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Today's top stories
The United States has temporarily lifted oil sanctions on Iran, allowing the country to sell its oil in U.S. dollars on the global market. This temporary measure enables Iran to sell freely at standard prices, as other major Gulf oil producers do. The 60-day sanctions exemption is part of several economic incentives intended to benefit Iran.
- 🎧 The oil sanctions waivers will encourage Iran to comply with U.S. demands regarding its nuclear program during the negotiations, NPR's Aya Batrawy tells Up First. The current agreement also releases billions of Iran's frozen funds held in overseas accounts in Qatar. Vice President Vance, who is the face of these negotiations, is promoting this deal as primarily beneficial for the U.S. He says Iran will not receive any benefits until it changes its policies. Vance adds that Iran has agreed to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to return to the country, describing this as "the first step in permanently denuclearizing or permanently ending a nuclear weapons program in Iran." Vance seems to be indicating that the inspectors will evaluate nuclear sites such as Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, which suffered damage from U.S. airstrikes last year. Iran says that there are no plans for inspections of the damaged nuclear sites and that this topic was not discussed.
President Trump is traveling to Lehigh Valley, Pa., today to tour a Mack Trucks manufacturing plant and promote his economic achievements. This marks his first domestic trip since signing an agreement with Iran to end the fighting in the Middle East. During this visit, the president has the opportunity to shift attention back to his domestic agenda, especially as he faces low approval ratings. According to NPR's recent polling, just 36% of voters approve of Trump's overall job performance, while 59% disapprove.
- 🎧 NPR's Franco Ordoñez says he expects the president to outline the economic gains he has promised will emerge once the fighting stops. Trump has been clear that the high cost of living in America will change once the war ends and the Strait of Hormuz reopens. He says that gas prices will drop significantly, along with other energy costs. Although Trump could tout the potential drop in prices, Ordoñez says he wouldn't be surprised if the president also urges people to be patient. Even with the reopening of the crucial waterway, it could take months before drivers see gas prices return to pre-conflict levels.
In Minnesota, a federal judge dismissed grand jury subpoenas issued by the Trump administration, ruling that they aimed to harass, coerce and retaliate against state officials who resisted the federal government's immigration policies. The judge sided with the arguments of Minnesota state and city officials, who said that the subpoenas violated the 10th Amendment, which prevents the federal government from compelling or intimidating local governments into adopting specific policies.
- 🎧 The judge said that harassing local and state officials is not an appropriate use of grand jury subpoenas and that it represents a misuse of a very powerful tool. The government was seeking answers from some long-time opponents, including Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, says Jon Collins from Minnesota Public Radio. These subpoenas were issued during the height of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge in Minnesota. They sought information from Minnesota officials regarding their responses to the federal government's immigration actions in the state. The U.S. Department of Justice shared a brief statement with Collins, saying it takes the "unlawful obstruction" of federal law enforcement seriously and will continue its investigation. The judge in the case announced plans to unseal the grand jury testimony that led to these subpoenas, which is typically kept secret.
A federal judge ruled yesterday that the Trump administration's project to aggregate Americans' personal data to check voter eligibility is unlawful. As a result, the data tool known as SAVE cannot be used in its current form. Several states have already processed their entire voter lists through the system, which the Trump administration overhauled last year. While the tool aims to identify potential noncitizens and deceased voters, it has mistakenly flagged a number of U.S. citizens who are foreign-born as potential noncitizens. NPR was the first outlet to report on the federal government's expansion of SAVE to use it as a tool to check the citizenship of all Americans, and on how the government failed to follow the required public notice protocols under the Privacy Act.
From the NPR Network
by Juliana Kim, general assignment reporter
As we approach the end of the group stage, when 12 teams will be cut, let's take a moment to appreciate the array of jerseys that have graced the field.
Every World Cup, teams unveil a home and an away jersey. The purpose isn't simply to tell squads apart, but to share a story about each country. To see this tournament's best jerseys and the intention behind them, check out this roundup from WBUR.
[The cleats, meanwhile, have been mostly hot pink at the request of athletes wanting a bold color, according to The Athletic.]
Now, not every jersey made its debut. Haiti's original shirt included a powerful image of the final battle of the Haitian War of Independence in 1803. But before the team's opening match, FIFA rejected the design, deeming it too political, ESPN reported.
This year, the U.S. home jersey pays homage to the American flag's red and white stripes.
But here's a fun fact: The first time that the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994, team USA wore a faux-denim, star-covered shirt. The verdict?
" It was kind of universally hated at the time," says Brian D. Bunk, who teaches the history of sports at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The kit was designed by Peter Moore, the same artist who crafted the first pair of Air Jordans and the iconic Jumpman logo. While the soccer jersey was initially seen as a miss, it's now adored by fans who consider it retro.
Bunk says it's one of those rare cases in fashion trends where the jersey was "so bad that it was good."
Perhaps the mullet will be next?
Video highlights
Click through to watch the latest Soccer Edition video clips from across the NPR Network.
Podcast highlights
Sports in America: Why the U.S. Men's Team Has Never Won the World Cup
The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup is in full swing — but unlike the U.S. women's team, the men's national team has never won the tournament. They've never even made it to the finals. WHYY's Sports in America sits down with ESPN soccer writer Ryan O'Hanlon to figure out why the men's team always falls short. Could this year's World Cup be any different?
What to watch for this week
⚽ This week we're rounding up the Group Stage. Team USA will play Turkey in LA on Thursday. Iran just wrapped up their first two games at the Los Angeles Stadium and LAist's Imperfect Paradise took a closer look at what the World Cup has been like so far for Iran. NPR's State of the World heard from folks in Tijuana, Mexico, about hosting Team Iran, as they navigate complications with the U.S.
⚽ Cinderella moments and mighty minnows: Congo's team, playing in the World Cup for the first time in more than half a century, is scheduled to play Colombia tonight. As Houston Public Media reports, holding their own against Portugal in their last match felt like a win to the Congolese diaspora. Meanwhile in Kansas City, the tournament "minnows," underdog Curaçao tied with the heavily favored Ecuador. And as KCUR reports, fans of both teams considered it a win. Both teams have their next match on Thursday.
Picture show
The Little Sisters of St. Francis convent in Nkokonjeru, Uganda, cares for retired nuns. But there is minimal funding for palliative care, which offers medical and emotional support to patients nearing the end of their lives. At the convent, young nuns look after the retired nuns, helping them move to and from their beds and serving their meals. The older women lack important resources, such as adult diapers, wheelchairs, hearing aids and warm blankets. To address these challenges, Sister Jane Frances Nakafeero and Jean Callahan, who is an advisory board member of the African Palliative Care Association, started a pilot program to provide hospice support for aging nuns. Launched in September 2025, the program aims to address the nuns' medical and material needs. It will also offer psychological interventions for emotional support and mental stimulation. Take a look at how these nuns help each other.
3 things to know before you go
- Clive Davis, a music executive who helped launch the careers of many monumental stars over the decades, has died at 94.
- The Food and Drug Administration is assessing a blood test called Galleri, which could be a breakthrough device capable of detecting various types of cancer in a single test. The FDA could approve it later this year.
- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled to restore the conviction of Pedro Hernandez, who was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering 6-year-old Etan Patz, who went missing on his way to the school bus in New York City in 1979. (via Gothamist)
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
Copyright 2026 NPR
