NPR News: 07-18-2026 8AM EDT

Windsor Johnston· Host0:00

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Iran has kept effective control over the Strait of Hormuz in the past few days. NPR's Emily Feng reports ship tracking data show the number of ships able to pass through the waterway is now at a three-week low.

Emily Feng0:18

The US has been encouraging ships to use a southern passage in the Strait of Hormuz that hugs the coast of Oman. But ship data shows vessels have not been taking that route in the last three days. And of the handful of ships transiting the strait this week, about half are Iranian-flagged ships. On Saturday, Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had taken down two oil tankers with mines in the strait, a claim US CENTCOM said was false. But the uncertainty about the safety of the strait has continued to stop commercial ships and their insurance companies from taking the risky route. Iran continues to share details of the tolls it says it is charging vessels to cross, and said this weekend it had proposed a new rule for an environmental fee on ships. Emily Feng, NPR News.

Windsor Johnston· Host1:03

Federal health officials improperly shared Medicaid data with ICE in January, and the immigration agency later provided the information to a contractor. NPR's Jude Joffe-Block reports the disclosure was revealed in a recent federal court filing.

Jude Joffe-Block1:20

Palantir pulls together various data sources in an app that ICE officers can use to locate immigrants' home addresses. Last year, more than 20 states sued to stop federal