Summary4 min read

NPR News Now: March 13, 2026 – 11AM EDT

Host: Korva Coleman
Duration: ~5 minutes

Episode Overview

This concise NPR News Now update delivers the top headlines at 11AM EDT on March 13, 2026. The news focus includes a tragic U.S. military aviation incident in Iraq, evolving international responses to sanctions and war in Iran, a synagogue attack in Michigan, a campus shooting in Virginia, the rising tide of misinformation fueled by the Iran conflict, and significant U.S. weather events.

Key Discussion Points

1. U.S. Military Plane Collision in Iraq

[00:00 – 01:03]
- Incident Summary: Two U.S. Air Force KC135 refueling tankers collided in western Iraq near the Jordan border. One crashed, resulting in the deaths of all six crew members; the other landed safely.
- No Hostile Fire: CENTCOM confirmed no evidence of hostile or friendly fire.
- Ongoing Operations: Rescue efforts persisted overnight.
- Broader Military Context: The Pentagon stated U.S. bombardment of Iran will intensify, specifically to disrupt Iran’s mine-laying abilities in the Strait of Hormuz—a crucial passage for global oil.
- Military Protocol: Names of fallen troops withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Quote:
- “CENTCOM said there was no hostile or friendly fire involved in the mishap.”
  — Quill Lawrence, [00:28]
- “The Pentagon said bombardment of Iran will continue to intensify and that US Forces are targeting Iran's ability to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's oil supply transits.”
  — Quill Lawrence, [00:47]

2. International Response to Oil Sanctions

[01:03 – 02:02]
- Germany's Criticism: Chancellor Friedrich Merz openly rebukes the Trump administration’s temporary lifting of U.S. sanctions on Russian oil, suggesting it's a misguided policy in response to rising energy prices amid U.S. and Israeli military actions in Iran.
- Energy Markets: Merz underscores the crisis as a “price problem not a supply problem,” highlighting efforts by Germany and others to stabilize prices via international reserves.
- Concerns Over Ukraine: Merz cautions against Russia leveraging the Iran conflict to undermine Ukraine.
Quote:
- “He [Merz] went on to say there is a price problem but not a supply problem when it comes to oil.”
  — Rob Schmitz, [01:28]
- “He wants to ensure Russia does not exploit the war in Iran to weaken Ukraine.”
  — Rob Schmitz, [01:38]

3. Synagogue Attack in Michigan

[02:02 – 02:57]
- Incident Details: At Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township outside Detroit, a man named Ghazali rammed his car into the synagogue and was killed by security after attempting a further attack.
- Governor’s Response: Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer visited the site, condemning antisemitism and urging a reduction in inflammatory rhetoric.
- Federal Investigation: Authorities conducted a raid of the attacker’s home; Ghazali was a naturalized citizen from Lebanon whose family died in Israeli airstrikes.
Quote:
- “We will fight this ancient and rampant evil. We will stand together as we do it, and we will call it out. We must lower the rhetoric in this state and in this country.”
  — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, [02:30]

4. Campus Shooting at Old Dominion University

[02:57 – 03:36]
- Incident Summary: An ROTC instructor was fatally shot and two others wounded by a gunman in a classroom. The gunman, who died after being subdued by students, is under FBI investigation for terrorism.
- National Context: Incident follows and is potentially connected to unrest tied to the Iran conflict.

5. Misinformation Surge Around Iran Conflict

[03:36 – 04:21]
- Spread of Disinformation: Princeton’s Windsor Johnston details how fake and AI-generated content about the Iran conflict is spreading on social platforms.
- Expert Insight: Dr. Samuel Woolley highlights the rollback of content moderation at major social media firms (X, TikTok), enabling unchecked propagation of false narratives.
- Dangers: The ease with which propaganda can be disguised as legitimate reporting is increasing public confusion.
Quote:
- “Social media companies have massively dialed back their content moderation. They are no longer working to mitigate the effects and the spread of misinformation. So it's also combined with AI slop.”
  — Samuel Woolley, [03:54]

6. U.S. Weather Hazards

[04:21 – 04:41]
- Weather Systems and Alerts: An atmospheric river is impacting the Pacific Northwest; winter storm warnings are in effect for the Rockies, Plains, and Great Lakes, with possible travel disruptions.

Notable Quotes & Moments

On U.S. military strategy:
"The Pentagon said bombardment of Iran will continue to intensify and that US Forces are targeting Iran's ability to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's oil supply transits."
— Quill Lawrence, [00:47]
On antisemitism in Michigan:
"We will fight this ancient and rampant evil. We will stand together as we do it, and we will call it out. We must lower the rhetoric in this state and in this country."
— Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, [02:30]
On global disinformation:
"Social media companies have massively dialed back their content moderation. They are no longer working to mitigate the effects and the spread of misinformation. So it's also combined with AI slop."
— Samuel Woolley, [03:54]

Timestamps for Key Segments

[00:00] U.S. plane collision in Iraq, military and economic implications
[01:03] German chancellor criticizes U.S. policy on Russian oil
[02:02] Michigan synagogue attack and state response
[02:57] FBI investigates campus terror shooting in Virginia
[03:36] Surge of misinformation concerning the Iran conflict
[04:21] Weather warnings for U.S. regions

This episode offers a succinct but information-rich roundup with focus on military developments, international diplomacy, domestic security, disinformation risks, and emerging U.S. weather threats—reflecting the interconnected crises shaping early 2026.

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Transcript14 lines

[00:01]
A
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. The Pentagon says all six crew members who were aboard a US Military refueling plane have died in a collision with another plane in western Iraq. The refueling plane crash landed. The second plane involved in the collision landed safely. NPR's Quill Lawrence reports.
[00:20]
B
CENTCOM announced that two U.S. refueling tanker aircraft were involved in an incident in friendly airspace. One of them, a KC135 tanker, went down in western Iraq, which borders Jordan. The second tanker landed safely. CENTCOM said there was no hostile or friendly fire involved in the mishap. The KC135 is used to refuel jets in mid air and usually carries a small crew of three to six airmen. Rescue operations continued through the night. Central Command does not identify fallen troops until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified. The Pentagon said bombardment of Iran will continue to intensify and that US Forces are targeting Iran's ability to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's oil supply transits. Que Lawrence, NPR News.
[01:04]
A
Germany's chancellor is criticizing the Trump administration for temporarily lifting sanctions on Russian oil. The Trump administration says this is intended to bring down surging energy prices in the midst of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. And NPR's Rob Schmitz reports from Berlin.
[01:22]
C
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking to reporters during an official visit to Norway, called Trump's move to lift sanctions on Russia wrong. He went on to say there is a price problem but not a supply problem when it comes to oil. And he said he wanted to know what other factors led the US Government to make this decision. The US Temporarily lifted some of its sanctions on Russia late Thursday, allowing for the delivery and sale of Russian oil. Mertz said he wants to ensure Russia does not exploit the war in Iran to weaken Ukraine. And as far as rising oil prices, he pointed to the release of international oil reserves in recent days by countries including Germany, which is intended to bring down those prices. Rob Schmitz, NPR News, Berlin.
[02:02]
A
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was at a suburban Detroit temple this morning one day after an attack on the synagogue. From member station WDET. Russ McNamara has more.
[02:13]
D
The attacker, identified by authorities as a man, Ghazali, was killed by security guards at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township after he rammed his vehicle into the building. Talking to reporters, Governor Whitmer said she couldn't speak to the motivations of the attacker, but said anti Semitism is not welcome in Michigan.
[02:30]
E
We will fight this ancient and rampant evil. We will stand together as we do it, and we will call it out. We must lower the rhetoric in this state and in this country.
[02:44]
D
Overnight, federal authorities raided Ghazali's home in a nearby suburb. He was a naturalized citizen from Lebanon, and his family was killed by Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon. For NPR news, I'm Russ McNamara in Detroit.
[02:57]
A
You're listening to NPR. The FBI is also investigating a terrorism incident at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. A gunman shot and killed an ROTC instructor in a classroom yesterday and wounded two other people. The gunman was found dead after other ROTC students subdued him. The conflict involving Iran is fueling a wave of misinformation online. NPR's Windsor Johnston reports. Experts say fake images, recycled video and AI generated posts are spreading rapidly across social media, complicating efforts to understand what's really happening.
[03:36]
F
Experts say the confusion is being amplified by changes inside social media companies, including X and TikTok. Samuel Woolley is an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh who studies how artificial intelligence can be used to manipulate public opinion online.
[03:55]
G
Social media companies have massively dialed back their content moderation. They are no longer working to mitigate the effects and the spread of misinformation. So it's also combined with AI slop.
[04:09]
F
Woolley says the source of propaganda online can be misleading. Anyone can create it and make it appear to come from someone or someplace else. Windsor Johnston, NPR News, Washington.
[04:21]
A
There are a number of weather hazards facing the US this weekend. An atmospheric river is sliding into the Pacific Northwest and the upper Rockies and Plains. There are winter storm warnings as well up for the Great Lakes. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News, from Washington.
[04:41]
H
This week on the NPR Politics podcast, the war in Iran is rippling through the global economy, and we're unpacking what that could mean for this November's midterms. Plus, detailed reporting on the tactics ICE is using to surveil American citizens. Listen this week on the NPR Politics podcast on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.