NPR News: 03-31-2026 7AM EDT - NPR News Now

Summary4 min read

NPR News Now - March 31, 2026, 7AM EDT
Host: Korva Coleman

Episode Overview

This tightly packed five-minute NPR News Now segment provides listeners with the latest updates on escalating Middle East tensions, surging gasoline prices in the U.S., major developments in Lebanon and Gaza, a partial DHS shutdown affecting airport security, evolving educational approaches to Cesar Chavez’s legacy, and a forthcoming NASA lunar mission. Reports from multiple NPR correspondents deliver factual, nuanced insights into each story as it unfolds.

Key News Highlights & Insights

1. Escalating Middle East Tensions

[00:00 – 01:14]
- U.S. airstrikes have reportedly hit the Iranian city of Isfahan, home to a major nuclear site. President Trump shared video evidence of the explosions but didn’t specify the location.
- In related events, Kuwait blames Iran for a strike on a Kuwaiti oil tanker in the Persian Gulf. No injuries were reported, and the fire was extinguished.
- Gasoline prices in the U.S. have now soared above $4 per gallon, more than a dollar higher since the onset of war in Iran.
Quote:
- Korva Coleman: “The national average price of gasoline has risen above $4 a gallon, according to AAA. That’s more than a dollar higher than it was before the war started a month ago.” [00:29]

2. Impact on Energy Prices

[00:39 – 01:14]
- NPR’s Camila Domonosky explains gasoline price hikes are being driven by global oil trade disruptions and seasonal demand.
- Charging electric vehicles also costs slightly more, now averaging $0.41 per kilowatt-hour.
Quote:
- Camila Domonosky: “So far this month, [gasoline prices have] also been a straight line — almost straight up… Great crude oil is driving prices up as the war in Iran disrupts global oil trade.” [00:49]

3. UN Peacekeeper Deaths in Lebanon and Israel’s Expanding Campaign

[01:14 – 02:13]
- Three Indonesian UN peacekeepers have been killed in Lebanon, prompting an emergency UN Security Council meeting.
- Confusion remains over whether Israeli or Hezbollah fire was responsible.
- Israel’s Prime Minister says military aims in Iran are over halfway complete and confirms a widening invasion of Lebanon, hitting southern Beirut and the Beqaa Valley.
Quote:
- Lauren Frayer: “Israel says it’s trying to figure out whether its troops or Hezbollah were responsible. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his military’s aims in Iran are beyond halfway complete, but that Israel is widening its invasion of Lebanon.” [01:47]

4. U.S. Airport Security and Government Funding Crisis

[02:13 – 02:54]
- President Trump has signed an executive order allowing the Department of Homeland Security to redirect funds to pay TSA workers, who haven’t received salaries for over a month due to a partial DHS shutdown.
- Many TSA staff have sought secondary employment due to the prolonged funding gap, affecting airport security wait times.
Quote:
- Joel Rose: “A lot of the Trump administration’s critics are wondering if it is even legal for the White House to do this. And if it is legal, why didn’t it happen sooner?” [02:35]

5. NTSB Hearing on Autonomous Vehicle Crashes

[02:54 – 03:15]
- The National Transportation Safety Board is reviewing two fatal crashes involving Ford’s hands-off driving systems, highlighting challenges around autonomous vehicle safety and driver responsibility.

6. Cesar Chavez Legacy Under Scrutiny in California Schools

[03:39 – 04:24]
- Following allegations of abuse and assault against Cesar Chavez, California educators are revising how his legacy is taught, shifting focus to broader farmworker movements and lesser-known leaders, especially women and Filipino Americans.
Quote:
- Samantha Aguirre: “You can still teach this movement without centering it on him as the end all be all.” [04:08]
- Katie DiBenedetti: “The state Department of Education is urging teachers to focus on the movement as greater than one man.” [04:15]

7. Upcoming NASA Artemis 2 Mission

[04:24 – 04:40]
- Artemis 2 will soon launch four astronauts to orbit the Moon and return within 10 days, marking a significant step in renewed lunar exploration.

Notable Quotes by Segment & Speaker

Korva Coleman [Host, 00:29]:
“The national average price of gasoline has risen above $4 a gallon, according to AAA.”
Camila Domonosky [00:49]:
“So far this month, [gasoline prices have] also been a straight line — almost straight up.”
Lauren Frayer [01:47]:
“Israel says it’s trying to figure out whether its troops or Hezbollah were responsible.”
Joel Rose [02:35]:
“A lot of the Trump administration’s critics are wondering if it is even legal for the White House to do this.”
Samantha Aguirre [04:08]:
“You can still teach this movement without centering it on him as the end all be all.”
Katie DiBenedetti [04:15]:
“The state Department of Education is urging teachers to focus on the movement as greater than one man.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

Middle East Airstrikes and Gas Prices: 00:00 – 01:14
UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon: 01:14 – 02:13
Airport Security and DHS Shutdown: 02:13 – 02:54
NTSB Hearing on Ford Crashes: 02:54 – 03:39
Cesar Chavez & Education Shifts: 03:39 – 04:24
NASA Artemis 2 Mission: 04:24 – 04:40

Memorable Moments

Crisis Convergence:
The episode ties global conflict to domestic economic consequences, with soaring gas prices immediately following airstrike coverage, illustrating rapid, interconnected impacts.
Educational Reflection:
California’s real-time curriculum shifts in light of new information about Cesar Chavez reflect societal adaptation to evolving histories.

This episode encapsulates a morning snapshot of international crises, domestic policy challenges, and shifting cultural narratives, delivered in NPR’s signature measured and informative style.

Loading summary

Transcript13 lines

[00:01]
A
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. U.S. airstrikes have reportedly hit an Iranian city that is also home to one of Iran's main nuclear sites. President Trump posted a video of explosions online but did not identify it. The Associated Press reports it's likely the Iranian city of Isfahan. Separately, Kuwait is blaming Iran for a strike on a Kuwaiti oil tanker in the Persian Gulf. The fire was put out. No one was injured. Meanwhile, the national average price of gasoline has risen above $4 a gallon, according to AAA. That's more than a dollar higher than it was before the war started a month ago. NPR's Camilla Dominoski reports.
[00:40]
B
Last year, gasoline prices were remarkably stable, a straight line, more or less. So far this month, they've also been a straight line, almost straight up. Prices vary around the country, most expensive on the west coast and least expensive in the middle of the continent, but they're rising everywhere. Great crude oil is driving prices up as the war in Iran disrupts global oil trade. A switch to summer gasoline and the typical seasonal rise in demand are not helping. The average cost of public charging electric vehicles is 41 cents a kilowatt hour. AAA reports, up slightly 2 cents from a month ago. Camila Domonosky, NPR News.
[01:15]
A
The UN Security Council holds an emergency meeting today after three UN peacekeepers were killed in Lebanon. Israel has invaded southern Lebanon and is fighting there with Hezbollah militants. NPR's Lauren Fr. Efforts from Beirut.
[01:29]
C
All three of the UN peacekeepers killed are from Indonesia, which has also pledged to send troops for a future international force in Gaza. One was killed by what Indonesia's Foreign Ministry called indirect artillery fire. Two others by what the UN called an explosion of unknown origin that destroyed their vehicle. Indonesia's foreign minister is calling for a swift, thorough and transparent investigation. Israel says it's trying to figure out whether its troops or Hezbollah were responsible. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his military' aims in Iran are beyond halfway complete, but that Israel is widening its invasion of Lebanon. The latest attacks hit Beirut's southern suburbs and the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon's east. Lauren Frayer, NPR News, Beirut.
[02:14]
A
In the US Airport security lines were mostly shorter yesterday. President Trump signed an executive order telling the Department of Homeland Security to move money around and pay TSA workers. NPR's Joel Rose says they've not been paid in more than a month because DHS is still partly shut down.
[02:31]
D
We still don't know exactly where the money is coming from. A lot of the Trump administration's critics are wondering if it is even legal for the White House to do this. And if it is legal, why didn't it happen sooner? Thousands of TSA officers have called out of work since the shutdown began. Many have picked up second jobs, leading to some of the longest security lines in the agency's history. But we still don't know when those security screeners will get paid next.
[02:55]
A
NPR's Joel Rose reporting. You're listening to NPR. The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a hearing today. It will focus on the probable causes of two fatal crashes involving Ford cars that let motorists take their hands off the wheel. People in other cars, not the Ford vehicles, were killed in these incidents. Ford and other automakers say the hands free systems are not intended to replace human drivers. Educators in California are grappling with how to discuss the late labor leader Cesar Chavez. There's a holiday that honors him and the rights he secured for farm workers, but his legacy is now being questioned. From member station KQED in San Francisco, Katie Dinabetti has more.
[03:40]
E
Teachers are reworking lesson plans about Chavez after allegations earlier this month that he abused two young girls and raped fellow labor leader Dolores Huerta. Chavez's legacy is widely taught in the state where he co founded the United Farm Workers. But after California renamed today's holiday Farm Workers Day, teachers are shifting focus to the movement's lesser known Filipino leaders and women like Huerta. Here's San Francisco ethnic studies teacher Samantha Aguirre.
[04:09]
B
You can still teach this movement without centering it on him as the end all be all.
[04:15]
E
The state Department of Education is urging teachers to focus on the movement as greater than one man. For NPR news, I'm Katie DiBenedetti in San Francisco.
[04:24]
A
NASA is preparing to launch its Artemis 2 mission tomorrow night from Florida. Four astronauts will be launched into space. They will fly around the moon and back to Earth within 10 days. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News from Washington.
[04:40]
E
This message comes from EasyCater, making it
[04:43]
A
easy for organizations to order food for meetings and events from favorite restaurants, set up meal programs for their employees and manage food spend all in one place@easycater.com.