NPR News: 03-13-2026 1PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now – March 13, 2026, 1PM EDT

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Duration: 5 minutes
Theme: A timely update on U.S. military action in Iran, domestic security events, changing immigration policies in Texas, alarming drought data in the west, and upcoming U.S-China trade talks.

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Episode Overview

This episode covers fast-moving international news centered on escalating U.S. military operations in Iran, domestic violence and security concerns, legislative adjustments regarding immigration enforcement in Texas, worsening drought conditions in the Western United States, and forthcoming high-stakes U.S.-China trade discussions.

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Key Discussion Points

1. U.S.-Iran Conflict Intensifies

Timestamps: 00:01–00:59

• President Trump’s Statements: Trump displayed celebratory rhetoric on social media about assassinating Iranian leaders and foreshadowed prolonged conflict in Iran.
  • Danielle Kurtzleben reports Trump said the U.S. has “unlimited ammunition and plenty of time,” warning adversaries to “watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today.” [00:21]
  • Trump also declared:

    "They've been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them. What a great honor it is to do so." [00:35]

  • The military forecasted the “heaviest day of strikes on Iran” as per Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and General Dan Kane.
  • A preliminary assessment implicates the U.S. in a missile strike that hit an Iranian girls' school earlier in the week.

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2. Domestic Security Incidents

Timestamps: 00:59–02:18

• Michigan Synagogue Attack:
  • FBI is investigating a targeted attack against the Jewish community in Michigan, perpetrated by a naturalized U.S. citizen from Lebanon whose relatives were killed in a recent Israeli strike.
• Virginia Campus Shooting:
  • Deadly shooting incident at Old Dominion University, Virginia, transpired within hours of the Michigan attack.
• Analysis by Security Expert Juliette Kayem:
  • “The evidence right now shows that they are likely unconnected and the FBI has not said that they're treating them as similar, obviously to terror related events. We'll be careful about motivation at this stage, occurred on the same day and so they will look at any connection. But the modes of attack are different, the histories of the attackers are different.” [01:37]
  • Emphasis on authorities’ caution about quickly linking these incidents.

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3. Immigration Enforcement Policy in Austin, Texas

Timestamps: 02:18–02:58

• New City Guidelines:
  • Austin leaders move to limit local police involvement in federal immigration enforcement while Texas law prevents authorities from hampering officers’ ability to report to ICE.
  • New rules: officers can’t detain on immigration suspicion alone and must notify higher-ups before reporting someone.
• Kristin Etter, Texas Immigration Law Council:
  • "In Texas it's safe to assume that anytime law enforcement is involved, there is a risk of immigration detention." [02:42]
• Context:
  • Highlights “the difficulties blue cities and red states are having in responding to the illegal immigration crackdown.” [02:18]

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4. Historic Drought Across the Western U.S.

Timestamps: 02:58–04:03

• Record-Low Snowpack:
  • “March is typically the snowiest month of the year in Colorado, but this year the state is reporting its lowest snow totals on record. The Cascades in Oregon and Washington are in a similar dire state, according to new data from NOAA’s drought monitor.” [03:16]
  • Warm temperatures causing early snowmelt and freakishly early runoff in California.
• Consequences:
  • All river basins in the West experienced warmest or second warmest winter ever.
  • Tens of millions at risk due to water storage depletion—drinking, food, and power supplies threatened.
  • Bureau of Reclamation predicts Lake Powell’s water levels may drop so low that the Glen Canyon Dam will stop producing power by December.

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5. Upcoming U.S.-China Trade Talks

Timestamps: 04:03–04:40

• High-Level Meetings:
  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessen and his Chinese counterpart to meet in Paris this weekend ahead of President Trump’s visit to Beijing (scheduled March 31).
  • Discussions focus on economic and security interests from critical minerals, technology, and military influence to broader bilateral competition.
• Global Context:
  • “Trump and China’s Xi Jinping represent the world’s two biggest economies. The countries have long had competing economic and security interests as they each attempt to expand their respective footprints...” [04:13]

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Notable Quotes

• President Trump on Iran:

  "What a great honor it is to do so." [00:35]

• Juliette Kayem on recent domestic attacks:

  “The evidence right now shows that they are likely unconnected… the modes of attack are different, the histories of the attackers are different.” [01:37]

• Kristin Etter on policing and immigration:

  “In Texas it's safe to assume that anytime law enforcement is involved, there is a risk of immigration detention.” [02:42]

• Kirk Sigler on historic drought:

  “Snow is the West's primary water storage, and tens of millions of people rely on it for drinking water, food and power.” [03:42]

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Memorable Moments

• The jarring directness of President Trump’s social media posts celebrating lethal military action. [00:21–00:35]
• Juliette Kayem’s nuanced caution about linking violent acts without evidence. [01:37]
• Stark warning about imminent loss of hydropower at Glen Canyon Dam. [03:56]

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Additional Reporting and Preview

• Upcoming “Consider This” Segment: [04:40]
  • War in Iran and new fronts in Lebanon, as well as continued coverage from Ukraine. NPR promises in-depth reporting from Beirut and Moscow in forthcoming episodes.

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This five-minute NPR news update provides an intense snapshot of global and domestic volatility, with expert analysis and facts for listeners who need a concise yet comprehensive grasp of current events.

Transcript

[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump's taken to social media to express joy at killing Iranian leaders and seemed to say the conflict in Iran could go on significantly longer. NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports. Trump also previewed what is said to be a day of heavy strikes.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

Trump said the U.S. has, quote, unlimited ammunition and plenty of time. Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today. Unquote. This morning, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Joint Chiefs General Dan Kane said today will be the heaviest day of strikes on Iran. President Trump added, quote, they've been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them. What a great honor it is to do so. Unquote. This week, a preliminary assessment found that the U. S. Was likely at fault for a missile strike on an Iranian girls school. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

In addition, six American troops were killed this week when a refueling aircraft crashed. The FBI is investigating yesterday's synagogue attack outside Detroit, Michigan as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community. It was carried out by a naturalized citizen from Lebanon, where a local mayor told an NPR producer that the suspect was related to several people killed in an Israeli strike last week. The Michigan attack occurred within hours of a deadly shooting on the Virginia campus of Old Dominion University. Juliette Kayem is the faculty chair of the Homeland Security Project at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and spoke to NPR about the two attacks. The evidence right now shows that they are likely unconnected and the FBI has not said that they're treating them as similar, obviously to terror related events. We'll be careful about motivation at this stage, occurred on the same day and so they will look at any connection. But the modes of attack are different, the histories of the attackers are different. Julia Khayyam on NPR's Morning Edition. Austin, Texas has announced new policies for how local police interact with federal immigration agents. Mose Buchell of member station KUT reports. The guidelines highlight the difficulties blue cities and red states are having in responding to the illegal immigration crackdown.

[Mose Buchell]

Austin political leaders don't want city police doing immigration enforcement, but Texas law stops them from telling officers they can't report people to ice. So the new rules here prohibit city police officers from holding someone solely on suspicion of immigration violations and tell them they must alert their higher ups if they plan to report someone. Kristin Etter is with the Texas Immigration Law Council. She says in Texas it's safe to

[Lakshmi Singh]

assume that anytime law enforcement is involved, there is a risk of immigration detention.

[Mose Buchell]

Texas is one of many states with laws encouraging or even mandating cooperation between local and state law enforcement and federal immigration agents. For NPR News, I'm Mose Bouchel in Austin.

[Lakshmi Singh]

It's NPR. New federal drought data show much of the Western U.S. is experiencing its lowest snowpack in history. NPR's Kirk Sigler reports. This comes as record heat is expected to bear down on the region next week.

[Kirk Sigler]

March is typically the snowiest month of the year in Colorado, but this year the state is reporting its lowest snow totals on record. The Cascades in Oregon and Washington are in a similar dire state, according to new data from NOAA's drought monitor. In Californ, California, warm temperatures have already caused rapid snow melt and an early spring runoff. Every single river basin in the west has experienced its warmest or second warmest winter on record. Snow is the West's primary water storage, and tens of millions of people rely on it for drinking water, food and power. The federal Bureau of Reclamation now predicts the water level in Lake Powell may drop so low that the Glen Canyon Dam will cease producing power by December. Kirk Sigler, NPR News, Bozeman, Montana.

[Lakshmi Singh]

High level U. S China talks on trade are set this weekend ahead of President Trump's travel to Beijing March 31. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessen and his Chinese counterpart are due to meet in Paris to lay the groundwork for Trump's state visit. Trump and China's Xi Jinping represent the world's two biggest economies. The countries have long had competing economic and security interests as they each attempt to expand their respective footprints in matters of critical minerals, technology, military influence around the globe. U.S. stocks trading lower with the Dow down 37 points. It's NPR News.

[Mose Buchell]

This week on Consider this war in Iran and a new front in Lebanon. What is the cost in lives and to Americans at home and in Ukraine? After four years, the war there grinds on. Is that what Russians want? Our reporters are on the ground with firsthand reporting from Beirut to Moscow. Listen for their stories on Consider this on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.