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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Democrats are eyeing a U.S. Senate seat opening in Iowa after Republican incumbent Joni Ernst decided not to seek re-election. Voters have chosen Democratic State Representative Josh Turek to face Republican U.S. House Representative Ashley Hinson in November.
Chapter 2: What recent political developments are happening in Iowa?
Iowa has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 2008. NPR's Sage Miller is also taking notice of the governor's race in Iowa, where Republican Zach Lane beat President Trump's choice in the Republican primary.
I think this outcome was surprising to some, but Trump's approval rating in Iowa has been slipping. The cost of living, mixed with tariffs in a huge agricultural state, plus the war in Iran, the endorsement just didn't go as far as it has in other states.
NPR's Sage Miller on NPR's Here and Now. Kuwait temporarily closed its main airport after a passenger terminal was hit by Iranian drones. An Indian citizen was killed. Dozens more people were injured. In protest, Kuwait expelled two Iranian diplomats. From Dubai, NPR's Aya Batraoui is covering one of the latest developments in the months-long U.S.-Israel war with Iran.
Kuwait's armed forces say they dealt with 13 ballistic missiles and 17 drones fired at the country Wednesday. Videos online show Kuwait's sky overnight lit up with interceptions and fiery debris crashing on a street as sirens ring out. Iran says its attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain were aimed at U.S. bases after the U.S. struck one of Iran's islands near the Strait of Hormuz.
Kuwait, though, says its airport was also struck, killing an Indian worker. Its health ministry says more than 60 people were also wounded. Kuwait has borne the brunt of Iran's counterattacks since a ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran in April. Both accused the other of violating that agreement. Aya Batrawi, NPR News, Dubai.
Ukrainian long-range drones struck oil storage facilities in Russia, sending smoke billowing above St. Petersburg. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media today it all happened while the city was hosting an economic forum. The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for Alabama to use a congressional district map favored by Republicans. Here's NPR's Nina Totenberg.
The ruling means that Alabama's 2026 midterm elections will feature six Republican-leaning districts and one Democratic-leaning seat. In April, the Supreme Court's conservative supermajority sent the Alabama case back to the lower court to evaluate in light of the most recent decision.
The three-judge panel that reviewed the case all agreed that the state legislature's redistricting plan was based on intentional race-based discrimination.
That's NPR's Nina Totenberg reporting. At last check on Wall Street, the Dow is down more than 400 points. It's NPR News. Authorities say a hostage crisis in downtown Bakersfield, California, is over.
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Chapter 3: How has the conflict in Kuwait escalated recently?
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