Strait of Hormuz; Artemis II; Savannah Guthrie; ADA : NPR
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Today’s best stories
President Trump has set a new deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. In a blasphemous social media post, he threatened to bomb Iranian power plants and bridges if the country did not open the main waterway by 8 p.m. ET tomorrow. Last week, Trump said countries that rely on oil passing through the strait should secure it themselves. Civilian infrastructure is protected by international law. Trump also announced that US forces on Sunday rescued a US Air Force officer whose plane was shot down in Iran.
President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House before signing an executive order, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP
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Alex Brandon/AP
- 🎧 NPR’s Carrie Kahn is in Tel Aviv, where she reports First that it had been a “very intense” morning. She says the airspace is not as safe as the United States and Israel claim. A strike in Haifa killed Israelis, and Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates reported intercepting several Iranian missiles. There is concern in the Gulf that its air defense systems will not be able to keep pace if Iran steps up its attacks. Iranian officials said Trump had “resorted to obscenities and nonsense out of sheer desperation and anger.” The Iranian president’s spokesman said the Strait of Hormuz will only be opened once Iran is compensated for the cost of the war.
- 🎧 NPR’s Mara Liasson says the rescue of the US Air Force officer was good for the president, and it would have been worse if it had turned into a hostage situation. But she points out that this situation happened because Iran shot down an American fighter jet, even though Trump said the United States had totally destroyed the country’s military capabilities. Liasson believes that the president’s discussions about his goals regarding the Strait of Hormuz give the impression that he does not have a clear political strategy. It’s a difficult time for the president in a midterm year, Liasson says, because his approval ratings are low and he ran on a promise not to start foreign wars.
- ➡️ The Lebanese government claims that Israel has killed at least 54 doctors since the start of the war with Iran. Some human rights groups say first responders are being targeted – something Israel denies.
NASA’s Artemis II crew is expected to make its closest approach to the Moon this afternoon, following its launch from the Kennedy Space Center last week. As the Orion space capsule circles the moon, astronauts will go further into space than any human before them.
- 🎧 A team of lunar scientists on Earth has identified 35 targets on the moon’s surface for astronauts to observe and photograph, according to Brendan Byrne of Central Florida Public Media. He says that even though robots are already circling the moon and photographing it, the human eye can see things that cameras can’t. The astronauts’ data will allow scientists to better understand the Moon and help them choose landing sites for future robotic missions.
- 📷 The crew of Artemis II has already delivered striking postcards from their voyage. Check out these breathtaking shots of Earth and behind-the-scenes photos of what they got up to in the cabin.
An update to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations, set to take effect at the end of the month, could make it easier for blind students to navigate their college education. The new rule sets new standards for what accessibility should look like. “Just as stairs can prevent people in wheelchairs from accessing government buildings, inaccessible web content and mobile applications can exclude people with various disabilities,” the rule states. The ADA has long required web accessibility, but the government has never established specific technical standards. NPR spoke with blind students. They explained how the lack of digital accessibility blocked their education and made them feel forgotten.
Today show host Savannah Guthrie returns to her role as co-anchor today, more than two months after the disappearance of his mother, Nancy Guthrie. Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the night of January 31. Questions remain about its whereabouts. The Guthrie family publicly responded to the ransom demands with video messages offering to pay for their mother’s return home, but received no response. Savannah Guthrie said her mother largely inspired her to return to work despite her grief. “I won’t let sadness win. For her,” she said.
Life advice
It’s essential that couples talk about money as early as possible and be vulnerable with each other about their finances, according to entrepreneur and author Vivian Tu. She says the first time she found herself “financially naked” in front of her partner, it was out of desperation. She had just started her career on Wall Street, had no money and had just canceled the lease on a cockroach-infested New York apartment. She says opening up to her partner strengthened their relationship and they eventually got married. In her book Well Endowed, she gives advice to young people on making important financial decisions. She shares with Life kit questions couples should ask themselves if they want to lay themselves bare financially.
- 💵 You can start talking about money on the first date if you come at it from a fun place. The answer to a question like: “If I gave you $100,000 to plan a perfect two-week vacation, what would that look like?” could tell you a lot about a person.
- 💵 Before you decide to become exclusive with a partner, discuss things like your career dreams, whether you want to buy a house, and where you want to settle down. Pay attention to how your partner spends their money. This data can help you decide if this person will fit into your life.
- 💵 If you’re thinking about moving and haven’t had any financial conversations yet, now is the time. Talk about what you earn, what you have, what you owe in terms of debt, and what you spend each month.
- 💵 Conversations don’t have to stop with long-term partners. Continue to set goals and ask questions such as if you want to start a family and how big it should be.
Image exhibition
Remains of the Gunsight Mine on the Nopah Mountain Range in Death Valley, California, Sunday, March 22, 2026. Photos for NPR by Krystal Ramirez
Krystal Ramirez for NPR
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Krystal Ramirez for NPR
Botanist Naomi Fraga spent more than 15 years attempting to collect seeds of the rare Death Valley sage to preserve in a California native seed vault. She comes back empty-handed every time. The plant is difficult to study and sample, and climate change threatens its existence. Fraga often hikes the mountainside and drives back roads to find it. Some years it doesn’t flower at all, so there won’t be any seeds. But a big bloom this year gives Fraga another chance to collect seeds. See photos of what she’s found so far in Death Valley.
3 things to know before you leave
Rapper and producer Ye, also known as Kanye West, seen before a concert in 2025 in Shanghai.
Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images
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Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images
- The Wireless Festival in north London has lost several major sponsors and attracted criticism from Prime Minister Keir Starmer after he announced Ye would headline the festival for the full three-night run in July.
- The Writers Guild of America has reached a tentative agreement for a new contract with Hollywood studios. In 2023, the WGA initiated a strike that lasted through the summer and delayed production schedules by several months.
- Political instability and natural disasters hampered attendance at US museums in 2025, according to The art journal annual survey on “the 100 most visited art museums in the world”.
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