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Episode Date: April 23, 2026

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Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. Israel and Lebanon are set to hold a second round of talks in Washington Thursday. A 10-day ceasefire that pauses fighting between Israel and Hezbollah appears to be holding. NPR's Cat Lawn store reports from southern Lebanon. Looking south from a hill atop the village of Majdal-Zun, you can see an Israeli flag waving in the wind over the neighboring Lebanese village. Israel is still occupying a large swath of land in Lebanon's south, including does the spokesperson Salman Harb tells NPR that the Iran-backed group does not agree with direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. But if the result of the negotiations is that Israel will withdraw from the Lebanese land, Harb says, then we're fine with that. But on the other hand, he says, if the land remains occupied, it's our right to resist to that occupation.

Kat Lansdorf, NPR News, Majd al-Zun in southern Lebanon. As far as talks between the U.S. and Iranian president, Masoud Peseshkian, says Iran remains open to discussion. But he says the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and what he said were breach of commitments are the main obstacles. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Senators Wednesday that if President Trump's nominee to lead the CDC is confirmed, she will make decisions on vaccines without political interference. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy is a doctor who cast a key vote to confirm Kennedy as health secretary. He pressed Kennedy on that during a budget hearing Wednesday. The CDC director has that power.

Now, so she will have, if she wishes to, if she wishes to make a decision independently of them, she shall be allowed to make that decision independently. That's correct? Yes. Kennedy wrapped up a marathon week of budget hearings on Capitol Hill telling the Senate health committee that he had vetted Erica Schwartz's position on vaccines before President Trump nominated her. The previous CDC director said Kennedy fired her because she disagreed with his vaccine policies. Spirit Airlines and advanced talks with the Trump administration over a possible federal bailout package. And Pierce Joel Rose reports a last-minute deal could help the low-cost carriers stay in business.

The Trump administration and Spirit Airlines are nearing a deal that could include up to $500 million in government-backed financing. That's according to a source familiar with the talks who is not authorized to speak publicly. While the terms are still being finalized, the source says the U.S. government could wind up with a major stake in the airline. Spirit was already struggling to turn a profit before the Iran War caused the cost of jet fuel to spike. The low-cost carrier filed for bankruptcy last year for the second time since 2024. In an interview with CNBC this week, President Trump said, quote, Spirits in trouble, unquote, and that maybe the federal government should help.

Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. This is NPR News. Virginia Democratic Attorney General J. Jones says he will fight a circuit judge's ruling that blocks the state from certifying Tuesday's redistricting referendum results. Virginia voters narrowly approved a ballot measure that could boost Democrats' chances of winning control of the House this November. A county judge called the ballot language flagrantly misleading, and President Trump sought to discredit the record.

results, saying without evidence Wednesday that the vote was rigged. The referendum is facing other legal challenges as well. City leaders in Texas's eighth largest city, Corpus Christi, weighing plans to implement unprecedented restrictions on water use this fall. The Texas newsroom, Nina Steecher reports. Corpus Christi's city manager is proposing a 25% reduction in water use across the board, starting in September. Consumers who don't comply could face harsh penalties, which didn't sit well with city leaders. Here's Mayor Paulette Guajardo. That could result in discontinuing your water service.

That's extreme. I could never support that to turn someone's water off. Corpus Christi's industrial water users, which include ExxonMobil and Valero, would also be required to cut back. The proposal needs to be approved by the city council to go into effect. For NPR News, I'm Nina Satija in Austin. Georgia Democratic Congressman David Scott has died. He was 80 years old. Scott was the first black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and had been seeking a 13th term. I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News.