Category: 4-FrequentNewsStreams

The U.S. and Israel's war with Iran means a disruption of global oil markets. Iran has closed navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, leaving hundreds of ships sitting idle. While a slowdown of production and exports could hit China particularly hard, this conflict could also impact what U.S. consumers pay at the pump. This morning, we'll learn more, and then we'll hear how air carriers are being affected by the attack.

We create digital breadcrumbs all the time — when we buy something online, when we post on social media, and even when we look up directions on the internet. This is data generally collected by private companies — but how and when should the government be able to access it?

There have been lawsuits filed recently against the Department of Homeland Security over its collection and use of consumer data. Jeramie Scott, senior counsel and director of the Surveillance Oversight Program at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, explains how the government collects data about us.

President Trump famously said that he would end Russia's war against Ukraine on "day one" of his return to the White House. Today, he is 13 months into his second term and the war is starting its fifth year. Compass Points moderator Nick Schifrin discusses the administration's strategy for ending the war and what's ahead with retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, the president's recent envoy to Ukraine. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

President Trump said he was unhappy with the progress of diplomacy with Iran, and indicated he might "have to" use the military. That came in contrast to a statement from the mediator of the talks, who said they are making progress and asked Trump to give it more time. But the U.S. has deployed the largest military presence in the Middle East in more than two decades. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The clash between Anthropic and the U.S. government escalated with President Trump ordering every federal agency to stop using any of the AI company's products. It came after Anthropic wanted to limit how the Pentagon used one of its AI tools. William Brangham discussed more with Michael Horowitz. He previously worked in the Pentagon, where he wrote the policy on AI weapon systems. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

When you hear "meal deal" you probably think of fast-food chains, like McDonald’s. But as daily life grows more unaffordable, a new tier of chain restaurants are adopting similar options to hang onto their cash-strapped regulars. It's why Panera just launched a new $10 value meal, and analysts expect other fast-casual joints to follow suit. Plus: Data center construction was up nearly 30% in 2025 but had a limited impact on GDP; buy now, pay later for rent payment comes at a price; we discuss the week’s economic headlines.

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Six Illinois Democrats boycott President Trump’s State of the Union address. Meanwhile, Governor Pritzker demands a $8.6 billion refund for Illinois taxpayers after the Supreme Court rules against Trump tariffs. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more with Axios Chicago reporter Monica Eng, WTTW anchor and host Brandis Friedman and WBEZ investigative reporter Dan Mihalopoulos. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

On today’s show, we’re taking a trip to the Green Mountain State for an up close look at one of Vermont’s most pressing economic issues: housing. Kimberly is joined by Carly Berlin, housing reporter for VTDigger and Vermont Public, to talk about the factors driving Vermont’s housing crisis and how solutions, like a catalog of pre-approved home designs, could help fix it. Plus, are you more of a Vermont cheddar or a Ben & Jerry’s type of person?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Vermont Housing Needs Assessment" from the State of Vermont
• "Vermont is overhauling Act 250. Here’s what the development maps look like so far" from Vermont Public
• "Vermont develops catalog of prevetted home designs for faster building" from VTDigger
• "Green Mountain Grub: The Best Things to Eat in Vermont" from Food Network

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MFS, a big lender based in London, has been making risky loans and is in the British equivalent of bankruptcy. Now, investors are buying up U.S. government bonds, and lenders are pulling back from the riskiest parts of the private credit markets. Is there a bigger pattern here? We'll discuss. Then, Anthropic is rejecting the Pentagon’s demands for unrestricted use of its technology, and we'll hear how business is going for a Main lobster fisherman.

Paramount Skydance appears to have won the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount raised its offer, and rival Netflix refused to match it, saying the deal is “no longer financially attractive.” The merger still has to be approved by federal regulators. We'll learn more, then dig into the current state of streaming services. And later in the program, roughly half of high schoolers planning to go to college are using AI tools in their search.