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Episode Date: May 1, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, on Krova Coleman, President Trump is weighing whether to pull U.S. troops out of Europe. He's vexed that European nations aren't sending their troops to join the U.S. in blockading the Strait of Hormuz and the war against Iran. This comes as the Iran war boosts energy prices in the U.S. For President Trump, the stakes in Iran are not just strategic. They're also political. NPR's Franco-Ardenius reports, Trump insists the war is almost over. The war is eating up a lot of the president's time, but the White House says Trump can walk and chew gum at the same time. A White House official not authorized to speak publicly tells NPR that while the U.S. military and the president's diplomatic team work toward a deal with Iran and resolving temporary disruptions in energy markets, the rest of the administration continues to focus on Trump's affordability agenda.

Trump signed an executive order yesterday on retirement savings and has worked to lower prices on prescription drugs. But at the same time, gas prices hit a new high since the start of the war. And Americans say they're not seeing much relief. According to a new Reuter-Zipsis poll, just 27% approve of how the president is handling the U.S. economy. Franco, Ordojouz, NPR News. Stocks open higher this morning as gasoline prices continue to climb. NPR Scott Horsley reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 300 points in early trading. Gasoline prices have jumped by 33 cents a gallon in just the last week, including a nine-cent jump overnight.

AAA says the average price of regular gas nationwide is now $4.39 a gallon. There's little relief in sight as the war with Iran that's rattling energy markets is now in its third month. Both Exxon and Chevron reported better than expected quarterly profits today. Apple also outpaced expectations reporting profits of more than $29 billion in the first three months of the year. iPhone sales remains strong. Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced plans to give up that title, John Turnus, who's overseen hardware for Apple, will take over. Scott Horsley, MPR News, Washington.

The Defense Department says it has signed agreements with seven big tech companies to use their artificial intelligence programs. The Pentagon says the work will be for lawful operational use. The one AI company that is not included in these agreements is anthropic. That big tech company and the Defense Department are in court over a contract dispute. Anthropics CEO said this year he would not let his company be used for autonomous weapons or for spying on Americans. The Pentagon says Anthropic cannot tell it what to do with these tools. President Trump ordered the federal government to stop using Anthropic products and Anthropics sued the government.

On Wall Street, the Dow's up 300 points. This is NPR. State TV in Myanmar says detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved from prison to house arrest. As Michael Sullivan reports, it was more than five years ago that a military coup removed her from power. The late-night television broadcast did not say where Suu Kyi was being moved to, only that she will, quote, now serve the remainder of her sentence at a specific home instead of in prison. She had been sentenced by the coup makers to 33 years on what human rights groups called trumped-up charges designed to remove the wildly popular leader from politics for good.

There's been speculation the transfer may have been influenced by the Chinese foreign minister's recent visit to Myanmar. A foreign ministry briefing the same day as the transfer describes Suu Kyi as, quote, an old friend of China whose circumstance has always been on our minds. For NPR News, I'm Michael Sullivan in Chang Rai, Thailand. The breakaway Golf League, LiveGolf, is getting new leadership. The League announced it's forming a new board to move toward a diversified multi-partner investment model. This follows recent reporting that the League's primary funder, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, would pull its funding from the League. In a statement shared with multiple outlets yesterday, the PIF said it would only fund the League through the remainder of the League.

this season. The league formed in 2022 as a means to challenge the PGA tour. That is the largest professional golf association. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.