NPR News: 03-31-2026 11PM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now: 03-31-2026 11PM EDT

Broadcast Date: April 1, 2026
Host: Giles Snyder

Episode Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now update covers major headlines from Washington and around the world, focusing chiefly on ongoing U.S. military intervention in Iran, the Trump administration’s upcoming address on the conflict, developments in U.S. voting policy, challenges in American agriculture, a pivotal Supreme Court hearing on birthright citizenship, early progress on a hookworm vaccine, legal issues for Tiger Woods, and an anticipated NASA lunar mission.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. and the Iran War

• President Trump to Address Nation on Iran War:
  President Trump will provide an update on the conflict tomorrow, hinting at a possible cessation of U.S. attacks soon.
  • “I would say that within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three, we're hitting them very hard. Last night we knocked out tremendous amounts of missile making facilities.”
    — President Donald Trump (00:32)
• U.S. Relations with Allies:
  Trump criticized international partners, stating, "the US President won't have anything to do with what happens next in the Strait of Hormuz."
• Related Incident:
  An American freelance journalist, Shelly Kittleson, has been kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq. A U.S. official attributes the abduction to an Iran-backed Iraqi militia.

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2. Domestic Policy: Voting Restrictions

• Executive Order on Mail-In Voting:
  President Trump signed an order tightening mail-in voting, establishing a national voter list, and restricting absentee ballots—measures facing immediate legal challenges.

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3. U.S. Agriculture Amid War

• Farming Challenges:
  NPR’s Kirk Sigler reports on how U.S. farmers are adapting to high fertilizer and fuel prices exacerbated by the Iran conflict and tariffs.
  • Many are shifting from corn and wheat to soybeans, which require less fertilizer.
  • The 2026 spring wheat harvest could be the smallest since 1919, while soybean planting is up 4%.
  • China’s resumed soybean imports remain well below pre-trade war levels.
  • “Spring planting season is always a gamble for farmers, but in the last year it's been even higher stakes…”
    — Kirk Sigler (01:35)

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4. Supreme Court Challenge: Birthright Citizenship

• Trump Administration's Challenge:
  The Supreme Court will hear arguments on the administration’s executive order seeking to eliminate automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants or those on temporary visas.
  • “President Trump has long maintained that the Constitution does not guarantee birthright citizenship for babies born on US Soil.”
    — Nina Totenberg (02:32)
  • Trump claims, “We're the only country in the world that does this with birthright.” (02:55)
  • NPR clarifies: Over 30 countries, especially in the Americas, have birthright citizenship.
    — Nina Totenberg (02:59)

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5. Science & Public Health: Hookworm Vaccine

• Early Success in Vaccine Development:
  Researchers in Texas and Washington have tested a new hookworm vaccine in healthy volunteers, showing early promise. The next step is testing in high-prevalence areas.
  • “The those receiving the vaccine did not appear to get infected when exposed to the parasite.”
    — Joe Palka (03:29)

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6. Other Headlines

Tiger Woods Legal Troubles

• Tiger Woods pleads not guilty to a DUI charge after a recent crash; sheriff’s report notes pain pills and impairment at the scene. (04:12)

NASA Moon Mission

• Countdown continues for NASA’s Wednesday evening launch: astronauts will orbit the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, with fueling to begin in the morning. (04:29)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump on Iran conflict:
  “I would say that within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three, we're hitting them very hard. Last night we knocked out tremendous amounts of missile making facilities.”
  — President Donald Trump (00:32)

• On birthright citizenship:
  “We're the only country in the world that does this with birthright.”
  — President Donald Trump (02:55)
  NPR’s Nina Totenberg rebuts:
  “Actually, that's not true. There are more than 30 countries, mainly in north and South America, that have birthright citizenship…” (02:59)

• On farmers’ risk:
  “Spring planting season is always a gamble for farmers, but in the last year it's been even higher stakes…”
  — Kirk Sigler (01:35)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:17] Iran war update and upcoming Trump address
• [00:42] New executive order on mail-in voting
• [01:35] Impact of Iran war and tariffs on U.S. farming
• [02:17] Supreme Court to hear case on birthright citizenship
• [03:12] Early success for a hookworm vaccine
• [04:12] Tiger Woods pleads in DUI case; NASA moon mission prep

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This summary delivers a comprehensive view of the late-night NPR News Now’s coverage, distilling significant national and global developments for listeners seeking the latest updates in politics, policy, science, and society.

Transcript

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[Giles Snyder]

Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. President Trump is planning to address the nation. The White House says he will deliver an update on the Iran war tomorrow night. His address follows remarks Tuesday that the US could soon end its attack.

[President Donald Trump]

I would say that within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three, we're hitting them very hard. Last night we knocked out tremendous amounts of missile making facilities.

[Giles Snyder]

President Trump speaking at the White House during the signing of an executive order cracking down on mail in voting. The order would also create a national voter list that's already facing threats of lawsuits and places restrictions on absentee ballots. Back on Iran, Trump also criticized allies that have not helped the US War effort, saying the US President won't have anything to do with what happens next in the Strait of Hormuz. Officials in Iraq say an American journalist has been kidnapped in Baghdad. The journalist has been identified by one of the outlets she worked for as freelancer shelly Kittleson. A U.S. official is blaming an Iran backed Iraqi militia, the Iran war causing more upheaval for US Farmers who were already dealing with high fertilizer and fuel prices before the Strait of Hormuz was cut off. NPR's Kirk Sigler reports on new government data out today showing how farmers are trying to adapt.

[Kirk Sigler]

Spring planting season is always a gamble for farmers, but in the last year it's been even higher stakes with continued high fuel and equipment prices and Trump's tariffs. The U.S. department of Agriculture's annual spring planting report, based on surveys with farmers, reveals what many had. More farmers are switching to soybeans over corn and wheat, which require more fertilizer. These are still estimates, but the USDA predicts this could be the smallest American spring wheat crop since 1919. The soybean crop is up by 4% over last year, but that comes with its own risk. China did resume buying soybeans from the Midwest late last year, but in amounts much smaller than before Trump's latest trade war. Kirk Sigler, NPR News, Boise.

[Giles Snyder]

In WASHINGTON, Tomorrow, the U.S. supreme Court will hear the Trump administration's challenge to a constitutional provision that has long been interpreted to guarantee American citizenship to every child born in the U.S. nPR's Nina Totenberg reports.

[Nina Totenberg]

President Trump has long maintained that the Constitution does not guarantee birthright citizenship for babies born on US Soil. So on day one of his second term, he issued an executive order barring automatic citizenship for babies born in the US Whose parents entered the country illegally or who are living and working here legally but on temporary visas.

[President Donald Trump]

We're the only country in the world that does this with birthright.

[Nina Totenberg]

Actually, that's not true. There are more than 30 countries, mainly in north and South America, that have birthright citizenship, including Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Nina Totenberg, NPR News, Washington.

[Giles Snyder]

And you're listening to NPR News. Researchers are reporting early success with a vaccine to prevent a parasitic disease called hookworm. Joe Palko reports. An estimated half a billion billion people around the globe are infected.

[Joe Palko]

Hookworm infection doesn't kill you, but the parasitic worm that lodges in your intestines can cause pain, diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue and anemia. Children are particularly vulnerable. There are drugs to easily treat the disease, but it's just as easy to get re infected. Public health experts say a vaccine is needed to bring the disease under control. Researchers in Texas and Washington tested their new vaccine in several dozen healthy human volunteers. The those receiving the vaccine did not appear to get infected when exposed to the parasite. The vaccine will need to be tested in places where hookworm is prevalent to prove it really worked. The new research appears in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases. For NPR News, I'm Joe Palka.

[Giles Snyder]

Tiger woods says he'll seek treatment after pleading not guilty to a DUI charge in Florida. Woods made his plea today, four days after the rollover crash that led to his arrest. Also today, a sheriff's report said woods had pain pills in his pocket and showed signs of impairment in last week's crash scene countdown proceeding toward NASA's Wednesday evening launch aimed at sending astronauts to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. NASA officials say the rocket is doing well on its Florida pad, and the weather is looking promising. The astronauts are to circle the moon without landing and come straight back to Earth. The launch team expected to begin fueling the rocket in the morning. I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News.

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