Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) Fighting between the US and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz escalated, with Tehran accusing American forces of bombing a residential area in a wave of overnight strikes.The US military carried out its second round of attacks in three days, which US Central Command said targeted radar systems and mine-laying capabilities along Iran’s southern coast. This prompted the Islamic Republic to retaliate with drone and missile volleys on US bases across the Middle East, in line with tactics used throughout the six-month war.
2) Three Massachusetts Democrats with more than 110 years of service in Congress between them held off much younger challengers in Tuesday’s primaries.Sen. Ed Markey, an outspoken progressive, trounced Rep. Seth Moulton, a more moderate candidate, by 65%-35% in nearly complete returns. Moulton, 47, ran an anti-establishment and generational-change campaign that tried to make the case that Markey, 80, shouldn’t be given another six-year Senate term he would finish at age 86. Markey said he was as invigorated as ever to stand up to the Trump administration.
3) The selloff sweeping global bond markets looks painful, but it’s nothing compared with the rout four years ago, when soaring inflation forced central banks into a series of rapid-fire interest-rate hikes.The difference is scale. While the latest pullback has driven yields to multi-year highs in the world’s biggest markets, the move is just a fraction of the one seen in late 2022. Global government bond yields have risen 17 basis points on a rolling 20-day cumulative basis, compared with 62 basis points back then, data compiled by Bloomberg show. On a peak-to-trough basis, bonds have lost 4.2% this year — a far cry from the 23% plunge seen in 2022.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) President Donald Trump dismissed concerns that the conflict in Iran was draining American firepower as clashes resumed in the on-again off-again hostilities that have stretched more than six months, with neither side willing to restart negotiations to end the war.“This is a relatively little war for us,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “This is not a big war.”
2) A woman randomly stabbed two people in New York City’s Times Square on Monday, killing one woman, and then was fatally shot by police, according to officials.The shooting happened just before 4:30 p.m. next to a New York Police Department substation, just outside One Times Square, the building that hosts the city’s annual New Year’s Eve ball drop celebration. It is one of the most heavily touristed and policed spots in all of New York.
3) US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down after repeated clashes with his boss, Pete Hegseth, leaving the service without several top leaders even as the conflict with Iran continues.Driscoll submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. His decision was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.

On today's podcast:

1) The US and Iran exchanged strikes as American forces hit an island in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran responded by launching attacks on the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Iranian media said the country's authorities seized a bulk carrier near the port of Bandar Abbas and claimed an oil supertanker was hit by mines early on Monday. The incidents underline the high tensions between Washington and Tehran, with crude oil prices rising and several current and former US and Iranian officials expecting the conflict to drag on for months.

2) Bond investors are skeptical about speculation that Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh is poised to raise interest rates after his speech on Friday. Investors have doubts due to Warsh's past comments and actions, which have not always been clear, and are bracing for the risk that he keeps rates steady again. The reaction of the market will depend on upcoming economic data, including employment and inflation figures, with some investors warning that the Fed's credibility could be at risk if it does not follow through on expected rate hikes.

3) Nepal is racing to find thousands still missing after a glacial collapse unleashed catastrophic flooding along the border with China, with rising water levels and worsening weather threatening to hamper rescue efforts. More than 8,700 people have been rescued, with almost 20,000 security personnel mobilized, and at least 752 people have been confirmed dead, while over 3,000 are still unaccounted for. Rescue personnel have been told to exercise "utmost caution" as they work to retrieve bodies and provide relief services, with challenges mounting as days pass and weather conditions weigh on rescue efforts.

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