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Chapter 1: What are the latest developments in the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hurst. The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports continues. Thirteen ships so far have turned around at the direction of the U.S. fleet off the Strait of Hormuz. NPR's Quill Lawrence has more.
At a news conference, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Cain, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said since the blockade began on Monday, ships have made what they called the wise choice of turning around when confronted. The U.S. military has been broadcasting this message to any vessel coming from or heading to Iranian ports.
Do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure, transiting to or from an Iranian fort. Turn around and prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force.
Hegseth also criticized the U.S. media for coverage of the war, calling reporters unpatriotic and comparing them to the biblical Pharisees who persecuted Jesus Christ. Quill Lawrence, NPR News.
In his first appearance on Capitol Hill this year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended his record in running the Department of Health and Human Services. In Piers Willstone reports, Kennedy testified in two different House hearings today.
Kennedy listed his agency's accomplishments on issues like drug price negotiations and new dietary guidelines. Meanwhile, Democrats grilled him on the $16 billion in proposed cuts and the agency's efforts to weaken the vaccine schedule. In one exchange, Representative Linda Sanchez asked him about the death of an unvaccinated child in Texas from measles.
Do you agree with the majority of doctors that the measles vaccine could have saved that child's life in Texas? It's possible, certainly. News broke during the hearing when President Trump announced he was naming Dr. Erica Schwartz to head the CDC. Schwartz served as chief medical officer of the U.S. Coast Guard and deputy surgeon general in the first Trump administration. Will Stone, NPR News.
Amid the ongoing dispute between Pope Leo and the Trump administration over actions in Iran, a new poll finds an increasing number of Americans say President Trump isn't especially religious. And here's Jason DeRose has more on the findings from Pew Research.
Seven in ten Americans say President Donald Trump is not too religious or not at all religious. That's up 8% from the last time Pew asked the question in the fall of 2024. Still, white evangelicals continue to say Donald Trump stands up for people with religious beliefs like theirs.
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Chapter 2: How did Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defend his record in the House hearings?
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