Hormuz.
Chapter 6: What is the significance of the pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument?
As NPR's Camilla Dominovsky reports, the last week's ceasefire deal brought prices down, but President Trump's blockade sent them back up today.
This past weekend, 14 vessels per day passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the trade data platform Kepler. That's down sharply from the pre-war average of 100 a day, and that's before any U.S. blockade was imposed. Because ships take a long time to travel by sea, the world had a bit of a buffer, insulating importers from shortages, but that's gone now.
The last ship carrying jet fuel from the Persian Gulf to Europe arrived last week, reports the commodity intelligence group Argus. There are no more on the way right now. The oil cartel OPEC remains optimistic that the supply crisis won't tank the global economy, holding forecasts for economic growth and global oil demand unchanged. Camilla Dominovsky, NPR News.
President Trump is trying to explain away a now-deleted social media post depicting himself as Jesus by saying he thought it showed him as a doctor.
Chapter 7: How effective is red light therapy according to recent studies?
He's also refusing to apologize to Pope Leo XIV after criticizing the pontiff's opposition to the war in Iran. Trump lashed out at the pope yesterday, calling him weak on crime and foreign policy. Leo responded by saying that the Vatican's Appeals for Peace and Reconciliation are are rooted in the gospel and that he doesn't fear the Trump administration. U.S. stocks climbed today.
You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The Trump administration has agreed to resume flying a rainbow pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument, reversing course after removing the banner in February. The government is trying to settle a lawsuit filed by LGBTQ plus and historic preservation groups who sought to block the removal. A judge must still approve the agreement.
Red light therapy is a hot wellness trend on social media. It's sold in panels, face masks, hair caps, and wands. As NPR's Maria Godoy reports, there is science to back the hype.
Dr. Zakia Rahman at Stanford says it can be challenging to distinguish science from hype when it comes to red light therapy devices aimed at consumers. As for the therapy itself, there is actual real science. It's not science fiction.
That science is based on how red light, which occupies the longer wavelengths on the visible light spectrum, stimulates energy production inside mitochondria so that cells work better. Ramon says there's solid research to show after months of regular use, red light therapy can improve fine lines and wrinkles and promote hair growth in people with pattern hair loss.
But the results won't be dramatic. Maria Godoy, NPR News.
Colombian officials have authorized a controversial plan to cull dozens of wild hippos. that are descendants of animals brought to the country in the 1980s by notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar. They have been roaming freely around one of Colombia's most fertile areas, threatening villagers and displacing local species. The hippos are not native to South America.
Escobar brought them in for his gigantic ranch. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.
On Consider This, NPR's afternoon news podcast, we cover everything from politics to the economy to the world. But every story starts with a question. At NPR, we stand for your right to be curious, to make sense of the biggest story of the day and what it means for you. Follow Consider This wherever you get your podcasts.
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