NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-13-2026 1AM EDT

Episode Date: April 13, 2026

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. President Trump says the U.S. is going to impose a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz starting on Monday. But Iran says it won't bow down to any of his threats. NPR's Mar-Lyason has our reports. Trump told Fox News it wouldn't take long to clean out the strait. Just hours after talks between the U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement to end the war, President Trump posted that effective immediately the U.S. Navy will begin the process of blockading any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz. That means Iran could not export

its oil through the Strait or collect tolls from other country's ships. But since it would also prevent any oil from coming through the strait, it's not clear how the blockade will help bring down the price of gas. Those high prices were caused by closing off one of the most important choke points for the global oil and gas market. The president also posted that any Iranian who fires at the U.S. or any other peaceful vessels will be, quote, blown to hell. Mara Liason, NPR News. Lawmakers have returned back to Washington this week after a two-week Easter break. At the top of their agenda is the war in Iran.

NPR's Eric McDaniel has more. Democrats are incensed over President Trump's threat to end Iranian civilization ahead of last week's ceasefire announcement. More than three dozen called for him to be removed from office. After this weekend's talks led by Vice President Vance failed, Democrats will force votes on the war in an attempt to curb the president's powers. The Constitution gives Congress the authority to declare war, though it's been some time since they asserted it. The show votes are expected to fail, but ahead of the eventual consideration of the President's $1.5 trillion

Pentagon funding request, they'll put Republicans on the record about a military campaign that remains extremely unpopular among the American public. Eric McDaniel and PR News, Washington. Oil prices are heading up once again in early market trading after President's Trump said the U.S. would begin that blockade on Iranian ports. After the market opened, the price of U.S. crude, rose 8 percent to slightly more than $104 a barrel. Brent crude, which is considered to be the international standard, rose 7 percent to $102. California Congressman Eric Swalwell has ended his campaign for governor. The move follows allegations of sexual misconduct by several former female staff members.

From KQED in San Francisco, Scott Schaefer has our reports. In a post on X Sunday, Swalwell said he was suspending a campaign that has been imploding since multiple women alleged that the San Francisco Bay Area Democrat had sexually forced himself on them. In his post, Swalwell said he was deeply sorry for what he called his mistakes in judgment, but he denies the allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior. Swalwell's sudden departure adds even more turmoil to a campaign with no clear leader. The election is June 2nd. That's Scott Schaefer of KQED reporting from San Francisco, and you're listening to

NPR news. Peru's national election is being extended for some voters. Officials say logistical issues have caused the problem. Voting has now been extended to Monday for more than 63,000 residents of Lima because of the issues. Voting is also extended for Peruvians living in Orlando, Florida, and Patterson, New Jersey. Voting is mandatory in that country. One of the giants of the Indian movie and music industries has died.

Singer Asha Bushley was 92 years old. As NPR's Anastasia Slucus reports, Boosley gave voice to hundreds of movie characters as a Bollywood singer. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Asha Bosley was the most recorded singer of all time. Over a career that lasted nearly eight decades, she recorded more than 12,000 songs, mostly for movie actresses to lip-sync on screen.

And for much of her career, her main competition was her older sister, Latta Mangeshkar. Their father was a classical Indian singer, but he died young. So the sisters made their way to Mumbai and started singing for films to help support their family. Boza made her first recording when she was just 10 years old. Anastasi A Zilkus, NPR News, New York. A Nigerian Air Force Strike Sunday that was targeting jihadi rebels, instead hit a local market in the northeastern part of that country.

More than 100 civilians were killed in the attack, including a number of children. Many other people were injured in that attack. The target was said to be a Boko Haram stronghold in that area. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News.