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Ryland Barton (0:15)
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. Thousands of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division are expected to deploy in the coming days to the Middle East. There's no detail on what their role will be in the Iran war, but as NPR's Tom Bowman explains, there's speculation that they could be to seize a key island or take Iranian territory on the mainland.
Tom Bowman (0:35)
The idea seems to be if you take, let's say, Kharg island, it would shut off the Iranian oil, further cripple its economy and put more pressure on the regime to negotiate. You could also take even more territory from Iran on the mainland, setting up the option of providing naval escorts for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Of course, now the Iranians have closed the strait to almost all shipping. That effort for the US to take control of the strait would require a mass, massive effort of aircraft, minesweepers and also destroyers to do that job.
Ryland Barton (1:08)
NPR's Tom Bowman reporting. The Justice Department is settling lawsuits that allege the Biden administration pressured social media companies to suppress speech. NPR's Kerry Johnson reports. The cases had once reached the U.S. supreme Court.
Kerry Johnson (1:23)
The settlement would resolve allegations by Missouri and Louisiana that Biden led agencies tried to shut down speech about the pandemic in the 2020 election. Conservatives argued they'd been deplatformed by major social media sites for taking unpopular views. The cases hinged on bitter divides over misinformation, disinformation and censorship. The new agreement would bar the surgeon general, the CDC and the cybersecurity agency from threatening social media companies to take down posts or face punishment. Attorney General Pam Bondi says the deals are key steps in undoing abuses of the First Amendment, especially against conservative media. The settlements still require judicial approval. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.
Ryland Barton (2:06)
The White House is poised to miss a deadline for naming a new leader at the nation's top public health agency. NPR's Ping Huang reports. That leaves the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in an unusual position.
Ping Huang (2:19)
Wednesday marks 210 days since the last CDC director was fired, according to the federal Vacancies Act. That's the limit for how long the role can be filled in an acting capacity by temps. The Vacancies act is intended to prevent a president from circumventing the Senate confirmation process. Starting Thursday, the CDC's interim leader, Dr. J. Bhattacharya, will no longer be the official acting director. But at a CDC all staff meeting, he said he would continue acting in the capacity as director. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services says Bhattacharya will continue to perform the delegable duties of the CDC director while the health secretary evaluates candidates for the permanent CDC role. Ping Huang, NPR News.