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Episode Date: July 23, 2026

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Live from NPR news, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Global oil prices are surging at one point this morning past $100 a barrel as fighting escalates in the Middle East. NPR's Hidal-Al-Shalchi has the latest from Istanbul. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, soared more than six percent to $100, as the Iranian-backed Yemeni-Houthi rebels attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The Houthis are blockading the Bab el-Mandab Strait, a key shipping route which connects the Red Sea, with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. It's a second choke point for oil transportation besides the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump threatened the Houthis saying they would face, quote, major military punishment if they kept attacking ships. The rise in oil prices could inflate costs, which could force the Federal Reserve to increase interest rates. Hedil al-Shalchi, NPR News, Istanbul. President Trump now says a new deal allowing American companies to build and run commercial nuclear power plants on Saudi soil will depend on whether the Arab Kingdom normalizes relations with Israel. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt says President Trump's demand is not new. He has said if they don't join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off. Officials in Israel and nuclear non-proliferation experts have expressed concerns about the U.S. Saudi deal.

The GOP-led House has voted in favor of a resolution to halt military action in Iran. Congress is about to break for the August recess. U.S. Senators leave town in early August. Members of the House leave today. And P.R. Eric McDaniel reports on the legislation the chamberers Republican majority pass this week. There were a handful of things. One, $1,100 billion for the Pentagon, a lot of money. Two, an extension of government funding through the midterms to December 4th, hopefully avoiding another shutdown. There were, of course, two record shutdown so far this congressional term. And three new congressional stock trading rules tied also to an unrelated voter. ID measure. And PR is Eric McDaniel reporting. An advisory panel for the Food and Drug Administration is convening today to discuss seven commonly used peptides. In recent years, health influencers have embraced these experimental treatments claiming benefits ranging from injury recovery to improve immune function. Health reporter Sarah Bowden explains FDA scientists have concerns. The scientists

recommended that compounding pharmacies not be allowed to make the seven peptides citing potential safety concerns. But the FDA's pharmacy compounding advisory committee includes individuals from the compounding industry. It's possible the panel will disagree and advise that the agency give these peptides the green light. Historically, scientists have received a lot of deference in rulemaking, says Howard Sclamberg, a former FDA deputy commissioner. I don't know what will happen here, and obviously FDA has changed quite a bit in the last couple of years. If the FDA decides to loosen peptide restrictions, it could propose a new rule by the end of this year. For NPR News, I'm Sarah Boded.

This is NPR News. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. is now empty and fenced off. NPR's Rachel Treisman says renovations to the reflecting pool are ongoing. The reflecting pool renovations were supposed to take two weeks, but they're now in their fourth month. It was drained after the 4th of July to address algae blooms and peeling paint. Several DC-based photographers and bloggers are still going to the pool. nearly every day to share photos of what it looks like. Lori Collins is one of them.

We're living inside a documentary that people, I think, are going to study 100 years from now. She says she gets comments from people all over the world who care about the state of the pool and, by extension, the country. Rachel Treasman, NPR News. One of an internet-famous pair of bald eagles known as Jackie and Shadow that live high above Big Bear Lake in California, may be in critical condition, according to a wildlife rescue group. KVCR's Madison Amit has details. The Ohio Raptor Center said in an Instagram post that the eagle believed to be Jackie has severe anemia and kidney issues

and that veterinarians are trying to determine the cause. The eagle was brought to them after it was seen fighting with two younger eagles last Friday. Friends of Big Bear Valley, which operates the 24-7 live stream of the Eagles Nest, says Jackie has not been seen in several days. Jackie is not banded, so wildlife officials cannot ID her. They say the eagle does not appear to have any physical injuries. For NPR News, I'm Madison Amin and San Bernardino. This is NPR News.