Hormuz Deadlock, Presidential Laugh Lines, Prediction Markets

The US tries again today to unwind the war in Iran with another delegation to Pakistan. It's unclear if Iran and The US will even meet this time. The deadlock in The Middle East is still choking off supply chains worldwide. I'm Ayesha Rasco. And I'm Scott Simon, and this is Up First from NPR News. The US and Iran will both have representatives in Pakistan. What could bring them to the table? The prediction markets like Kalshi and Pali market have been nearly impossible to regulate, but a special forces soldier who placed a suspicious bet on a military operation may have finally crossed the line. And is there anything to laugh about in the media's relationship to president Trump? Tonight is the White House Correspondents Association dinner. So please stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your weekend. This message comes from ADT. Imagine you're enjoying your first free day in months, and the next second, your phone buzzes. A window has been broken at home, and you're miles away. That's why ADT offers professionally installed security systems backed by the most company operated monitoring centers in the industry. With twenty four seven monitoring, they're always keeping watch over your home, so you're always supported during an emergency. When every second counts, count on ADT. Visit adt.com to learn more. This week on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, we asked comedy legend Robert Smigel about the moment he first knew he was funny. When I was like four or five, I could draw really well. So I could draw Fred Flintstone and Snoopy. And then probably a couple years later, I started drawing them having sex. Listen to the Wait Wait Don't Tell Me podcast in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. A US delegation is traveling to Pakistan today for a new round of talks about possible peace with Iran. That's as Iran's foreign minister is also in Pakistan, although Iran has denied that direct talks with The US will take place. All of this occurs as a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon was extended, something Iran demanded in order for those talks to take place. We're joined now by NPR's Kat Lonsdorf in Beirut. Kat, thanks so much. Hey. Good morning. What more can you tell us about The US Iran peace talks? Well, both The US and Iran have representatives in Pakistan, which is a good start and a more promising sign than we've had recently. On The US side, special envoy Steve Witkoff is going, joined by president Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is also in Islamabad, but Iranian officials have made it clear they plan to meet only with Pakistani officials, not with The US. All of these meetings are happening after Trump unilaterally extended the temporary ceasefire with Iran earlier this week, hours before it was set to expire without indicating a new expiration date. Iran has dismissed …