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Chapter 1: What are the latest developments in U.S.-Iran relations?
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The White House is waiting to hear if Iran accepts its conditions for ending the war the U.S. and Israel initiated against Iran more than two months ago. President Trump has demanded that a deal must include Iran's agreement to halt uranium enrichment. He's also demanding Iran fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spent a couple of hours at the Vatican today trying to smooth over tensions between the Trump administration and the first American pope. NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports Iran and Cuba were among the topics discussed.
President Trump has called the pope soft on crime and on Iran, but none of those tensions were on display as Rubio exchanged gifts with the pope. and met with him privately. The State Department says the meeting underscored the strong relationship between the U.S. and the Holy See and said they discussed the situation in the Middle East and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere.
Rubio's State Department has been working with the Catholic Church in Cuba to deliver aid. The Vatican has expressed concerns about a humanitarian crisis there as the U.S. cuts off most fuel shipments. and as Trump talks about a, quote, friendly takeover of the communist island. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.
By the way, tomorrow marks a year since Pope Leo was selected to lead the Roman Catholic Church. Another public survey finds many Americans disapprove of the religious rhetoric used by the Trump administration. NPR's Jason DeRose reports the survey also finds support for Pope Leo, who has pushed back against the war.
The Washington Post-ABC News Ipsos poll found that 87% of U.S. adults view Donald Trump posting a picture of himself as Jesus negatively. Disapproval was even higher among white evangelicals, an important political base for the president.
The poll also found that two-thirds of Americans have a positive reaction to Pope Leo urging people to contact their elected representatives in support of peace.
NPR's Jason DeRose reporting.
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Chapter 2: How is the Trump administration addressing the humanitarian crisis in Cuba?
There are now eight cases of hantavirus linked to a cruise ship off the coast of Africa. NPR's Gabriella Manywell reports five of those have been confirmed and three passengers died.
Public health authorities are tracking down passengers who previously disembarked and then flew to 12 or more countries around the world, from Turkey to Singapore to Denmark and the United States. Usually, hantaviruses transmit through rodent urine, feces, and saliva.
However, this particular strain can transmit person to person, yet it requires very close contact in a household or with a medical professional. Maria Van Kerkhoff is with the World Health Organization.
This is not COVID. This is not influenza. It spreads very, very differently.
She says the risk to the general public is very low. However, there's no vaccine or specific treatment for the virus. Gabriela Emanuel, NPR News.
It's NPR. Recovery is underway across Mississippi, where tornadoes have left a trail of destruction and injured at least 17 people. Local authorities estimate at least three twisters tore through several counties and damaged about 500 homes.
Republican state lawmakers in Tennessee are advancing a redistricting bill to divide a majority black congressional district in line with Trump backed efforts across the South to redraw maps and improve the GOP's chances of picking up more House seats. Today's actions in Tennessee spurred protests outside state House and Senate chambers.
Democratic lawmakers locked arms while protesters yelled no Jim Crow in opposition to mid-decade redistricting. There's new research on cell phone bans in schools and their effectiveness. More than two-thirds of states have implemented some type of restriction. NPR's Sequoia Carrillo has the latest.
This week's study found that states with restrictions saw dramatically reduced cell phone activity in schools. Teachers reported that the number of students using cell phones in class dropped on average from 61 percent to just 13 percent. On the other hand, the research found that the bans had a, quote, close to zero effect on test scores.
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