NPR News Now – March 16, 2026, 2PM EDT

Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now update, hosted by Lakshmi Singh, covers the escalating U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran and its regional impacts, the international response to the conflict, a White House health update, severe weather concerns in the United States, and developments involving Iranian women’s soccer players seeking asylum.

Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. Escalating War: U.S., Israel, and Iran

• Casualties and Regional Impact

  • Iran reports at least 1,300 deaths.
  • Lebanon, with active Hezbollah fighters, reports at least 880 deaths.
  • Israel reports 12 deaths.
  • The U.S. confirms 13 American service members killed, including six in a plane crash in Iraq last week.
  • [00:01] Lakshmi Singh: “More than two weeks into the U. S. Israel war against Iran, Iran reports at least 1,300 deaths... Israel is reporting 12 deaths. And the United States says at least 13 American service members have been killed, including six in a plane crash in Iraq last week.”

• Strait of Hormuz Securement Attempts

  • President Trump pushes allied nations to send warships for securing the critical oil passage (Strait of Hormuz).
  • Some unnamed countries are reluctant to get involved militarily.
  • [00:39] Donald Trump (clip): “We have some countries where we have 45,000 soldiers... And when we want to know, do you have any minesweepers? Well, I would rather not get involved, sir. I said... for 40 years we're protecting you and you don't want to get involved in something that is very minor.”

2. International Response: The United Kingdom

• UK’s Position on the Conflict
  • Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirms UK will not participate in a wider war and only allows limited access to British military bases for “defensive operations.”
  • Rejects Trump’s call for direct warship deployment and instead coordinates with allies.
  • Starmer faces both pressure from Trump and strong public opposition at home.
  • [01:29] Keir Starmer (clip): “Will not be drawn into the wider war.”
  • [01:43] Keir Starmer (clip): “But at every stage I’ve stood by my principles.”
• Domestic Measures
  • The UK is evacuating citizens from the Gulf, supporting nationals in Lebanon, and introducing heating bill price caps, reflecting domestic priorities.
  • [01:46] Lauren Frayer (reporting): “The UK is evacuating Britons from the Gulf, supporting them in Lebanon, and introducing price caps for heating bills inside the UK.”

3. White House Update: Chief of Staff Susie Wiles

• Health Announcement
  • Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff, diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.
  • President Trump publicly announces her continued role during treatment.
  • [02:18] Deepa Shivaram: “Trump says Wiles intends to stay on in her role while undergoing treatment.”
  • [02:33] Donald Trump (clip): “She’s going to take care of it immediately as opposed to waiting... She said, let’s do it now. I said do it immediately because with that particular ailment, the faster the better.”
• Significance
  • Wiles is the first woman to serve as White House Chief of Staff in Trump’s administration.
  • [02:44] Deepa Shivaram: “She’s the first woman to hold the position.”

4. Severe U.S. Weather and FEMA Challenges

• Nationwide Severe Weather
  • Major snowstorm impacts upper Midwest; thunderstorms and tornado threats across the east coast.
  • [02:54] Lakshmi Singh: “A line of powerful storms is moving across the eastern half of the US... String of thunderstorms threaten a broad swath of the east coast today, potentially spawning tornadoes.”
• FEMA Shortfalls
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) struggling with delays in disaster aid disbursement.
  • Notable staffing shortages—thousands left since Trump’s term began, including almost 500 in January.
  • Concerns about readiness to handle current storms.
  • [03:22] Rebecca Hersher: “But the agency is struggling to get disaster assistance money out the door, with millions of dollars in promised disaster funding delayed... FEMA has lost thousands of workers since the Trump administration began, including nearly 500 in January alone.”

5. Iranian Women’s Soccer Players Seek Asylum

• Security and Human Rights Concerns
  • Two Iranian women’s soccer team members remain behind in Australia and are relocated for safety.
  • Five others, plus a staff member, drop asylum bids and head to Oman, possibly returning to Iran.
  • Ongoing concerns for the safety of these athletes.
  • [03:59] Lakshmi Singh: “Two members of the Iranian women's soccer team are staying behind in Australia... Concerns have been raised about the women’s safety.”

6. Markets Update

• Stock Market Movement
  • The Dow surges more than 350 points; S&P 500 and NASDAQ climb over 1%.
  • [03:59] Lakshmi Singh: “US Stocks are trading higher this hour, with the Dow Jones industrial average up 353 points... The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ are both up more than 1%.”

Notable Quotes & Moments

• President Trump:
  • On allies’ reluctance to send warships:
    “For 40 years we’re protecting you and you don’t want to get involved in something that is very minor.” – [00:39]
  • On Susie Wiles’ cancer diagnosis:
    “She said, let’s do it now. I said do it immediately because with that particular ailment, the faster the better.” – [02:33]
• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer:
  • Standing firm:
    “Will not be drawn into the wider war.” – [01:29]
    “At every stage I’ve stood by my principles.” – [01:43]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• U.S.-Israel-Iran war update: [00:01–01:09]
• Trump urges allies, UK response: [01:09–02:05]
• Chief of Staff Susie Wiles health update: [02:05–02:54]
• Weather & FEMA challenges: [02:54–03:59]
• Iranian soccer players & Market update: [03:59–04:40]