Strait Of Hormuz Shipping Crisis, Marijuana Reclassification, Georgia Wildfires

Summary

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NPR Up First – Episode Summary

April 24, 2026

Host: Michelle Martin
Main Stories:

1. Strait Of Hormuz Shipping Crisis
2. Marijuana Reclassification
3. Georgia Wildfires

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Episode Overview

This episode delivers concise updates and analysis on three unfolding news stories: escalating tensions and shipping disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. federal government’s historic reclassification of medical marijuana, and rapidly spreading wildfires devastating South Georgia communities. NPR correspondents and local reporters provide detailed insights, expert reactions, and personal accounts from those directly affected.

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1. Strait of Hormuz Shipping Crisis

Segment begins: [01:55]

Key Points & Discussion

• President Trump’s Orders:
  • He is “prepared to wait for the best deal” with Iran.
  • Has ordered the Navy to “shoot and kill any boat trying to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz.”
  • There is significant uncertainty regarding the extent and location of naval mines—"there may not be as many as Iran is letting on," and perhaps “Iran doesn't know where all the mines are.” (Jackie Northam, [02:36])
• Mine Clearance:
  • Clearing the strait is a “slow and dangerous process under possible threat of attack.”
  • Pentagon assessment (via Washington Post): Full clearance could take “up to six months” and may only begin after the war ends. President Trump disputes this, claiming U.S. minesweepers are already active. ([03:23])
• Impact on Global Shipping:
  • Shipping traffic has severely declined; only a “trickle of ships” linked to Iran are still attempting passage, due to recent attacks and seizures.
  • “It’s a lucrative business for oil tankers to go to the Gulf, but not if they’re getting stuck... many are choosing other routes.” (Ben Marcus quoting Basil Karatsas, [04:06])
  • Not just oil: helium, fertilizer, aluminum, and other crucial goods are also affected, causing global shortages and price hikes.
  • About “20,000 seafarers... have been stuck on these ships since the beginning [of the crisis].” (Jackie Northam, [04:24])

Notable Quotes

• Basil Karatsas (Karatsas Marine Advisers):
  “There are a substantial number of tanker ship owners that they keep their vessels away from Middle East. They would rather do a conventional trade... without having to worry about Middle East Hormuz, whether they’re open or closing or whatever.” ([04:06])

Diplomatic and Military Developments

• Ceasefire Update:
  • President Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran "indefinitely," but progress is stalled by continued maritime attacks.
  • International military talks hosted by the UK, involving France and others, have not yielded solutions, as most await the conflict’s resolution.
  • Israel's defense minister states they are waiting for "the green light from Trump to push, quote, Iran back to the stone age." ([05:25])

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2. Marijuana Reclassification

Segment begins: [05:34]

Key Points & Discussion

• Policy Shift:
  • The Department of Justice (DOJ) moves medical cannabis from Schedule 1 (most dangerous substances) to Schedule 3 (e.g., anabolic steroids, Tylenol with codeine).
  • This is “expected to normalize the business”—potentially enabling access to banking, credit, and allowing common tax deductions. ([06:01])
  • Applies to medical marijuana only, but DOJ is moving fast toward broader rescheduling, which would impact recreational businesses.
• Industry and Legal Impact:
  • States where medical cannabis is dominant (e.g., Florida, Oklahoma) will see immediate benefit. In Colorado, the medical market is only about 10% the size of the recreational one.
  • Longtime industry advocates view this as a “major shift” for cannabis policy.

Notable Quotes

• Tim Cullen (Colorado Harvest Company Founder):
  “Well, I’m excited about it. It’s the largest federal move that’s happened since I’ve been in this industry, which is coming up on 17 years now.” ([07:41])

Research and Legal Challenges

• Research Implications:
  • DOJ says this move facilitates “a long-term solution for researchers.”
  • Researchers want more: They urge for the ability to test recreational products directly off shelves, noting persistent funding stigma in marijuana research. ([08:17])
• Potential Legal Hurdles:
  • Opponents warn about impacts of policy shifts, especially on children.
  • “Attorneys from all sides will be picking this complex order apart for some time.” (Ben Marcus, [08:49])

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3. Georgia Wildfires

Segment begins: [09:24]

Key Points & Discussion

• Fire and Community Impact:
  • South Georgia and North Florida experiencing intense wildfires.
  • Nearly 90 homes destroyed; evacuations are happening suddenly due to unpredictable winds and shifting fire directions.
  • Many community members are “not used to dealing with wildfires” in a region typically accustomed to hurricanes, not fires.
• Personal Stories:
  • Reporter Emily Jones speaks with residents at a church evacuation shelter, including Spring Gillis and her family, who fled with little warning.

Memorable Moment

• Spring Gillis (Evacuee):
  “It’s just a heartbreaking thing to leave your home and not know what you’re going to come back to.” ([10:31])

Firefighting and Climate Challenges

• Fire Containment:
  • Two major fires are only about 15% contained.
  • The border fire with Florida, though larger, is less dangerous to people; Brantley County remains threatened.
• Drought and Climate Context:
  • “It is about as dry as it has ever been here. In the last six months, Georgia got the least rainfall that we’ve had since... the 1890s.” ([11:23]) – making it far easier for wildfires to ignite and spread.
  • Climate change is intensifying severe weather and droughts, forcing Southeastern communities to prepare for more frequent, extreme events.

Notable Quotes

• Emily Jones (WABE):
  “This time of year actually is the normal fire season for Georgia. But that just does not mean the same thing that it means out West.” ([12:03])
  “Communities here in the Southeast are having to prepare for weather events that they are not used to.” ([12:36])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Strait of Hormuz Shipping Crisis: [01:55] - [05:27]
• Marijuana Reclassification: [05:34] - [09:16]
• Georgia Wildfires: [09:24] - [12:44]

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Summary Takeaways

• The Strait of Hormuz crisis is causing economic and humanitarian turmoil far beyond the Gulf, with global ripple effects and a prolonged timeline for resolution.
• The reclassification of medical marijuana marks a milestone in federal policy, with promise for the industry but legal and practical uncertainties remaining.
• Wildfires in Georgia are a reminder of climate vulnerability in unexpected places, with local communities caught off-guard by rapidly changing, extreme weather.

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This well-paced, accessible episode offers the latest insights for informed listeners—delivering the most pressing headlines and on-the-ground realities as of April 24, 2026.

Transcript

[Michelle Martin]

President Trump said he's prepared to wait for Iran to make a deal. He also ordered the Navy to, quote, shoot and kill any boat laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon says clearing mines could take up to six months. I'm Michelle Martin, and this is up first from NPR News. The federal government is moving medical marijuana out of the category reserved for the most dangerous drugs. Medical cannabis will no longer be in the same category as heroin. It's a major shift in federal drug policy that could reshape how marijuana is bought, sold and studied. And a fast moving wildfire in South Georgia has destroyed nearly 90 homes. It's just a heartbreaking thing to leave your home and not know what you're going to come back to. The fires keep changing direction with the wind and people are being told to evacuate with almost no notice. Stay with us. We'll give you news you need to start your day.

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[Michelle Martin]

President Trump says he is prepared to wait for the best deal to end his war with Iran. This comes as he also orders the Navy to, quote, shoot and kill any boat trying to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping through the strategic waterway has just about ground to a halt over the fear of mines and Iranian attacks and seizures of ships. The crisis continues to have a knock on effect globally, creating high prices and shortages of valuable commodities. NPR international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam has been following all this, and she's with us now to bring us up. Good morning, Jackie.

[Jackie Northam]

Morning, Michelle.

[Michelle Martin]

Okay, so President Trump is ordering the US Navy to target any ship, presumably from Iran, that's laying mines in and around the Strait of Hormuz. How big a problem are mines?

[Jackie Northam]

Well, you know, there are no reliable figures as to how many mines are in and around the Strait of Hormuz. There's one school of thought that there may not be as many as Iran is letting on. And there's also the chance that Iran doesn't know where all the mines are. So it's tough to say exactly what's out there. But, you know, it's an incredibly slow and dangerous process to clear the mines under the possible threat of attack. And in fact, the Washington Post reported that a Pentagon assessment shared with Congress on Tuesday said it could take up to six months to fully clear the Strait of Mines and that the operation wouldn't likely start until the war ends. Now, Michelle, NPR has not been able to independently verify that intelligence assessment, and President Trump disputed it. He said in a social media post that U.S. minesweepers were already clearing the strait.

[Michelle Martin]

What kind of impact are the threat of mines and the threat of attacks by Iran having on the hundreds of ships that have been stuck around the Strait of Hormuz since the end of February, Are they still trying to move?

[Jackie Northam]

Well, we've seen just a trickle of ships trying to transit the strait since the beginning of the war, mostly with links to Iran. But, you know, after three ships were attacked with gunfire by Iran earlier this week and two of those were seized, it's having a chilling effect. It's just very risky, even if they're not moving Iranian oil. I spoke with Basil Karatsas, who heads up Karatsas Marine Advisers, and he says it's a lucrative business for oil tankers to go to the Gulf, but not if they're getting stuck and many are choosing other routes. Now here he is.

[Ben Marcus]

There are a substantial number of tanker ship owners that they keep their vessels away from Middle East. They would rather do a conventional trade that's mining the bank and without having to worry about Middle East Hormuz, whether they're open or closing or whatever.

[Jackie Northam]

And you know, Michelle, beyond oil, there are things like helium, fertilizer, aluminum, you know, critical elements for industry and farming and the like that are not moving through the Gulf now. And this is causing shortages worldwide and, of course, driving up the cost. And let's not forget the 20,000 seafarers who have been stuck on these ships since the beginning. And there's no sign of that changing soon.

[Michelle Martin]

So President Trump earlier this week announced he would extend the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely. Is there any sign of a breakthrough in this war?

[Jackie Northam]

At the moment, it feels like a stalemate with, you know, some incremental developments. Certainly these attacks on the ships by Iran are complicating the ceasefire. You know, the UK has been hosting military talks with other nations such as France to see if they can help out with the situation, but nothing has really come of these, primarily because they want to wait until the war is over. And in the meantime, you have Israel's defense minister said yesterday the country is waiting for the green light from Trump to push, quote, Iran back to the stone age.

[Michelle Martin]

That is NPR's Jackie Northam. Jackie, thank you.

[Jackie Northam]

Many thanks, Michelle.

[Michelle Martin]

The U.S. department of justice on Thursday ordered an immediate change to the classification of medical cannabis. It is considered a major shift in marijuana policy by moving it out of the most dangerous class of drugs. This could open up research and the legal marijuana industry is hoping it will help how they bank and pay taxes. Joining us to tell us more more about this is Colorado Public Radio reporter Ben Marcus. Ben, good morning.

[Ben Marcus]

Good morning.

[Michelle Martin]

So what exactly does the order say and how will it affect marijuana businesses?

[Ben Marcus]

So this order moves medical marijuana from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3. So rather than being in the same category as like heroin, it'll be in the same category as anabolic steroids or Tylenol with codeine. That's expected to normalize the business, meaning it could possibly open up more banking services, allow customers to use credit cards. It could allow business to make common tax deductions that they can't right now. This order is for medical, though DOJ did say that it's moving fast to more broadly reschedule marijuana, which would be good for recreational businesses. Sam Kamen is a law professor at the University of Denver who's been studying marijuana policy for more than a decade.

[Michelle Martin]

And you see here Trump in a very Trumpian way, saying it's not happening fast enough, make it happen faster.

[Ben Marcus]

And while this doesn't legalize marijuana, Kamen said this is a historic first step.

[Michelle Martin]

The order, as I understand it, does not apply to recreational marijuana. How does that work? Is that the dominant market in states like Colorado?

[Ben Marcus]

Yeah. So for medical only states like Florida or Oklahoma, this will benefit them more quickly. Colorado's medical market has shrunk every year since recreational cannabis was legalized in the state. So medical has become pretty small here. It's about 10% the size of the recreational market, which had $1.2 billion in sales last year. Tim he started Colorado Harvest Company as a medical marijuana business and switched to recreational Foley in 2014. So even though Thursday's order doesn't impact his business immediately, he's still hopeful that this signifies a major shift for all cannabis. Well, I'm excited about it. It's the largest federal move that's happened since I've been in this industry, which is coming up on 17 years now. The Justice Department says it will expedite that broader review of marijuana, which could include recreational and administrat administrative. Hearing is scheduled for June and that's lightning fast for the federal government on this issue.

[Michelle Martin]

Oh, that's certainly true. So it's a relief for states that are majority medical marijuana. It's a relief for business, but it's wait and see on recreational. But talk about research, how will this order open up research into marijuana?

[Ben Marcus]

So the Department of Justice said that this provides a long term solution for researchers who want to study medical cannabis. But the researchers I spoke with in Colorado said it may not have as big an impact for them. What they want to do is buy recreational products off the shelf for testing the kinds of products that consumers actually use, like high potency concentrates and vape pens or edibles. And they say there's also a larger stigma around funding for marijuana research generally.

[Michelle Martin]

Are there legal challenges expected to this order?

[Ben Marcus]

Advocates against marijuana, they continue to caution about the impact on kids of loosening marijuana policy. So the cannabis supporters, they're cautiously optimistic that this is a permanent change, but they do expect challenges. It's not a dumb deal yet. And attorneys from all sides will be picking this complex order apart for some time.

[Michelle Martin]

That's Colorado Public Radio's Ben Marcus. I'd want to mention he's been reporting on marijuana policies since the state legalized it in 2012. Ben, thanks.

[Ben Marcus]

Thank you.

[Michelle Martin]

Wildfires are still burning in south Georgia and northern Florida. One in Georgia has destroyed nearly 90 homes and forced people to evacuate. The region has been in a worsening drought for months, which has made it easier for wildfires to spread and harder for firefighters to contain. Emily Jones from member station WABE has been covering the fire. She's with us now. You were reporting yesterday on the ground in Brantley county where some people have lost their homes. What did you see and hear there?

[Emily Jones]

People are pretty shaken. They're not used to dealing with wildfires here. They've seen hurricanes, but not really fires like this. So this is a community near Brunswick, but it's a pretty rural area. There's lots of forest, land. The evacuation orders are popping up really suddenly because the fire is changing direction suddenly with the wind. And that's been really tough on people. You know, they think they're okay one minute and then before they know it, police or firefighters show up telling them that they need to get out. Yesterday evening, I was at a church where people are sheltering, and I spoke with Spring Gillis right after she arrived with her husband, her kids, and her dog. They had just been ordered to evacuate.

[Michelle Martin]

It's just a. It's a heartbreaking thing to leave your home and not know what you're going to come back to.

[Emily Jones]

And for her and most people who've evacuated, it may be a while before they find out if their homes are okay.

[Michelle Martin]

So what's the situation now? Have firefighters managed to get the wildfires under control?

[Emily Jones]

They have not. There are two major fires, actually, that people are concerned about, and neither one is any more than about 15% contained. So one fire down by the Florida border is actually a lot bigger, but it's farther from where people live, so there hasn't been as much damage or as many evacuations. Actually, some folks down there who had to evacuate earlier in the week have been able to return home. That is not the case in Brantley county, where I was yesterday. That fire has kept moving quickly and it keeps threatening new areas.

[Michelle Martin]

And we mentioned that the region has been dealing with a major drought. How much is that a factor in these fires?

[Emily Jones]

It's a huge factor. It is about as dry as it has ever been here. In the last six months, Georgia got the least rainfall that we've had since we started keeping records in the 1890s. It's more than a foot below the normal rainfall, and that makes it a lot easier for fires to spread. It's usually pretty wet down here, and that really helps keep fires in check. Right now, the trees and the underbrush are really dried out. The water levels are so low in all of the rivers and in the swamp. This time of year actually is the normal fire season for Georgia. But that just does not mean the same thing that it means out West. Normally we see fires start, but they just don't get very far because there is plenty of water and rainfall to stop them.

[Michelle Martin]

And before we let you go, Emily, climate change, is that contributing to this?

[Emily Jones]

It's hard to say how much of an impact climate change is having on a specific event like this while it's still ongoing. But in general, we know climate change is making many severe weather events more extreme. So when we get rain, it can be a lot more rain. When we have a severe drought, climate change can make it more intense. And I know from my own reporting that communities here in the Southeast are having to prepare for weather events that they are not used to.

[Michelle Martin]

That is Emily Jones from wabe. Her reporting is part of a partner between WABE and nonprofit news outlet Grist. Emily, thank you so much.

[Emily Jones]

Thank you.

[Michelle Martin]

And that's Up first for Friday, April 24th. I'm Michelle Martin. Today's episode of Up first was edited by James Heider, Ruth Sherlock, Alfredo Carbajal, Rachel Waltholz, Mohamed El Bardisi and H.J. mai. It was produced by Katie Klein and Nia Dumas. Our director is Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Nisha Hynes. Our technical director is Carly Strange, and our executive producer is Jay Shaylor. We hope you'll join us again on Monday.

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