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Today's top stories
Vice President Vance will head a U.S. delegation for peace talks with Iran in Pakistan this weekend. Negotiators will meet in the country's capital of Islamabad for crucial talks aimed at ending the ongoing conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran. This is a significant moment for Vance, who has previously made statements about keeping the U.S. out of foreign wars. He faces the challenge of bringing together two countries that have been enemies for nearly 50 years.
- 🎧 NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben tells Up First there is some logic to Vance playing a role in trying to end this conflict, especially if he wants to run for president in 2028. A major objective for the talks is to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The crucial waterway doesn't appear to be fully open even after the ceasefire, and it's unclear where things stand, Kurtzleben says.
- 🎧 As the U.S. and Iran prepare to negotiate a peace deal, the two-day-old ceasefire is showing signs of stress. Iran's Foreign Ministry says it won't take part in the overall talks on Saturday unless Lebanon is included in the ceasefire. Israel says its offensive against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon is not part of the deal. Under pressure from President Trump and other leaders, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he plans to enter into direct talks with Lebanon. Talks between Israel and Lebanon will take place at the ambassador level in Washington. NPR's Carrie Kahn says this is a huge deal because the two countries have never had negotiations like this before.
- ➡️ When Congress returns from recess next week, the GOP will face a high-stakes battle over war funding.
- ➡️ Since the start of the war, governments have blocked the internet, banned social media posts and cut access to commercial satellite imagery. Experts tell NPR that their efforts to censor information have produced mixed results.
The four astronauts of the Artemis II crew are set to return to Earth today after their mission around the moon. The Orion space capsule is set to enter the atmosphere at 7:53 p.m. ET, just southeast of Hawaii. About 13 minutes later, it should splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. To reach this point, the spacecraft will enter Earth's atmosphere at about 25,000 miles per hour, enduring searing temperatures up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 🎧 Returning from space always holds a risk, Brendan Byrne of Central Florida Public Media says. The heat shield, a vital piece of equipment located beneath the capsule, protects the crew from extreme temperatures during reentry. NASA tested it during the previous uncrewed Artemis I mission and found that the heat shield wasn't performing as designed. To mitigate the risk, Byrne says NASA and the spacecraft's crew found a solution: Hit the atmosphere steeper and faster.
- ➡️ Even a short time away from Earth can significantly weaken muscles and bones, because the skeleton is no longer under the constant pull of gravity. To combat this, astronauts use a flywheel for strength and cardio workouts.
First lady Melania Trump delivered a rare public statement yesterday denying that she had any close ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In her speech, she said she is not one of Epstein's victims, and he did not introduce her to her husband, President Trump. The first lady's statement came after her name surfaced in the latest batch of Epstein files released at the end of January. She also urged Congress to take action and hold public hearings to allow Epstein's victims to testify.
Hundreds of communities across the U.S. are awaiting disaster funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. According to internal agency documents obtained by NPR, FEMA owes communities nearly $10 billion. Much of this funding would reimburse local governments for infrastructure repairs they've already made following major disasters. Emergency managers from several states say the funding backlog is having a ripple effect in communities, straining local budgets and delaying or potentially derailing disaster projects that have taken years to plan.
Life advice
When enhanced federal subsidies expired at the end of last year, many people buying health insurance on state and federal exchanges saw their expected monthly premiums jump. To keep costs down, many switched to a high-deductible health plan. These plans offer lower monthly payments, but patients may face steep out-of-pocket costs when they need care. To prepare for thousands in up-front costs, a health savings account could be a good option for you. Here's how to get the most out of your plan and HSA:
- ➡️ If you're enrolled in a bronze or catastrophic plan, you can likely open an HSA. This account allows you to contribute pretax money that grows tax-free, creating a medical piggy bank for yourself. You can use these funds to cover qualified medical expenses.
- ➡️ Preventive care is important, and all marketplace plans must cover certain in-network preventive services at no cost. Knowing the costs of different services helps you choose the right medical appointment for your health needs and budget.
- ➡️ Some hospitals, clinics and other providers offer lower prices for cash payments. You have the right to request an itemized estimate of out-of-pocket costs. Compare this price with what your insurance company would charge if you used it.
Weekend picks
Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
🍿 Movies: Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star as a storybook couple preparing for their wedding in the dark and twisty comedy The Drama. Just days before the big day, she reveals a horrifying truth about her past that threatens their nuptials.
📺 TV: A wave of buzzy new series and a few big finales arrive this spring, from the dystopian drama and Handmaid's Tale spinoff, The Testaments, to Silicon Valley satire The Audacity.
📚 Books: NPR is spotlighting 11 new books releasing this month. The offerings don't exactly radiate escapist good vibes, but they offer the chance to step into someone else's life and get to know their perspective on our shared world, NPR freelance writer Colin Dwyer says.
🎵 Music: Singer-songwriter Sarah Kinsley dives into a more direct and vulnerable approach on her new EP, Fleeting. She discusses the shift in style on World Cafe.
❓Quiz: This quiz has a little of everything, from questions on politics to one about a twist in a movie that just hit theaters. Hint: this newsletter's next section will help you with one question.
3 things to know before you go
- It's not even tee time yet, and the Masters has gone viral. Patrons noticed that concession prices have remained low for decades despite inflation. A pimento cheese sandwich costs $1.50, a price it has held since 2002.
- Women in the U.S. gave birth to roughly 710,000 fewer children last year than at the country's peak in 2007, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- A few years ago, John's daughter Keane experienced strange medical symptoms. While John supported his child with the undiagnosed disorder, an older man who encountered them outside praised them, saying he was a great dad and the young girl was doing amazing. John says the unsung hero's words changed their lives.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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