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Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. A two week ceasefire between the US And Iran is set to expire soon. It's unclear when peace talks in Pakistan might resume. President Trump says he is ready to send U.S. negotiators. Iran has not indicated whether it will participate. This comes as Iran says more than 3,300 Iranians have been killed in US and Israeli airstrikes. Reporter Duri Buskaren spoke with Iranians in Turkey near the Iranian border who have mixed feelings about peace talks.
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The train from Tehran takes about 24 hours. When people arrive in Turkey, they're disoriented and relieved. A woman named Ava, who asked not to be identified due to the risk of arrest in Iran, said it's just going to get worse for Iranians if an agreement is reached with the U.S. we have not given the blood of 40,000 people to go back to that life, she says, referring to the protesters who were killed during street demonstrations in January. The Iranian government says only 3,000 were killed. But another man who participated in the protests but supports the government now says he wants the war to end so protesters can push for reforms within the current system. For NPR News, I'm Daria Busgaren.
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And Vaughan, Turkey stocks opened higher this morning as the Commerce Department reported a bigger than expected jump in retail sales last month. NPR Scott Horsley reports. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped about 270 points in early trading.
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Retail sales jumped 1.7% in March, with much of that increase fueled by higher gasoline prices. Spending at gas stations jumped more than 15% as the war in Iran caused a spike in prices. But shoppers don't appear to be cutting back elsewhere. Spending on furniture, electronics and groceries was also up in March. Spending at restaurants rose only slightly. President Trump's pick to be the next leader of the Federal Reserve appears before a Senate committee today. Trump wants Kevin Warsh to lower interest rates, but that may have to wait for lower inflation. Warsh's confirmation may also have to wait. A GOP senator has promised to block the vote until the Justice Department drops its probe. The current Fed chairman, Jerome Powell. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
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Polls are open in Virginia for a special election. Voters are deciding whether to redraw the state's congressional districts in a way that would favor Democrats. From member station VPM John Khalil, has
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more Democrats started the push to get this on the ballot in October? The campaigns for and against redistricting Virginia have received tens of millions of dollars from opaque political nonprofits and have employed campaign tactics that have confused voters. There's no clear outcome. The only polling out there is very close, and Virginia is relatively purple. Virginia could be one of the last states to take a side in the national redistricting contest before the midterms. Florida lawmakers are scheduled to take up redistricting in a special session next week. For NPR News, I'm Jad Khalil in Richmond, Virginia.
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This is npr. Businesses are officially able to request refunds for tariffs they've paid, but don't expect consumers to get their tariff dollars back. NPR's Stephen Bisaha reports. The government refunds are only for importers.
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Companies can try to pass refunds along to consumers, but it's nearly impossible to
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determine how much individual consumers paid.
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Terrence Lau is the dean at Syracuse University's College of Law. He says companies raised prices because of tariffs, but often did not pass on the full cost.
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So how much of that price increase do you attribute to tariffs? Companies can't even answer that question.
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That leaves some consumers, like Edwin Martinez, feeling ambivalent and annoyed.
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Like, I paid this extra tax man.
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Can I just have my money back? FedEx says it will give refunds. Costco says it will try using them to lower prices. Both are facing class action lawsuits over refunds. Stephen Bassarha, NPR News.
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Federal officials have released a new plan to boost water levels in the country's second largest reservoir, Lake Powell. The the lake straddles the border between Arizona and Utah. It's supplied by water from the Colorado River. Falling water levels are threatening the infrastructure of the dam. The plan is to funnel more water to the lake from Wyoming and Utah, but water experts say the government should instead find ways for people to cut back their water use. The National Weather Service has posted winter storm warnings for the mountains of Eastern California. Forecasters expect heavy snow and hurricane strength winds at the tops of the mountains. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.
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