Here & Now Anytime

Iran launched attacks on the world's biggest liquefied natural gas complex in Qatar on Thursday. These strikes are in retaliation for Israel's attack on a major natural gas field in Iran. NPR's Aya Batrawy shares the latest. 

Then, AP's Cristiana Mesquita explains what life is like now in Cuba, where there's an energy shortage, frequent blackouts and an uncertain future. President Trump pledged to do "something with Cuba very soon," and the island's socialist government vowed to resist any U.S. aggression. 

And, more than a month into the shutdown, Transportation Security Administration officers are still working without pay. Christine Vitel, a TSA officer at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago and executive vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 777, shares the conditions workers are facing. 

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President Trump was scheduled to go to China for a summit in Beijing at the end of the month, but he has postponed the trip to focus on the Middle East. Professor David Lampton explains China’s interests in the conflict and the significance of a U.S.-China meeting.

Then, Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned on Tuesday in protest of the war in Iran, saying the country posed “no imminent threat to the U.S.” Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey explains the significance of the departure.

And, the Wall Street Journal reports Amazon plans to cut back on how many packages it sends through the U.S. Postal Service. Roben Farzad of the Full Disclosure podcast explains what this could mean for the Postal Service’s already fragile financial situation.

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Israel says it killed two of Iran’s highest-ranking leaders in an airstrike on Monday night. And President Trump is bashing allies for declining to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed. Jon Finer, former principal deputy national security advisor to former President Joe Biden, joins us to discuss what this means for potential diplomacy in this war. 

Then, artificial intelligence is playing an important role in the war in Iran. We look at how it's being used and how it is changing warfare with Paul Scharre of the Center for a New American Security. 

And, the internet is full of memes around the ongoing war, many made and posted by the White House account on X. Nottingham Trent University's Tine Munk weighs in on the objective of these memes.

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As the war in Iran enters its third week, the Straight of Hormuz remains effectively closed, with Iran blocking oil tankers from moving through. This has caused oil and gas prices to skyrocket. Now, President Trump is demanding U.S. allies help reopen it. Journalist Negar Mortazavi details the latest in the war.

Then, new artificial intelligence-powered headsets will give Burger King workers a "friendliness score" based on their customer interactions. Law professor Ifeoma Ajunwa unpacks the ethical questions surrounding this type of workplace surveillance.

And, the Irish music scene in Japan is growing, and O'Jizo is one of the bands driving it. WBUR's Amelia Mason reports on the band’s contemporary grooves and inventive arrangements.

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"Sinners”, the horror film that blends blues music, history and vampires, is up for a record-breaking 16 Academy Awards. One of those nominations is for the new Best Casting category. Casting director Francine Maisler joins us.

Then, the Norwegian film “Sentimental Value” is up for nine Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Co-writer and director Joachim Trier joins us to discuss the film.

And, “Hamnet,” based on Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel of the same name, is nominated for eight awards. Director Chloe Zhao, who co-wrote the screenplay with O’Farrell, and Jessie Buckley, who stars as William Shakespeare’s wife Agnes, join us.

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