Consider This from NPR

In the opening strike of their war on Iran, the US and Israel killed the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It is an exceedingly rare instance of democracies killing a foreign head of state.

It’s not the first time the United States has been involved in the killing of a foreign leader, but it’s something U.S. leaders and the American public have long wrestled with. 

NPR’s Ryan Lucas reports. 

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This episode was produced by Mallory Yu and Erika Ryan, with audio engineering by Jay Czys.

It was edited by John Ketchum and Anna Yukhanov. 

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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The Trump administration wants to increase domestic manufacturing.

And in addition to tariffs, tax cuts and deregulation, it wants to increase the supply of skilled labor through apprenticeships – to train up workers on the job.

The goal is to reach one million active apprentices. 

Are the programs in place now doing enough to make that happen? 

NPR’s Andrea Hsu reports.

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Mia Venkat. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Emily Kopp. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Russian planners and Western intelligence predicted the invasion of Ukraine would be quick and decisive. Of course, Kyiv did not fall quickly - and still hasn’t.

In the four years since Russia first invaded, the Kremlin’s so-called “special military operation” has evolved into the deadliest conflict on the European continent since World War II. According to Western governments and think tanks, more than 1.5 million people are dead.

And throughout the war, one of the biggest questions has been, is this what Russian people want?

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This episode was produced by Christine Arrasmith, Mia Venkat and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Stacey Abbott. It was edited by Nick Spicer and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Americans are paying more for gas than they were a week ago.

On Sunday, the price of oil hit $118 a barrel. It's since come down from those highs, but remains up sharply from the pre-war price of $70.

The price is being pushed up by disruption to oil supply out of the Persian Gulf – The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, typically handles around 20 million barrels of oil a day –  close to a fifth of global oil consumption. 

But the war has brought tanker traffic in the Strait to basically a standstill. 

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This episode was produced by Mia Venkat.

It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Kara Platoni and Luis Clemens.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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The repercussions of the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran continue to be felt across the Middle East. However, Lebanon has become the most active second front in the continued conflict between the US, Israel and Iran. 

Israel began its military assault on Lebanon after the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel as a show of solidarity with Iran.

The U.S. and Israel's war in Iran is not just a regional crisis. It’s reshaping political dynamics across the Middle East, with global repercussions.

Kim Ghattas, journalist and author of Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East, offers her view from inside Lebanon, and the changing dynamics across the region.

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Reporting from NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi contributed to this story. This episode was produced by Daniel Ofman. It was edited by Michael Levitt, Sarah Robbins and Hannah Bloch. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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