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Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. The US Military says it will start enforcing a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz this hour. It's an effort to put additional pressure on Iran. As NPR's Greg Myre reports, President Trump announced the blockade yesterday after US Iran peace talks over the weekend failed to produce a breakthrough.
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The US Navy has a substantial presence in the region, and President Trump says it won't take long for the U.S. to, quote, clean out the strait. Still, the blockade comes with risks. Iran is believed to have placed mines in the waterway. Also, Iran says that if any of its ports are attacked, it will respond by attacking ports belonging to Arab Gulf countries. Iran has effectively closed the waterway for the past several weeks. Aside from a small number of friendly or neutral commercial ships it allows through, it's not clear if any of those ships will attempt to challenge the U.S. blockade. Greg Myrey, NPR News, Washington.
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Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron says France and Britain are organizing a conference to help find ways to restore navigation through the strait. Writing online, Macron says he's calling for a peaceful multinational mission that is not a part of the warring parties. He says it should be set up as soon as circumstances allow. Stocks open mixed this morning as crude oil prices jumped back above $100 a barrel. NPR Scott Horsley reports. The Dow Jones industrial average fell about 230 points in early trading.
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The failure of negotiators to secure the opening of the Strait of Hormuz sent oil prices climbing again. Gasoline prices have shown little movement in recent days. AAA says the average price of gas is now $4.12 a gallon. It was less than $3 a gallon before the US launched its war against Iran. The US housing market remains in a slump. According to the national association of Realtors, sales of existing homes fell. 3. For homes that did sell in March, the average sales price was just under $409,000. Freddie Mac says mortgage rates, which briefly dipped below 6% this spring, are now averaging 6.37%. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
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Some Democrats are urging California Congressman Eric Swalwell to resign his congressional seat. He has already suspended his campaign for California governor. News reports came to light last week alleging that Swalwell engaged in sexual assault and sexual misconduct, misconduct against some women, including former staff members from member station kqed. Guy Marzirati says Swalwell rejected the accusations.
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Swalwell released a video on Friday night denying that he ever committed sexual assault, but I think it's worth noting that video did not explicitly deny sexual relationships. It did not explicitly deny inappropriate behavior with staff members.
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Guy Maserati reporting. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. A federal judge has dismissed President Trump's defamation case against the Wall Street Journal. Trump had sued the news outlet for publishing a letter Trump allegedly wrote to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The letter was framed by the outline of a woman's body and contained texts and Trump's apparent signature. Trump has denied writing the letter, but the federal judge says Trump's accusation does not show the news outlet acted with actual malice. A federal appeals court says President Trump's White House ballroom project can move Forward for now. NPR's Chloe Veltman reports. The Trump administration challenged a lower federal court ruling that said the project has to get approval from Congress.
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A three judge panel for the U.S. court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2 to 1 to allow construction to proceed through next Friday while the district court further reviews the the case. The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to stop construction last December. It argued the president lacked the statutory authority to undertake the project. In March, a district court judge granted a preliminary injunction to halt construction even though the project was greenlit by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission on Fine Arts. Also, the East Wing had already been demolished. In a statement to npr, National Trust President and CEO Carol Quillen expressed appreciation for the court of Appeals swift actions.
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Chloe Veltman, NPR the WNBA holds its annual draft tonight. Some draft stars will include UCLA center Lauren Betts and TCU guard Olivia Miles. You're listening to npr.
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This message comes from Rosetta Stone. Spring travel coming up. Rosetta Stone has been the trusted leader in language learning for over 30 years. Ready to start learning a new language this spring? Visit rosettastone.com NPR today.