NPR News: 07-15-2026 3PM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh.
What is breaking news about Iran's threat to block regional oil export routes?
Iran's threatening to block all oil exporting routes in the region in response to the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. State media reported the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned in a statement today that the region's oil and gas exports will either be available to everyone or to no one. Meanwhile, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is denying reports that Israel cultivated him as a possible future leader of Iran. The report was first published in The New York Times. We have more from NPR's Hadil Alshalchi.
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the New York Times report an attempt to, quote, disturb public opinion in Iran. The report claimed that Ahmadinejad and the Mossad head met secretly in 2025 and that the CIA was later informed that it had established contact with him. The report goes on to say that Israel believed that Ahmadinejad's break with the Islamic Republic was genuine and that he could be installed as Iran's new leader. In the statement, the former Iranian president denied that he's under house arrest, contrary to what the report says. The liberal Israeli news outlet Haaretz published its own version of the same report. Hadil Alshalchi, NPR News, Istanbul.
U.S.
What did reports say about Ahmadinejad's alleged contacts with Israel and how did he respond?
senators have been directing tough questions at President Trump's nominee to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And Pierce Ping Wong reports on the confirmation hearing.
Dr. Erica Schwartz is a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service, and Trump's picked to lead the nation's public health agency.
If confirmed, my first priority will be restoring trust in public health institutions through radical transparency and unwavering scientific integrity.
Schwartz previously served as deputy U.S. Surgeon General and as the chief medical officer for the Coast Guard. Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Health Committee praised her qualifications. She also faced tough questions on how she would navigate potential disagreements with her boss, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and how she would stand up for science when faced with challenging political directives. The committee will now decide whether to advance her nomination for a full Senate vote. Ping Huang, NPR News.
A tornado touched down this morning in Texas in the San Antonio area, causing minor damage and startling people on their morning commute. Texas Public Radio's Jerry Clayton with details.
The tornado, captured on videos widely shared on social media, was seen crossing an interstate highway and moving through a large shopping center. Veterinarian Pat Mims was working out of the gym when the storm approached.
You could see out the windows. and we could see, you know, stuff, debris swirling around out there, so we just kind of stayed put.
The tornado is the latest sign of a volatile weather pattern that's brought repeated rounds of severe storms, flash flooding, and heavy rain to Texas this week. I'm Jerry Clayton in San Antonio. It's NPR.
Artificial intelligence has become one of, if not the, fastest-growing costs for U.S. businesses. And to survive, some tech companies are switching from American models to cheaper Chinese AI models. NPR's John Ruich has that story.
Flo Crivello runs a San Francisco-based company called Lindy that creates AI assistance. The company had been using Anthropic's frontier leading-edge AI models to develop its products, but that became his company's number one expense, Crivello says, more even than payroll. So last month, he announced that Lindy had migrated entirely to the Chinese AI deep-seek.
It's really simple. It was just 10x cheaper. Like, actually about 10x cheaper.
Chinese AI models have been growing in popularity, and Crivello says no one beats China when it comes to open-source models, which anyone can download and adapt. And later this week, China hosts the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote address. John Rewich, NPR News.
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