NPR News: 04-02-2026 12AM EDT

Live from MPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder.

During a prime time speech from the White House President Trump said countries that

receive oil through the state of Hormuz should take action to secure the passage.

I have a suggestion.

Number one, buy oil from the United States of America.

We have plenty.

We have so much.

And number two, build up some delayed courage.

Should have done it before.

Should have done it with us, as we asked.

Go to the straight and just take it.

Protect it.

Use it for yourselves.

Trump also blamed Iran's virtual shutdown of the straight for the prices Americans are

paying at the pump and said the waterway reopened naturally when the conflict ends because

of the oil trade.

Oil prices rose above $105 a barrel following Trump's speech and the financial markets in

Asia are losing ground following Wednesday's gains on Wall Street.

Prime Minister Kier Starmer says the economic impact of the Iran war could define Britain

for a generation.

In a national address Wednesday morning, Starmer said the UK will host a meeting this week

to discuss the straight-of-hormuz in Piers Fatimao Kasab reports from London.

UK Prime Minister Starmer said he had to quote level with the British public, describing

the impact of the war against Iran as a storm.

In response to President Trump's suggestion that he might pull the United States out

of NATO, Starmer insisted he would not be swayed by pressure from the President to join the

war.

Whatever the noise, I'm the British Prime Minister and I have to act in our national interests.

Starmer also said the UK may have to pivot towards other allies.

Nearly ten years after Britain's voted to exit the European Union, the Prime Minister

said it was becoming increasingly clear that it is in Britain's national interest to

have a close partnership with Europe.

Fatimao Kasab, MPON News, London.

Nave conducted its usual quarterly survey of economists at the beginning of March, then

went back at the end of the month and asked forecasters how their views might have changed.

Not surprisingly, four weeks of war and a resulting spike in energy prices left economists

with a considerably gloomier outlook.

On average, forecasters are now projecting higher inflation and slower economic growth,

and they were in the early days of the war, they also expect weaker hiring.

More than three-quarters of the economists surveyed, now say geopolitical conflicts pose

a downside risk for the economy.

It's up from four months ago when fewer than half the forecasters surveyed felt that way.

Scott Horsley and Pierre News, Washington.

For astronauts are on their way to the moon blasting off from the Kennedy Space Center

Wednesday evening on the world's first crew to lunar mission in half a century.

The nearly ten-day mission will feature a fly-by in preparation for returning humans

to the lunar surface.

This is NPR.

And Anisha is demanding an investigation into the death of three of its UN peacekeepers

in Lebanon.

The three were killed in separate incidents as Israeli forces continue to push deeper

into the country, fighting Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants.

Israel says it plans to control large swaths of Lebanon, including demolishing whole towns.

Here's NPR's Kerry Khan.

Indonesia's foreign ministry says the UN must fully investigate the deaths of three of

its peacekeepers, and an emergency security council meeting Indonesia's representative

demanded a direct investigation and, quote, not just Israel's excuses.

One peacekeeper was killed Sunday by what Indonesia says was indirect artillery fire.

The two others were killed Monday when their vehicle struck a roadside explosive.

Israel says its forces did not place explosives in the area nor deploy troops there.

Lebanese officials say more than 1,200 people have been killed since Israel invaded.

Their figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Israel says its killed more than 800 Hezbollah militants since the start of the Iran War.

Kerry Khan and P.R. News, Tel Aviv

U.S. Supreme Court seems poised to reject the limits President Trump is trying to impose

on birthright citizenship.

The justices on Wednesday heard his administration's appeal of a lower court ruling that struck

down Trump's executive order that would end citizenship for babies born to people who

are in the country illegally who are here to work or visit on a temporary basis.

Trump himself was in the courtroom spending just over an hour, staying only for arguments

by the government's lawyer.

I'm Joel Snyder, NPR News.