Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) President Donald Trump accused China of interfering with US elections in 2020, threatening to upend ties with the world’s second-biggest economy as he focuses on securing a victory in the midterms in November.
2) Concerns are growing that the US and Iran will intensify hostilities, with the sides clashing for a sixth straight day and Tehran refusing to back down over the Strait of Hormuz. The US hit southern Iran overnight, widening the scope of its targets by striking six road bridges, according to Iranian state media. There were separate reports of attacks on the southern town of Bushehr, which houses the country’s only nuclear power plant, and the western province of Lorestan.
3) SpaceX said it will aim to launch its Starship rocket again in a few days after aborting Thursday’s mission when some of its engines didn’t fire up, sending shares lower.Starship was slated to take off on its 13th major mission from SpaceX’s South Texas launch facility, called Starbase, at 5:45 p.m. local time. But right at the planned liftoff time, plumes of smoke erupted from the launch tower, and the rocket remained in place.