Kristi Noem; Israel strikes Beirut; Epstein files : NPR

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Today’s best stories

President Trump has fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and named Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma as his choice to replace her. On social media, Trump said Noem would take on the role of “Special Envoy for the Americas Shield,” a new security initiative he said the administration would announce on Saturday. Mullin, a relatively new face in the Senate, has established himself as a close ally of the president. The Senate will need to confirm Mullin for the DHS role before it can begin. Here’s what you need to know about Trump’s choice.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem attends a meeting in the Oval Office on November 17, 2025.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

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Win McNamee/Getty Images

• 🎧 Noem’s firing comes after Republicans and Democrats questioned her leadership. in two separate hearings this week, said NPR’s Ximena Bustillo First. They asked questions about the agency’s effectiveness in distributing disaster relief funds and how it spent its money. Throughout her tenure, Noem defended the agency’s actions, but that backfired after January’s events in Minnesota, where immigration agents killed two U.S. citizens. Events in the state are a big part of why the agency is now in its third week without funding. If approved, one of Mullins’ first tasks will be to address the lack of confidence in immigration enforcement.

As Iran war enters seventh day, Israeli military says it detected missiles launched from Iranand its air defense systems worked to intercept them. Iran’s retaliation comes after Israel said it had launched a “vast wave” of airstrikes on Tehran, with additional attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs. Israel has issued an evacuation order for this area of ​​Beirut. The Iranian Red Crescent reports that since the United States and Israel attacked Iran, more than 1,300 people have been killed. Check out some of the key updates NPR is reporting on.

• 🎧 NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi, who is in Beirut, says the city is full of displaced peopleand she had difficulty finding a hotel room for herself because they are all full. People who cannot find housing sleep in their cars or on the streets. More than 95,000 people are currently displaced, according to Lebanese officials. The attacks in Lebanon come after Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group, launched rockets into Israel earlier this week. Al-Shalchi says the Lebanese government wants to distance itself from the militant group. Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar told Al-Shalchi yesterday that he had asked the country’s security authorities to issue arrest warrants for the Hezbollah members who launched the rockets.
• ➡️ Oscar-nominated Iranian dissident Mehdi Mahmoudian fears his country faces difficulties an endless cycle of violence. He joins Morning edition will welcome Leila Fadel to discuss her thoughts on this precarious chapter in Iran’s history.
• ➡️ Israel and Iran have been fighting each other for almost 50 years. But before that, there was cooperation between the countries. Direct line explores the complex history of these countries through the life of Iranian Jew Habib Elghanian.

It has been two months since American forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. During this period, the United States and Venezuela rapidly improved their relations. Officials from both countries have concluded oil deals. They are now discussing critical minerals and have agreed to restore diplomatic relations.

• 🎧 This week, U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum met with Venezuelan officials.including Venezuelan Secretary of the Interior Diosdado Cabello. Cabello is wanted in the United States on narcoterrorism charges. NPR’s Eyder Peralta, who is in Caracas, says the meeting could have been awkward, but instead there were lots of smiles. Burgum says the Venezuelan government will soon facilitate U.S. mining in his country. Burgum said China’s control over critical minerals, which are used for computer chips and other uses, poses one of the most serious strategic threats to national security. Venezuela likely has these same minerals, and the country could play a key role in breaking U.S. dependence on China.

The Justice Department released additional files on Epstein involving sexual abuse allegations against Trump. after an NPR investigation revealed that officials withheld dozens of pages. The new 16-page version includes summaries of FBI interviews with a woman who accused the president of abusing her when she was a minor. Now that these documents are public, there are still 37 pages missing from the database, according to NPR calculations.

Deep dive

Ivermectin, the antiparasitic drug that became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, is making a comeback. People are adopting it as an alternative treatment for cancer. Although it effectively fights parasitic infections like roundworms and scabies in humans, and can help fight malaria, its reputation remains politically polarizing. Scientists once hoped it could treat COVID-19, but dozens of studies have confirmed it offered no benefit. Despite this disappointing research, misinformation has fueled the use of this drug during the pandemic. Today, the drug’s reputation continues to grow in conservative political circles as a panacea for various illnesses.

• 💊 State legislatures in Tennessee, Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana and Texas voted to make the drug available over the counter. Doctors fear this action could lead people to abuse the drug or replace it with a proven treatment.
• 💊 Oncologist Jonathan Mizrahi said he started seeing interest in the cancer drug about a year ago, when he noticed nearly half of his new patients were asking him about it.
• 💊 Mizrahi’s research found that the myths began to explode on social media after actor Mel Gibson suggested last year on Joe Rogan’s podcast that ivermectin had cured three of his friends of advanced cancer.

Weekend Picks

Mitski described Nothing’s about to happen to me as a concept album about a woman who hides from society in neglected solitude.

Lexie Alley

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Lexie Alley

Find out what NPR watch, read and listen this weekend:

🍿 Movies: British actress Lesley Manville spoke about her new film Winter breakhis role in Oedipus on Broadway, and how she balanced stage and screen for decades with Morning edition host Michel Martin.

📺 Television: FX love story follows the courtship, marriage and high tension of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette as one of the most watched couples in the world.

📚 Books: March always brings a plethora of new books, and this year is no exception. Skip the doom scrolling and instead mark your calendar for these exciting post highlights.

🎵 Music: Mitski describes Nothing’s about to happen to me as a concept album about a woman living in neglected solitude and labeled as deviant when she ventures outside.

❓Quizzes: This week’s quiz was a bit tricky. Don’t let the photos fool you. I scored a nine out of 10, so I know you can do the same or better.

3 things to know before you leave

Elite distance runners take off at the start of the Atlanta Half Marathon on March 1. Jess McClain, middle left, led much of the race before an official car knocked her off course.

Matthew Demarko/via Atlanta Track Club

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Matthew Demarko/via Atlanta Track Club

1. Top Atlanta Half Marathon finishers are urging U.S. track officials to secure world championship spots for Jess McClain and two other athletes. Their request comes after an official racing vehicle misdirected riders off the course, jeopardizing their qualification for the international team.
2. A Lancet Study finds pregnant women in emergency rooms used less Tylenol after Trump said in September 2025 that it could increase their babies’ risk of autism. Scientists deny any proven link.
3. For the first time ever, women known primarily for their country music topped the chart. Billboard Top 100 singles chart and the Billboard 200 albums ranked simultaneously this week.

This newsletter was published by Suzanne Nuyen.