NPR News: 07-03-2026 9PM EDT

Speaker 10:00

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Ryland Barton· Host0:13

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. A fifth of the world's oil used to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Today, it's a fraction of that. Iran's control of the waterway remains a potent weapon as the U.S. tries to negotiate an end to the war, as NPR's Aya Batrawy explains.

Aya Batrawy0:30

Iran has been really clear that management of the Strait of Hormuz will not return to what it was before the war. And they struck two cargo ships just last week because those ships were using a route near Oman that wasn't cleared or approved by Iran's Revolutionary Guard. So their control over this waterway not only pushed oil prices up globally during the war, inflicting pain internationally, it also forced the U.S. to draw down its strategic oil reserves to their lowest levels since 1984.

Ryland Barton· Host0:56

NPR's Aya Batrawy reporting. A wildfire burning southwest of Denver has forced thousands of people to evacuate and destroyed more than 160 structures. The Aspen Acres fire is one of about 40 uncontained large blazes burning in the West, fueled by dry weather and a record lack of snow this past winter. Extreme heat is adding another challenge for Fourth of July celebrations on the National Mall. Triple-digit temperatures, limited shade, and security restrictions could make for a long and potentially dangerous weekend outdoors, as NPR's Windsor Johnston reports.

Speaker 41:27

Visitors will pass through airport-style