NPR News: 03-24-2026 10AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now — March 24, 2026, 10AM EDT

Host: Korva Coleman
Duration: ~5 Minutes

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Episode Overview

This NPR News Now episode delivers concise updates on the morning’s top global and domestic stories as of March 24, 2026. The news covers the investigation into a fatal collision at LaGuardia Airport, developments in the escalating conflict between Israel and Lebanon, U.S. financial market updates, the release of a detained American in Afghanistan, new federal tax rules on car loan deductions, and a chemical incident in Port Arthur, Texas.

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Key Stories & Insights

1. LaGuardia Airport Collision: Investigation Underway

• Summary:
  Federal investigators are reviewing flight data after an Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport. Two pilots died, and dozens were injured.
• NTSB's Focus:
  Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, discussed investigative priorities.
  • Quote:

    "They have a lot of questions for air traffic control, everything from workload at the time, who was communicating, who was in the tower cab, who was in the facility, what the changeover was like."
    — Jennifer Homendy [00:23]

  • Communications Analysis:
    The NTSB is analyzing both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, with special attention to ATC communications during shift change.
• Travel Impact:
  LaGuardia is open, but operations are slowed; flyers warned of 4+ hour delays.
  — Korva Coleman [00:49]

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2. Intensifying Israeli-Lebanese Conflict

• Summary:
  An Israeli airstrike southeast of Beirut killed at least three. Israel claims it’s targeting Hezbollah, while human rights groups warn of potential war crimes.
• Humanitarian Impact:
  • Up to 20% of Lebanon’s population displaced amidst mass evacuations.
  • Recent strike hit a residential building without warning.
• Militaristic Rhetoric:
  Israel's defense minister threatens to apply the “Gaza model,” implying large-scale destruction.
• Human Rights Watch Statement:
  • Quote:

    "Human Rights Watch says forcible displacement and attacks deliberately targeting civilians are war crimes."
    — Lauren Frayer [01:17]

• Additional Strikes:
  Gas stations tied to Hezbollah have also been targeted.
  — Lauren Frayer [01:17–02:00]

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3. Markets & Economy: Oil Price Surge, Productivity Down

• Summary:
  Increased Middle East conflict fuels rising oil and gas prices. The U.S. economy faces fresh headwinds.
• Market Movement:
  • Dow Jones down ~280 points in early trading.
  • NASDAQ down 160.
    — Korva Coleman [02:51]
• Oil Prices:
  • National average gasoline: $3.98/gallon (up $1 in recent days).
  • Diesel up $1.60/gallon.
• Geopolitical Tension:
  • Quote:

    "The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran poses a, quote, major, major threat to the global economy."
    — Quoting the head of the International Energy Agency, via Scott Horsley [02:11]

• Productivity Report:
  U.S. worker productivity for Q4 revised down to 1.8% (from 2.8%).
  — Scott Horsley [02:11]

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4. Detained U.S. Citizen Freed in Afghanistan

• Summary:
  The Taliban will release Dennis Coyle, detained in Afghanistan for over a year, at the request of his family and timed with the end of Ramadan.
  — Korva Coleman [02:51]

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5. New U.S. Tax Deduction: Car Loan Interest

• Summary:
  For the first time, certain taxpayers may deduct interest on new car loans—provided the car was assembled in the U.S. and bought last year.
• Eligibility:
  • Applies to new U.S.-assembled cars only.
  • Income cap: Deduction phases out above $100k (single) / $200k (married).
  • Available to both itemizers and recipients of the standard deduction.
• Process Note:
  • Quote:

    "There is no, like tax form that gets sent to you that says, hey, here's your portion of car loan interest that you paid."
    — Mark Gallegos, Chicago tax preparer [03:59]

  • No specific form will be issued for 2025; paperwork is not automatically generated.
• Background:
  Change enacted through last year’s “one big beautiful Bill act.”
  — Camilla Dominoski [03:39–04:08]

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6. Port Arthur, Texas: Refinery Explosion Contained

• Summary:
  Officials lifted a shelter-in-place order after an explosion at a Valero refinery. No injuries reported.
  • Location:
    Port Arthur, Texas, near the Louisiana border.
    — Korva Coleman [04:17]

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Jennifer Homendy (NTSB):
  "We have questions about communications and that will be revealed on the cockpit voice recorder which we were able to recover in the flight data recorder." [00:23]
• Lauren Frayer (NPR):
  "Israel's defense minister threatened to use on Lebanon the Gaza model...and said he's accelerating the destruction of Lebanese homes in border villages from which Hezbollah has fired rockets." [01:17]
• Mark Gallegos (Tax Preparer):
  "There is no, like tax form that gets sent to you..." [03:59]

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Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | LaGuardia airport crash & investigation | | 00:49 | Airport operations & travel delays | | 01:17 | Israeli airstrike & crisis in Lebanon | | 02:00 | U.S. stocks; oil/gas prices & productivity | | 02:51 | Market numbers; Dennis Coyle released | | 03:39 | New car loan interest tax deduction | | 04:17 | Port Arthur refinery explosion |

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Conclusion

This news update delivers a rapid-fire but comprehensive briefing on major breaking stories, balancing international conflict reporting with domestic policy updates and economic snapshots. The podcast’s authoritative tone and on-the-ground reporting make it a reliable source for listeners seeking informed, up-to-the-minute coverage.

Transcript

[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. Federal investigators are reviewing flight data recorders from the Air Canada jet that collided with a fire Tuck rather truck at LaGuardia Airport Sunday night. Two pilots were killed, dozens of people were injured. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy tells Fox News they want to know more about how the fire truck was directed onto the Runway.

[Jennifer Homendy]

They have a lot of questions for air traffic control, everything from workload at the time, who was communicating, who was in the tower cab, who was in the facility, what the changeover was like. For the new shift, which is the midnight shift, we have questions about communications and that will be revealed on the cockpit voice recorder which we were able to recover in the flight data recorder.

[Korva Coleman]

LaGuardia Airport has reopened to traffic, but it is very slow. The Federal Aviation Administration is warning airline passengers their flights could be delayed by well over four hours. Lebanon's health ministry says an Israeli airstrike has killed at least three people southeast of Beirut. Israel says it's targeting Iran backed Hezbollah militants, but human rights groups say the response is disproportionate. NPR's Lauren Frayer reports from Beirut.

[Lauren Frayer]

Israel has ordered evacuation orders for huge swaths of Lebanon and about a fifth of the population has been displaced. But this strike southeast of the came without warning. Footage shows flames and smoke billowing from a residential building this week. Israel's defense minister threatened to use on Lebanon the Gaza model, which razed many residential areas and said he's accelerating the destruction of Lebanese homes in border villages from which Hezbollah has fired rockets. Human Rights Watch says forcible displacement and attacks deliberately targeting civilians are war crimes. Israel has also struck gas stations across Lebanon that are known to have business ties with Hezbollah. Lauren Frayer, NPR News, Beirut.

[Korva Coleman]

Stocks opened lower this morning as oil prices have rebounded. NPR Scott Horsley reports. The Dow Jones industrial average slid about 280 points in early trading.

[Scott Horsley]

Oil prices are climbing again as intense bombardment continues from Tehran to Tel Aviv. AAA says the average price of retail gasoline has jumped to $3.98 a gallon. That's up a dollar since diesel prices have jumped by nearly $1.60 a gallon. The head of the International Energy Agency says the U S. Israeli war with Iran poses a, quote, major, major threat to the global economy. The Labor Department says US Workers were not as productive in the fourth quarter as initially reported. Productivity rose at an annual rate of 1.8% during October, November and December. That's down from an earlier estimate of 2.8%. Scott Horsley NPR News, Washington.

[Korva Coleman]

On Wall street, the Dow is now down 270 points. The NASDAQ is down 160. This is NPR. Officials with the Taliban say they are releasing U.S. citizen Dennis Coyle from custody. He's been detained in Afghanistan for more than a year. The Afghan Foreign Ministry says it is acting on a request from Coyle's family. And in honor of the Adolf Hitter holiday, this celebration marks the end of Ramadan. There's a new tax deduction available this filing season. For the first time, some taxpayers will be able to deduct the interest they pay on their car loans. The deduction is only available for new cars bought last year and only if those cars were assembled in the U.S. nPR's Camilla Dominoski explains.

[Camilla Dominoski]

In addition to being restricted to new cars built in the U.S. there's also an income limit. The deduction phases out above $100,000 of modified adjusted gross income or 200 grand for married couples. It's available whether you itemize or not. Mark Gallegos, a tax guy in Chicago, has had to explain to his clients that they won't get any paperwork in

[Mark Gallegos]

the mail about it for 2025. There is no, like tax form that gets sent to you that says, hey, here's your portion of car loan interest that you paid.

[Camilla Dominoski]

The tax change came in last year's one big beautiful Bill act. So there hasn't been time to set up that kind of a process. Camila Domnosky, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

Officials in Port Arthur, Texas, have lifted a shelter in place order for part of the city. Officials declared that last night after an explosion at a Valera oil refinery in the city. It's on the Gulf, close to the Louisiana border. Port Arthur's mayor says no one was hurt in the explosion. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.

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