9.2.26 Pentagon’s upheaval, Venezuela’s earthquakes, and Dolly Parton’s roots

**Lindsay Mast** (0:05)
Good morning, upheaval in the US military as the Iran War draws down supplies.

**Nick Eicher** (0:10)
And the data center divide that and more on Washington Wednesday with Hunter Baker.
Also today, World Tour, the problem of earthquake recovery in Venezuela.
Later, Dolly Parton's humble beginnings.

**Dolly Parton** (0:23)
I know exactly what I'm doing and I can change it at any time.

**Nick Eicher** (0:26)
And World Commentator Maria Baer on AI and the Lost Art of Friendship.

**Lindsay Mast** (0:38)
It's Wednesday, September 2nd. This is The World and Everything In It from listener-supported World Radio. I'm Lindsay Mast.

**Nick Eicher** (0:44)
And I'm Nick Eicher. Good morning.

**Lindsay Mast** (0:49)
Up next, Kent Covington with today's news.

**Kent Covington** (0:53)
The US military began striking Iranian targets again on Tuesday along the Strait of Hormuz.
Central Command says the targets belong to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. President Trump announced the strikes on social media, calling them large and powerful. He says it answers an Iranian attempt to mine the Strait, as well as a missile attack against a US military base in Jordan.
And the pressure is not only military. A temporary ceasefire deal between the two sides signed in June did not hold. And the Trump administration is now turning the screws on Iran's economy. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant.

**Scott Besant** (1:30)
We are going to economically fixate this regime. And as President Trump said, the reason the MOU did not work, they were not ready for a deal.
My job is to make sure that they want to have a deal and they will want to have one.

**Kent Covington** (1:48)
Iran's President Masoud Pashashian claims Tehran would go back to the June terms immediately if Washington does. Meantime, Trump says the strait is clear of mines, but oil prices rose once again on Tuesday. He met with executives from oil and gas companies at the White House yesterday to discuss ways to bring gas prices down.
There will not be another government shutdown, at least not before election day. Lawmakers in the House saw to that on Tuesday as they gave final approval to a short-term spending bill.

**SPEAKER_6** (2:20)
On this vote, the yeas are 370, the nays are 48, two-thirds being in the affirmative. The rules are suspended.
The Senate amendment is agreed to.

**Kent Covington** (2:32)
That sends it to President Trump's desk for a signature. The government's budget year ends at the end of this month, and without new funding by then, much of the federal government would close. Instead, agencies will keep running at current spending levels through at least December 11th, that pushes the next funding fight past November elections.
The man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk will stand trial for murder. That is the ruling from Utah judge Tony Graff.

**Tony Graff** (3:02)
It is hereby ordered that the defendant Tyler James Robinson is bound over for trial in the Fourth Judicial District Court.

**Kent Covington** (3:10)
The judge heard final arguments from both sides yesterday on the question of whether accused shooter Tyler Robinson should be tried in the case. Prosecutor Ryan McBride argued that there was more than enough to go on, including DNA, video and circumstantial evidence, and even a confession from Robinson himself.

**Ryan McBride** (3:28)
Any one of those four categories of evidence would provide evidence, certainly probable cause, and possibly proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is the man who shot Charlie Kirk. And in this case, we have all four categories of evidence.

**Kent Covington** (3:43)
Prosecutors also argued that the shooting endangered several bystanders who were attending the crowded event at Utah Valley University, but defense attorney Stacey Visser argued that was not the case.

**Stacey Visser** (3:53)
There were no actual threats by the assailant to the third party. There was no evidence that would suggest that anyone else was threatened.

**Kent Covington** (4:05)
Robinson still has not entered a plea and could face the death penalty if convicted.
Tropical storm Edward crashed ashore near the Texas-Louisiana line Tuesday afternoon with sustained winds around 60 miles per hour. Forecasters had also called for storm surge of up to five feet, but officials have been more worried about Edward as a rain event. Brian Reithardt with the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday.

**Brian Reithardt** (4:31)
We're forecasting rainfall totals of three to six inches, up to a maximum of nine inches for parts of the upper Texas coast, with two to four inches possible in far southwestern Louisiana.

**Kent Covington** (4:42)
Edward fell apart as it pushed inland overnight, but the rain kept falling, flood watches are in effect, and Houston could see scattered downpours today.
A Republican congressman is pushing for legal action against alleged former clients of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. WORLD's Harrison Waters reports now from Washington.