Dramatic rescue of U.S. airman in Iran as Trump proposes expanded war budget

After a dramatic rescue of a U.S. airman in Iran, President Trump posted a profanity-laden threat to Iran that if it didn’t open the Strait of Hormuz it would be “living in Hell.” Representative Madeline Dean, Democrat from Pennsylvania told NPR that Trump’s handling of the war in Iran – and the recent budget he proposed to fund it – are troubling and un-American.

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It was edited by Tinbete Ermyas and Sarah Robbins. 

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Reporting on China’s move to provide global aid as U.S. pulls out

As the U.S. pulls out of providing billions of dollars of aid for programs globally, NPR’s reporters find out what that looks like on the ground – and how China is moving in to take America’s place.

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This episode was produced by Linah Mohammad.  It was edited by Adam Raney and Gisele Grayson. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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How Trump’s war rhetoric differs from past presidents’

Some of the most memorable speeches in American history have been delivered in wartime, with presidents seeking to unify the country, explain their strategy and, often, make a moral case for war. But President Trump has always spoken differently than his predecessors, so what does that mean when there’s a war on?

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan. 

It was edited by Mallory Yu. 

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Iran War: Threats to attack civilian targets are raising concerns with legal experts

Attacking civilian infrastructure is a war crime under international law. So when President Trump threatened to attack power plants and potentially all desalination plants in Iran earlier this week, it raised concerns among some legal experts. Kuwaiti officials also accused Iran of destroying one of its desalination plants earlier this week.  

If a war crime were to be committed during the conflict with Iran, what would accountability look like? Would there be any at all? 

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This episode was produced by Henry Larson and Jeffrey Pierre, with audio engineering by Peter Ellena.

It was edited by John Ketchum.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Meet the NASA astronauts headed to the moon

The quest to reach  the Moon has always been a key part of the American myth.

So has the country’s embrace of immigrants, and its vision of itself as a defender of democracy around the world. On a day all three are in play, we’ll meet the crew headed out toward the moon.

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NPR’s Scott Neuman contributed to this episode.

This episode was produced by Michael Levitt, Marc Rivers and Connor Donevan.  It was edited by Ashley Brown and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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American farmers were already struggling, then came the Iran war

A series of Trump administration policy decisions – deportations, tariffs, and the Iran war – are ratcheting up the pressure on American farmers. 

It’s a group that tends to support the president, but persistent challenges may test their patience. 

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This episode was produced by Christine Arrasmith, Alejandra Marquez Janse and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.

It was edited by Rebekah Metzler and William Troop.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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What’s Israel doing in southern Lebanon?

Israel’s invasion in Lebanon is rapidly widening and could outlast the war in Iran.

People in southern Lebanon are living through a war within a war.

The war is of course the U-S Israeli campaign against Iran.

The war within Lebanon started with a series of strikes from the militant group Hezbollah.

They launched rockets and drones from Lebanon into Israel.

Israel responded with strikes in Lebanon.

And with that, a conflict that has flared on and off for decades reignited.

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Alejandra Marquez Janse. It was edited by Gerry Holmes, James Hider and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Why some Iranian Americans back the war on their country of origin

At the heart of the war against Iran is a question about the fate of the Iranian government. Adrian Ma speaks with Ramtin Arablouei, host of the NPR podcast Throughline, about what Iranians in the United States want from regime change in Iran – and the history of why.

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This episode was produced by Henry Larson and Michael Levitt. It was edited by Tinbete Ermyas and Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Who decides when you’re too old to drive?

Americans are keeping their driver’s licenses longer than
ever and driving well into their old age. But how long is too long? And who
decides when to take away the keys?

NPR’s transportation correspondent, Joel Rose, has been
looking into those questions and found that there is no single national standard
when it comes to older adults and driving. And the laws vary greatly from state
to state.  

Often, the decision on whether it is time to take away the
keys is left to family members. And that can be difficult when the driver
resists.

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan, with audio
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Gluvna. It was edited by William Troop and Russell Lewis. Our executive
producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Oil Prices Are Up and American Workers Are Feeling the Pinch

Anytime tensions are high in the Middle East, oil prices can
be expected to spike.  So a war in the region is pretty much guaranteed to
mean higher prices at the pump. And that is particularly painful for anyone
whose living depends on what it costs to fill up.

Host Scott Detrow speaks with NPR’s economics correspondent
Scott Horsley about how the U.S. economy is faring, almost a month since the U.S. and Israel launched the first strikes against Iran.

Plus, we hear from American business owners whose companies
are already being impacted by higher fuel prices – a long-haul trucker based in
Ohio, and a pair of brothers who run a lobster distribution operation from Long
Island, New York.

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This episode was produced by Mia Venkat, with audio
engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by William Troop, Rafael Nam, and
Maureen Pao. NPR correspondent Bill Chappell contributed to the reporting in
this episode. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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