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Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. Amid uncertainty about talks between the US And Iran, the Trump administration is moving more troops to the Middle East. A contingent of Marines on the way to the region and paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division are preparing for deployment. As NPR's Tom Bowman reports, looks like
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elements of the first brigade combat team, known as the Devil Brigade, will likely head out in the coming days. And I'm hearing they'll first go to Kuwait and then the big question is, okay, where do they go from there? And again, everyone's talking about this Kharg Island. That's Iran's main oil facility. It's some 15 or so miles off the mainland. It has an airport. So the 82nd troops could grab that airfield and maybe wait for other troops to come.
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President Trump repeated Wednesday that Iran is interested in cutting a deal. But Iran has dismissed a cease fire plan. And Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Al Raqshi said on state television that Iran has no intention of negotiating for now to Capitol Hill, Senate Democrats. Democrats have blocked a Republican effort to fund the Department of Homeland Security that included more money for ICE enforcement. NPR's Sam Greenglass reports that negotiations to end the 40 day long shutdown have stalled.
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The measure would have funded all of dhs, including ice, except for the unit responsible for enforcement and removal operations. Most Democrats say they want to fund DHS agencies like TSA and FEMA but are unwilling to give ICE more funding at all without policy changes to limit the tactics of its officers. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says Republicans latest offer included none of the demands they made after Federal officers killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. Key Senate Republicans have called Democrats counter unserious and say they're not sure where talks can go from here. Meanwhile, the acting TSA administrator says 480 officers have quit since the shutdown began. Sam Greenglass, NPR News, Washington.
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The Justice Department is settling lawsuits that allege the Biden administration pressured social media companies to suppress speech. NPR's Justice Kerry Johnson reports that the cases had once reached the U.S. supreme Court.
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The settlement would resolve allegations by Missouri and Louisiana that Biden led agencies tried to shut down speech about the pandemic in the 2020 election. Conservatives argued they'd been deplatformed by major social media sites for taking unpopular views. The cases hinged on bitter divides over misinformation, disinformation and censorship. The new agreement would bar the surgeon general, the CDC and the cybersecurity agency from threatening social companies to take down posts or face punishment. Attorney General Pam Bondi says the deals are, quote, key steps in undoing abuses of the First Amendment, especially against conservative media. The settlements still require judicial approval. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.
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And you're listening to NPR News. Big Tech has lost its second case over social media harm in two days. In Los Angeles, a jury Wednesday found Meta and YouTube liable in a social media addiction trial and awarded a 20 year old woman $6 million. In New Mexico on Tuesday, a jury imposed a $375 million civil penalty on Meta, finding that Meta knowingly harmed the mental health of children and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation. According to new research, drought could be increasing antibiotic resistance in soils. NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports that resistance seems to be ending up in some hospitals.
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Antibiotic resistance is on the rise. World researchers typically point to human overuse as the main driver. But antibiotics and resistance to antibiotics ultimately trace back to bacteria in the soil. And soils around the world are becoming drier from climate change. To see if this might impact resistance levels, researchers analyzed soils from around the globe. They found that drier soils tended to have bacteria with more resistance genes, and some of these genes were exactly the same as those found in human infections at local hospitals. The study also found that hospitals in drier areas tended to have more resistant infections, a problem that could worsen with climate change. The research was published in the journal Nature Microbiology. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.
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Following advances on Wall street, stocks mostly lower in Asia. Japan's Nikkei has given up initial gains in Thursday trading and is now trading lower. I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News.
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Host: Giles Snyder | Length: 5 minutes
This quick, five-minute NPR News Now episode offers a brisk roundup of the most pressing national and international headlines as of March 26, 2026. Topics center on growing US–Iran tensions and troop deployments, the ongoing government shutdown standoff in Congress, a settlement over allegations of First Amendment violations by the Biden administration, recent verdicts in Big Tech social media harm cases, emerging scientific research on antibiotic resistance, and an update on global financial markets.
"I'm hearing they'll first go to Kuwait and then the big question is, okay, where do they go from there? ...everyone's talking about this Kharg Island. That's Iran's main oil facility..."
— Tom Bowman, NPR Defense Correspondent [00:20]
"...Most Democrats say they want to fund DHS agencies like TSA and FEMA but are unwilling to give ICE more funding at all without policy changes..."
— Sam Greenglass, NPR Congressional Reporter [01:16]
"Attorney General Pam Bondi says the deals are, quote, key steps in undoing abuses of the First Amendment, especially against conservative media."
— Carrie Johnson, NPR Justice Reporter [02:11]
"They found that drier soils tended to have bacteria with more resistance genes, and some of these genes were exactly the same as those found in human infections at local hospitals."
— Jonathan Lambert, NPR Science Reporter [03:40]
On Troop Movement and Strategy:
"The 82nd troops could grab that airfield and maybe wait for other troops to come."
— Tom Bowman [00:20]
On Congressional Stalemate:
"Key Senate Republicans have called Democrats counter unserious and say they're not sure where talks can go from here."
— Sam Greenglass [01:16]
On Free Speech Litigation:
"The new agreement would bar the surgeon general, the CDC and the cybersecurity agency from threatening social companies to take down posts or face punishment."
— Carrie Johnson [02:11]
On Antibiotic Resistance:
"Hospitals in drier areas tended to have more resistant infections, a problem that could worsen with climate change."
— Jonathan Lambert [03:40]
The report is brisk, factual, and serious, reflecting the gravity of the ongoing diplomatic, political, and scientific challenges facing the US and the wider world. Each segment sticks closely to NPR’s signature clear, direct journalistic style.