NPR News: 03-11-2026 10AM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now: March 11, 2026, 10AM EDT

Overview
This NPR News Now episode delivers a concise roundup of major headlines as of March 11, 2026, focusing on escalations in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. inflation and economic news, a special election runoff in Georgia, ongoing debates about National Guard presence at polling stations, catastrophic tornadoes in the Midwest, and new state legislation limiting law enforcement use of masks in Washington and Oregon.

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Key News Segments & Insights

1. Conflict in the Strait of Hormuz

• U.S. Strikes on Iranian Vessels:
  • The U.S. military reports sinking 16 Iranian vessels, alleging they were equipped to deploy mines in the Strait of Hormuz, effectively disrupting global oil shipments.
  • Korva Coleman (00:18):

    “That very narrow body of water is effectively closed by conflict. It’s cut off oil shipments to the world from Persian Gulf countries.”

• Escalation Impacting Civilians:
  • Eyewitness accounts describe severe bombing and significant destruction in Tehran and Isfahan, with multistory residential buildings and cultural landmarks damaged.
  • Eh Batrawi (00:47):

    “People who've left Tehran through the Turkish border have been telling NPR they're fleeing because the sky is red from bombings... we've also seen damage emerging from centuries old landmarks and palaces.”

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2. U.S. Economic Snapshot

• Inflation & Market Reaction:
  • February inflation was moderate at 2.4%, as expected, but the ongoing conflict with Iran is driving up gasoline prices—up 60 cents per gallon since the war began.
  • Scott Horsley (01:21):

    “The US War with Iran has triggered a spike in gasoline prices... Gas prices were already creeping up last month, along with rent and grocery prices.”

• Company Outlooks:
  • Campbell Soup forecasts falling sales as lower-income shoppers cut back, and tariffs further raise costs.

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3. Georgia Congressional Special Election

• Runoff Announced:
  • The runoff between Democrat Sean Harris and Republican Clay Fuller (endorsed by former President Trump) will decide who fills Marjorie Taylor Greene’s vacant seat.
  • Korva Coleman (02:02):

    “Democrat Sean Harris will face Republican Clay Fuller... They're running to fill the seat of former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.”

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4. Polling Place Security & National Guard Debate

• Public Opinion on National Guard at Polls:
  • Nearly half of Americans (46%) support deploying National Guard to polling sites; support much higher among Republicans, despite such deployment being illegal.
  • Miles Parks (02:34):

    “Experts NPR spoke with said those numbers could indicate that many people do not know it's illegal for the federal government to deploy troops to monitor voting and that Trump has falsely but effectively convinced many that voter fraud is a widespread problem in American elections.”

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5. Severe Weather in the Midwest

• Tornadoes in Indiana and Illinois:
  • A tornado in Lake Township, Indiana, resulted in two deaths and “total devastation”; even livestock were found loose.
  • Rob Churchill (03:32):

    “There were houses that were collapsed. There were people trapped in houses. There's livestock loose.”

  • Exceptionally large hail (up to 5 inches wide) cited in southern Illinois, with fresh tornado watches issued for Indiana and eastern Ohio.

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6. New Masking Laws for Law Enforcement

• Legislation in Oregon and Washington:
  • Newly passed bills restrict mask use for all levels of law enforcement, primarily responding to increased masking by federal immigration officers.
  • Javier Valdez, State Senator (04:30):

    “No one should have to live in fear when they are dealing with our law enforcement officials. We need to work with them and they need to know who they are and can't hide their identity.”

  • The bills await governors’ signatures. Reference to California’s similar (but legally challenged) law.

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Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “[The Strait of Hormuz is] effectively closed by conflict. It’s cut off oil shipments to the world from Persian Gulf countries.”
  — Korva Coleman, 00:23

• “People who've left Tehran... they're fleeing because the sky is red from bombings. And they have also reported multi story residential buildings being flattened in Tehran.”
  — Eh Batrawi, 00:47

• “The US War with Iran has triggered a spike in gasoline prices. AAA says gas prices have jumped about 60 cents a gallon since the war began.”
  — Scott Horsley, 01:21

• “No one should have to live in fear when they are dealing with our law enforcement officials. We need to work with them and they need to know who they are and can't hide their identity.”
  — Javier Valdez, 04:30

• “There were houses that were collapsed. There were people trapped in houses. There's livestock loose.”
  — Rob Churchill, 03:32

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Key Timestamps

• 00:18–01:08 — Strait of Hormuz conflict, U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran, civilian impact
• 01:08–02:02 — Inflation report, impact on gas and consumer prices, Campbell Soup financial outlook
• 02:02–02:34 — Georgia special election runoff, polling place security survey
• 02:34–03:11 — National Guard polling place debate, public opinion stats
• 03:11–04:08 — Tornado and weather damage across Indiana and Illinois, storm aftermath
• 04:08–04:51 — Law enforcement masking legislation in Oregon and Washington

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For further in-depth details and ongoing updates, continue following NPR News Now.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. The U.S. military says it struck and sank 16 Iranian vessels today. The Pentagon says these were capable of placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz. That very narrow body of water is effectively closed by conflict. It's cut off oil shipments to the world from Persian Gulf countries. A British maritime organization says three ships have been hit in the region today. NPR's Eh Batrawi reports. The U.S. and Israel continue to hit sites within Iran as well.

[Eh Batrawi]

People who've left Tehran through the Turkish border have been telling NPR they're fleeing because the sky is red from bombings. And they have also reported multi story residential buildings being flattened in Tehran. Now, in addition to homes, we've also seen seen damage emerging from centuries old landmarks and palaces in Tehran and cities south like Isfahan, 300 miles south of Tehran.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Eye Batrou reporting. Stocks open mix this morning as investors digest a fairly mild report on inflation. NPR Scott Horsley reports. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped about 80 points in early trading.

[Scott Horsley]

A new report from the Labor Department shows annual inflation in February was 2.4%. The about what forecasters had expected. And similar to the previous month, the March cost of living index could be a lot uglier now. The US War with Iran has triggered a spike in gasoline prices. AAA says gas prices have jumped about 60 cents a gallon since the war began. Gas prices were already creeping up last month, along with rent and grocery prices. Falling prices for used cars and auto insurance helped keep the February inflation rate in check. The Campbell Soup Company is forecasting a drop in sales this year as it says lower income shoppers are cutting back. The soup maker tariffs are raising costs. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

[Korva Coleman]

A special congressional election in Georgia yesterday will go to a runoff in April. Democrat Sean Harris will face Republican Clay Fuller, who was endorsed by President Trump. They're running to fill the seat of former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. A new survey shows nearly half of all Americans say they'd support the idea of National Guard members patrolling polling places in the US in the November elections. The survey finds Republicans are especially open to the move. But as NPR's Miles Parks reports, such action is not legal.

[Miles Parks]

President Trump hasn't explicitly said he wants to use the National Guard to monitor this year's elections but it's something voting officials have been worried about since Trump did say he wished he had deployed the Guard in 2020. A new NPR PBS News Marist poll finds such unprecedented action would be supported by 46% of Americans and roughly 3 in 4 Republicans. Experts NPR spoke with said those numbers could indicate that many people do not know it's illegal for the federal government to deploy troops to monitor voting and that Trump has falsely but effectively convinced many that voter fraud is a widespread problem in American elections. Miles Parks, NPR News, Washington.

[Korva Coleman]

On Wall street, the Dow is now down about 100 points. This is NPR. Officials in northern Indiana say a tornado there yesterday killed two people in Lake township. That's about 50 miles southeast of Chicago. Lake Township Fire Chief Rob Churchill says the tornado wreckage is extensive, total devastation.

[Rob Churchill]

There were houses that were collapsed. There were people trapped in houses. There's livestock loose.

[Korva Coleman]

There were tornadoes in southern Illinois yesterday as well. And the National Weather Service says the storms dropped exceptionally large hail up to 5 inches wide in some cases this morning. Forecasters have posted fresh tornado watches for for parts of Indiana and eastern Ohio. Washington state and Oregon have passed new restrictions on the use of masks by law enforcement. As NPR's Martin Costi reports, the states are trying to rein in federal officers.

[Martin Kosti]

Oregon passed its bill last week, Washington on Monday. The bills restrict masks for all law enforcement, local, state and federal, but legislators are primarily concerned with federal immigration officers. The sponsor of the Washington bill is Democratic state Senator Javier Valdez. He says last year's surge in masking by those immigration officers inspired the legislation.

[Javier Valdez]

No one should have to live in fear when they are dealing with our law enforcement officials. We need to work with them and they need to know who they are and can't hide their identity.

[Martin Kosti]

A similar law passed in California last year, but it was blocked by a federal judge because it had a carve out for state police. The Oregon and Washington bills now await the signatures of the state's governors. Martin Kosti, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

And I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News, from Washington.

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