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Up First (NPR)

Saudi Oil Tankers Attacked, Trump's New Tariffs, Wisconsin Police Shooting

12 min episode · 2 min read
·
Hadil Al Shelji,Danielle Kurtzleben,Sarah Lehr

Episode

12 min

Read time

2 min

Topics

Design & UX, Books & Authors

AI-Generated Summary

Key Takeaways

  • Oil market vulnerability: Houthi rebels attacked two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, spiking Brent crude over 6% to $100 per barrel before settling below $90. The threatened blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical oil shipping choke point, signals continued energy market instability.
  • Tariff legal maneuvering: Trump's administration replaced an expired 10% global tariff with new 10–12.5% tariffs on 59 countries plus the EU, justified under forced-labor law rather than prior legal authority. The timing was deliberate, designed to maintain business continuity while pursuing a legally distinct justification.
  • Nuclear deal complication: Hours after the US-Saudi agreement allowing American companies to build nuclear plants on Saudi soil was signed, Trump publicly demanded Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords first — a condition absent from the signed document and previously rejected by Riyadh.
  • Police accountability gap: Madison Police lack department-wide body cameras, leaving the Corey Ruiz shooting — where four officers are on leave after a fatal encounter during a minor call — documented only through dashboard cameras and bystander footage, fueling community demands for reform.

What It Covers

NPR's Up First covers three breaking stories: Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers pushing Brent crude to $100 per barrel, Trump's new forced-labor tariffs replacing expired global tariffs, and a fatal police shooting in Madison, Wisconsin.

Key Questions Answered

  • Oil market vulnerability: Houthi rebels attacked two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, spiking Brent crude over 6% to $100 per barrel before settling below $90. The threatened blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical oil shipping choke point, signals continued energy market instability.
  • Tariff legal maneuvering: Trump's administration replaced an expired 10% global tariff with new 10–12.5% tariffs on 59 countries plus the EU, justified under forced-labor law rather than prior legal authority. The timing was deliberate, designed to maintain business continuity while pursuing a legally distinct justification.
  • Nuclear deal complication: Hours after the US-Saudi agreement allowing American companies to build nuclear plants on Saudi soil was signed, Trump publicly demanded Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords first — a condition absent from the signed document and previously rejected by Riyadh.
  • Police accountability gap: Madison Police lack department-wide body cameras, leaving the Corey Ruiz shooting — where four officers are on leave after a fatal encounter during a minor call — documented only through dashboard cameras and bystander footage, fueling community demands for reform.

Notable Moment

Despite polling showing declining presidential approval on economic issues, the Trump administration openly acknowledged timing the new forced-labor tariffs to coincide exactly with the expiring global tariff — prioritizing business simplicity over any appearance of independent policy motivation.

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Episode Transcript

Oil hit $100 a barrel after Iran backed rebels struck two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea. Fears of further escalation is causing foreign diplomats to leave their posts in Iran. Ame Martinez. That is Michelle Martin, and this is up first from NPR News. President Trump's global tariff expired last night, and a new one impacting The US's biggest trading partner took its place. The Supreme Court ruled some of his past tariffs illegal. Will this one survive legal scrutiny? And people in Madison, Wisconsin gathered to remember Corey Ruiz, who they shot and killed him Wednesday during an attempted arrest. Four officers are on leave, and none of them were body cameras. What more do we know about what happened that day? Stay with us. We'll give you news you need to start your day. This message comes from NPR sponsor Carvana. Carvana believes selling your car should be easy. Get a real offer down to the penny picked up from your driveway. You may keep waiting for a catch. There isn't one. Sell today at carvana.com. Pickup fees may apply. This message comes from Jerry. Many people are overpaying on car insurance. Why? Switching providers can be a pain. Jerry helps make the process painless. Jerry is the only app that compares rates from over 50 insurers in minutes and helps you switch fast with no spam calls or hidden fees. Drivers who save with Jerry could save over $1,300 a year. Before you renew your car insurance policy, download the Jerry app or head to jerry.ai/npr. This message comes from Capital One with the VentureX card. Earn unlimited double miles, a $3,300 annual Capital One travel credit, and access to airport lounges. Capital One. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. Details at capital1.com. We're almost two weeks into renewed fighting in The Middle East that many hope would start to wind down, but it keeps escalating. Yeah. There have been new US strikes on Iran, and Iran continues to target American bases in The Gulf and Jordan. The impact is being felt in the global energy markets. NPR's Hadil Al Shelji has been following all this from Istanbul, and she's with us now. Good morning, Hadil. Good morning. So let's start with oil prices. They jumped significantly yesterday. That's right. So Brent crude oil, which is the international standard, jumped over 6% to a $100 a barrel. That's the highest it's been since May. It went down this morning when markets opened back down to under $90. So yesterday's jump came after the Iran backed Yemeni Houthis attacked two Saudi oil tankers trying to cross the Red Sea. The Houthis got involved in the war earlier this week, said it was in retaliation for a siege that Saudi Arabia placed on Yemen and for Saudi attacks on the capital's international airport. Now the rebel group has threatened to blockade the Bebel Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf Of Aden and the Indian …

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