Summary4 min read

NPR News Now: March 13, 2026, 4AM EDT

Host: Giles Snyder
Episode Theme:
A rapid-fire update on the latest domestic and international news, covering major incidents from campus violence in Virginia and terrorism in Detroit to geopolitical tensions in Iran, U.S. policy responses on global oil supply, rescue efforts in Iraq, and cultural crime in Missouri.

1. Virginia ODU Shooting Stopped by ROTC Students

[00:01–00:32]
- Story: The FBI commends a group of ROTC students at Old Dominion University who intervened to stop a classroom shooting.
  - The perpetrator—identified as a former Virginia Army National Guard member and convicted Islamic State supporter—killed one and injured two before being subdued and killed by the students.
- FBI Special Agent Dominique Evans (00:14):
  
  "The brave ROTC members in that room subdued him and if not for them, I'm not sure you know what, what else he may have done, but that's exactly they they confronted him and they subdued him and he was no longer able to conduct any further attack."

2. Detroit Synagogue Attack

[00:32–01:14]
- Story: The FBI investigates an attack on a synagogue outside Detroit as a targeted act of anti-Jewish violence.
  - The suspect drove a truck into the building, resulting in a fire after being fired upon by security guards. The attacker was killed; no casualties among worshippers reported.

3. U.S. Strike on Iranian Girls School: Senate Demands Answers

[01:14–01:46]
- Story: More than a hundred sixty-five killed in a strike on an Iranian girls school.
  - Senate Democrats, in a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, question the targeting, weapon systems, and role of AI in the attack after Pentagon preliminary assessment confirms U.S. responsibility.
- Jeff Brumfiel, NPR (01:14):
  
  "They wanted to know how the school came to be targeted, what weapon systems were used, and whether artificial intelligence played a role in choosing targets in Iran."

4. Rescue Operation: U.S. Aircraft Down in Iraq

[01:46–02:20]
- Story: U.S. central Command announces an ongoing rescue operation after a refueling aircraft crashes in western Iraq.
  - No indication of hostile or friendly fire; second aircraft landed safely. Few details yet on casualties.

5. U.S. Eases Oil Sanctions; Jones Act Waiver on Table

[02:20–02:56]
- Story: The Trump administration is lifting sanctions temporarily on stranded Russian oil amid supply concerns.
  - Additionally, it may suspend the Jones Act—requiring domestic ships for internal transport—to allow foreign ships to help address the crisis.
- Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR (02:20):
  
  "The administration may waive the Jones act, part of the Merchant Marine act of 1920. ...to ensure vital energy products and agricultural necessities are flowing freely to U.S. ports."
- Context: Last waived during the Libya conflict in 2011 for similar supply reasons.

6. Geopolitical Tension: Iran’s Supreme Leader and Netanyahu’s Response

[02:56–03:15]
- Story: Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mujtaba Mani (message relayed via state TV) pledges to keep the strategic Strait of Hormuz shut as Iranian-Israeli airstrikes continue.
  - Israeli PM Netanyahu claims Israeli military actions could destabilize Iran’s government, encouraging internal revolt.

7. NASA Artemis Moon Rocket Cleared for Launch

[03:15–03:39]
- Story: Artemis moon mission is cleared for early April launch after earlier delays from technical problems.
  - Four astronauts to launch from Kennedy Space Center; mission was postponed due to fuel leaks.

8. Missouri Mammoth Tusk Vandalism at Bass Pro Shops Resort

[03:39–04:39]
- Story: Two California men are banned from all Bass Pro Shops while awaiting trial for damaging a $200,000 fossilized mammoth tusk at a resort in Branson, Missouri.
- Nominee Ujiuddin, reporting (03:57):
  
  "Acevedo allegedly asked Howard to get on his shoulders so Howard could hang from the tusk of a woolly mammoth fossil. When Howard allegedly grabbed the tusk, it shattered and fell on the floor."
- Both face felony property damage charges, up to four years in prison, and $10,000 fines.

9. Preview: “Consider This” Segment Tease

[04:40-end]
- Brief promo for the “Consider This” podcast, focusing on U.S. conflict with Iran, developments in Lebanon, and continued war in Ukraine, featuring on-the-ground reporting.

Notable Quotes

FBI Special Agent Dominique Evans (00:14):

"The brave ROTC members in that room subdued him and if not for them, I'm not sure you know what, what else he may have done..."
Jeff Brumfiel, NPR (01:14):

"...whether artificial intelligence played a role in choosing targets in Iran."
Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR (02:20):

"...to ensure vital energy products and agricultural necessities are flowing freely to U.S. ports."
Nominee Ujiuddin, NPR (03:57):

"...so Howard could hang from the tusk of a woolly mammoth fossil. When Howard allegedly grabbed the tusk, it shattered and fell on the floor."

Summary Takeaways

Major incidents: Swift civilian action stopped a school shooting in Virginia; targeted anti-Semitic violence averted in Detroit; U.S. foreign policy, both military and economic, faces scrutiny after a deadly strike in Iran and an international oil squeeze.
Broader context: Rising Middle East tensions could herald larger conflicts, as leaders’ rhetoric escalates. At home, the intersection of policy, crime, and science (NASA's Artemis, fossil vandalism) captures the national conversation.
Tone: Calm, concise, and informative—a snapshot of a turbulent global moment, with reporting that aims to contextualize amid rapidly unfolding events.

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Transcript10 lines

[00:01]
A
Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. The FBI is praising a group of ROTC students for bringing a classroom shooting at Virginia's Old Dominion University to an end. FBI Special Agent Dominique Evans.
[00:15]
B
The brave ROTC members in that room subdued him and if not for them, I'm not sure you know what, what else he may have done, but that's exactly they they confronted him and they subdued him and he was no longer able to conduct any further attack.
[00:33]
A
The FBI has identified the government as a convicted Islamic State supporter who was once a member of the Virginia Army National Guard. The ROTC students killed him after he fatally shot one person and injured two others. The FBI says it's also investigating Thursday's attack on a synagogue outside Detroit as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish Community Authority. The suspect crashed his truck into the synagogue. It burst into flames after security guards fired on it. The suspect was killed. Dozens of Senate Democrats are demanding answers about a strike to a girls school in Iran that left at least 165 people dead. NPR's Jeff Brumfiel reports. It appears that the U.S. was responsible.
[01:14]
C
In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Democratic senators demanded answers about the strike. They wanted to know how the school came to be targeted, what weapon systems were used, and whether artificial intelligence played a role in choosing targets in Iran. The letter comes a day after the news of preliminary assessment by the Pentagon found the US Was responsible for hitting the school. Iranian state media has published images showing parts from a U S Made Tomahawk missile it says was used in the strike. Jeff Brumfiel, NPR News.
[01:47]
A
A rescue operation is ongoing in western Iraq. The US Military says a refueling aircraft went down Thursday, saying in a statement that a second aircraft that was involved was able to land safely. U.S. central Command says the incident was not the result of hostile or friendly fire. Trump administration moving to try to ease oil supply concerns Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant says the US is lifting sanctions for 30 days on Russian oil and petroleum products stranded at Sea. And NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports. The White House is considering waiving a century old shipping law.
[02:20]
D
The administration may waive the Jones act, part of the Merchant Marine act of 1920. The Jones act requires ships moving between U.S. ports to be made and operated by the U.S. in a statement, Press Secretary Caroline Levitt said the administration is considering waiving the act for a limited period of time to ensure vital energy products and agricultural necessities are flowing freely to U.S. ports. The act has been waived before after natural disasters and during international conflicts. In 2011, amid conflict in Libya, President Obama waived the Jones act to allow foreign ships to transport oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
[02:57]
A
You're listening to NPR News. Iran's new supreme leader is vowing to fight on and to keep the strategic Strait of Hormuz shut down. A message attributed to Mujtaba Mani was read Thursday by a television presenter as both sides trade airstrikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli attacks are creating conditions for the Iranian people to topple the government. NASA has cleared its Artemis moon rocket for launch early next month. Mission managers made the call Thursday at Florida's Kennedy Space center, saying NASA is aiming for a launch attempt as early as April 1st with four astronauts. The Artemis crew should have blasted off earlier this year, but fuel leaks and other problems got in the way. Two California men banned from all Bass Pro shops in the US While awaiting trial for allegedly breaking a mammoth tusk fossil in Missouri. Nominee Ojiuddin, A member station KU VCUR in Kansas City reports Taney County Court
[03:57]
E
has charged Todd Acevedo and Brett Howard with one count of felony property damage each. The men are accused of breaking a $200,000 fossilized mammoth tusk at the Top of the Rock, a resort in Branson, Missouri. According to court documents, Acevedo allegedly asked Howard to get on his shoulders so Howard could hang from the tusk of a woolly mammoth fossil. When Howard allegedly grabbed the tusk, it shattered and fell on the floor. As a condition of their bond release, Acevedo and Howard are banned from all Bass Pro shops in the United States. That's because the shop's owner also started the Missouri Lodge where the mammoth mayhem took place. The men face up to four years in prison and a $10,000 fine. For NPR News, I'm Nomine Ujiuddin in Kansas City.
[04:39]
A
This is mp.
[04:41]
F
This week on Consider this war on 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 first hand reporting from Beirut to Moscow. Listen for their stories on Consider this on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.