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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. President Trump is imposing new tariffs as the current blanket set of 10% tariffs expire. It's the latest move to impose new tariffs after the Supreme Court deemed many of Trump's tariffs unlawful in February. They cover 59 countries and the EU, including major US trading partners. The administration says the new levies are on economies that import goods made with force forced labor. Global oil prices are surging at one point this morning past $100 a barrel as fighting escalates in the Middle East. NPR's Hadil Al Shalchi reports.
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The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, soared more than 6% to $100 as the Iranian backed Yemeni Houthi rebels attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The Houthis are blockading the Bab El Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. It's a second chokepoint for oil transportation besides the strait. Hormuz Trump threatened the Houthis, saying they would face, quote, major military punishment if they kept attacking ships. The rise in oil prices could inflate costs, which could force the Federal Reserve to increase interest rates. Hadil Al Shalchi, NPR News, Istanbul.
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The U.S. justice Department has agreed to drop subpoenas against journalists for the New York Times under duress from a highly skeptical federal judge. The case focused on the source of leaks to the Times of security concerns about the new Air Force One jet given to President Trump by the Qatari government. NPR's David F. Was in the courtroom.
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U.S. judge Arun submarine fired off a series of questions for which the lead prosecutor in the case, Sean Buckley, had no satisfactory answers. The judge said the government had failed to observe legally required safeguards reporters and had misled the court. Buckley cited oversights and said no bad faith was involved. He also apologized for subpoenaing the phone records of reporters family members, calling that a mistake. But Buckley Buckley defended the subpoenas as legitimate, saying the approval of the acting attorney general overruled journalistic protections. New York times lawyer David McCraw tells NPR the federal court stepped up to defend the First Amendment and the rule of law. David Folkenflick, NPR News.
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Mortgage rates are the highest they've been in almost a year. NPR's Stephen Besaha says the war with Iran is driving up the cost of borrowing.
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The average rate for a 30 year mortgage hit 6.58% this week, the highest since August last year. Rates were falling earlier this year and even fell below 6% in February, the first time in three and a half years. But then the war with Iran started. The uncertainty and inflation fears that came with the war shook the bond market, raised the cost of borrowing and drove mortgage rates back up. Now the war is expanding and mortgage rates are rising again as pending home sales fall. Redfin reports pending sales this week are at their lowest level in three months. Stephen Bassarha, NPR News.
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This is NPR News from Washington. Federal health advisors are meeting to review a group of controversial chemicals called peptides. The unapproved injections have become popular, have become a popular wellness trend promoted by influencers and celebrities like Joe Rogan for building muscle healing injuries and other uses. The two day meeting comes at the direction of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Who's described himself as a big fan of peptides. Transportation officials have removed a growing list of safety measures that reference bike safety from federal websites. NPR's Joel Rose reports. Safety advocates say that's undermining proven strategies to reduce crashes and save lives.
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Staff at the Federal Highway Administration have been directed to look for the words bike and bike lanes in online safety materials and to pull some of those pages down. The push began earlier this month after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy vowed to end funding for what he called the DEI bike lanes. One of the pages that's been removed hosted the Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Analysis Tool, which helps researchers and planners understand and prevent crashes. A DOT spokesperson says the department continuously reviews its policies to ensure they promote, quote, safety, efficiency and common sense, unquote, while noting that nearly 80% of the US population uses cars to get to work. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.
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A Turkish governor has been sacked after photos of him in tight cycling shorts went viral. Some Turkish Turkish politicians had criticized him for wearing the tight attire during a public event and posting the photos online. A petition to reinstate him has gathered over 10,000 signatures. Supporters argue he was promoting sports and youth activities. This is NPR News.
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