Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.
A U.S. Naval blockade is back in place in the Strait of Hormuz as tensions with Iran escalate.
President Trump now says the U.S.
Will take full control of the key waterway after previously declaring it open for business.
NPR's Tom Bowman reports in order to do that, the U.S.
Would have to sharply reduce Tehran's ability to attack commercial ships.
Full control for the U.S.
Would mean that you have to eliminate or severely reduce Iran's power to fire drones or missiles at commercial ships.
Iran has hit at least seven commercial ships in the past week, damaging some.
And the U.S.
Says nearly a dozen crew members are killed, wounded or missing.
That's NPR's Tom Bowman reporting.
China has announced economic growth of more than 4% in the second quarter, the lowest rate in more than three years.
Danny Vincent reports the slowdown comes amid weak domestic demand and rising oil prices caused by the war in Iran.
China's second quarter growth fell below Beijing's four-year target,
but the authorities said growth for the first half of the year remained on track.
In March, China lowered its annual growth target to between 4.5% and 5%, the least ambitious target
since 1991. A surge in exports helped to support the world's second largest economy,
driven partly by the boom in artificial intelligence and the demand for Chinese electric vehicles.
But spending at home remained weak, with many young people struggling to secure work.