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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Ram. Iran has reversed its decision and is again imposing restrictions on ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. British officials say three commercial vessels came under fire today. They say the attacks caused damage, but no fires or casualties. It's day two of a 10 day ceasefire to pause the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The the agreement seems to be holding amid several incidents of violence, but many in Lebanon are not convinced it will lead to lasting peace. NPR's Kat Lansdorf reports from Beirut.
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46 year old Abir Mohamed Al Masri has been living in a tent in a parking lot with her six kids for nearly seven weeks. She says she'd much rather be in their apartment in the southern suburbs. But I don't trust the ceasefire. She said it's more of a truce than a ceasefire. We can't go home yet. Many of the more than 1 million people displaced in Lebanon during this war have headed back to the south where much of the fighting was happening despite warnings not to. But Israel is still occupying about 10% of the country after destroying whole villages to create what it calls a buffer zone to keep Hezbollah from firing rockets into Israel. Lebanese people from those villages cannot return. Cat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Beirut.
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A federal judge has blocked the proposed $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar and Tegna pending the outcome of an antitrust lawsuit. NPR's Matt Bloom reports.
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U.S. district Court Chief Judge Troy L. Nunley in Sacramento issued a preliminary injunction on the deal late Friday. It came in response to a complaint from eight Democratic attorneys general and DirecTV. The plaintiffs argue the merger could raise consumer prices and and lead to the consolidation of local news stations. The deal, valued over $6 billion, could create a company that owns 265 TV stations across 44 states. President Trump has endorsed the deal publicly, and the Federal Communications Commission and Department of justice have already approved it. Nexstar in a statement, says the merger will make local stations stronger and that it will appeal the judge's block. Matt Bloom, NPR News.
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Severe weather, including suspected tornadoes, swept through the Midwestern US Yesterday. No deaths were reported. Mark Chouinard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, says several states were affected,
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Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin. So a lot of those states did have pretty widespread severe weather yesterday. Wind and hail were the most common reports. A lot of large hail, a lot of strong winds. But there were also several tornadoes scattered about within that corridor as well. So definitely an active day of severe weather yesterday across the middle part of the country.
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He said there's a threat of more severe weather today, most likely in the eastern part of the U.S. you're listening to NPR News in Washington. An 85 year old widow detained by U.S. immigration authorities for 16 days is home in France. She had married an American military veteran last year who has since died. She was detained after she overstayed her visa. The French foreign minister wouldn't comment on her specific case, but said some ICE methods are not in line with French standards. The US has announced new sanctions aimed at those it says are recruiting Colombian forces to fight in the conflict in Sudan. Michael Koloki has more.
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The US Treasury Department has put in place sanctions targeting five companies and individuals involved in recruiting former Colombian military personnel to fight on behalf of the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces, or rsf. Among those sanctioned are a former colonel in the Colombian army as well as a Colombia based employment agency. Clashes involving the RSF and the Sudanese armed forces have been going on for three years. The US has called on both warning sides to accept a three month humanitarian truce. Scores of civilians caught up in the conflict are being killed and uprooted from their homes in what aid groups say is the world's worst humanitarian crisis. For NPR News, I'm Michael Kaloki in Nairobi.
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The California Insurance Department says three people have been convicted in a scheme dubbed Operation Bear Claw. They used a person dressed as a bear to attack a Rolls Royce and two Mercedes and then submitted a video along with insurance claims seeking nearly $142,000. A biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the video showed it was clearly a human in a bear suit. I'm Nora Raum, NPR News.
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Episode: NPR News: 04-18-2026 4PM EDT
Date: April 18, 2026
Host: Nora Raum
This concise episode provides major national and international news updates, touching on escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, the ceasefire in Lebanon, a blocked media merger in the U.S., severe Midwest weather, an immigration case involving a French widow, U.S. sanctions related to Sudan, and an unusual insurance fraud case in California. Each story is presented with essential details and expert insights from NPR correspondents and official sources.
| Segment | Timestamps | |-----------------------------------------------|------------| | Strait of Hormuz/Iran Attacks/Ceasefire in Lebanon | 00:01–01:20 | | Nexstar–Tegna Merger Blocked | 01:20–02:15 | | Midwest Severe Weather | 02:15–02:49 | | French Widow Immigration Detention | 02:49–03:32 | | U.S. Sanctions re: Sudan Conflict | 03:32–04:12 | | California Insurance “Bear” Fraud | 04:12–04:40 |
This episode delivers a rapid yet thorough snapshot of the day’s most urgent news, blending on-the-ground human stories, high-level legal developments, severe weather impact, and even a dose of the bizarre—all with the signature crispness and factual tone of NPR reporting.