NPR News Now: 04-03-2026 11PM EDT

Date: April 4, 2026
Host: Dan Ronan, NPR News Team
Episode Theme: This five-minute episode presents concise updates on major U.S. and international news, national politics, the economy, and science and technology developments as of April 3, 2026.

1. Main Theme & Purpose

This episode provides timely news highlights including the downing of U.S. Air Force planes near Iran, the impact of government funding deadlock on airport security, legal challenges to an executive order on voting, fresh economic data, a milestone NASA mission, and NCAA women’s basketball results.

2. Key News Segments & Insights

A. U.S. Air Force Planes Downed Over Iran

[00:16 - 01:17]

• Incident Overview:
  • Two U.S. Air Force combat planes were shot down—one near the Strait of Hormuz and one in southwestern Iran.
  • One crew member from each plane has been rescued; search underway for the second crew member in Iran.
• Details from Jeff Brumfield:
  • Iranian media published photos of debris and an empty ejection seat.
  • “Numerous videos on social media show what appear to be American helicopters and planes flying low over southwestern Iran.”
    — Jeff Brumfield, NPR ([00:54])
  • NPR-verified rescues took place about 150 miles from the Iraqi border.

B. DHS Funding Crisis & Airport Security

[01:17 - 02:16]

• Presidential Action & TSA Pay:
  • President Trump set to sign order for DHS employee pay as Congress remains at a funding impasse.
• Airline Analyst Perspective (Henry Harteveldt):
  • Resignation of hundreds of TSA officers during the shutdown causes long-term staffing gaps.
  • “If the TSA workers are concerned that they won't be paid for work they do now, we're going to start seeing absenteeism increase again.”
    — Henry Hartveldt, airline analyst ([01:53])
• Near-Term Impact:
  • Wait times may vary unpredictably as staffing remains inconsistent.

C. Lawsuits Challenge Executive Order on Voting

[02:16 - 03:05]

• Legal Action:
  • About two dozen Democratic-led states filed suit against President Trump’s new executive order on voting; it’s the third such suit this week.
  • The argument centers on constitutional powers delegated to states over elections.
• Quote from NY Attorney General Letitia James (via Miles Parks):
  • “‘No president has the power to rewrite the rules on his own.’” ([02:44])
• Expectations:
  • Legal experts anticipate the courts will block this order, as with a previous attempt in March.

D. Economic Update: Jobs & Unemployment

[03:05 - 04:03]

• Labor Market Data for March:
  • 178,000 jobs added in March, outperforming expectations.
  • Unemployment rate drops to 4.3%.
  • Major contributions:
    • Health care (+76,000 jobs)
    • Construction (+26,000 jobs)
    • Transportation/Warehouse (+21,000 jobs)
• Wall Street:
  • Markets closed Friday for Good Friday; reopening Monday.

E. NASA’s Artemis II Lunar Mission

[04:03 - 04:46]

• Update from Nell Greenfield Boyce:
  • Artemis II astronauts are more than 130,000 miles from Earth, en route to the first lunar flyover in five decades.
• Recent Crew Activities:
  • Crew on more relaxed schedule after hectic period.
  • Astronauts connected with families and photographed Earth from space.
• Quote from Howard Hugh, Orion Program Manager (NASA):
  • “It's just awesome to see from our spaceship out the window, our beautiful home planet, the Earth.”
    — Howard Hugh ([04:28])
• Next Milestone:
  • Closest lunar approach due on Monday; more photographs expected.

F. NCAA Women’s Basketball Result

[04:46 - 04:54]

• Sports Update:
  • South Carolina defeats defending champion UConn in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Numerous videos on social media show what appear to be American helicopters and planes flying low over southwestern Iran.”
  — Jeff Brumfield ([00:54])
• “If the back pay isn't fully repaid and if the TSA workers are concerned that they won't be paid for work they do now, we're going to start seeing absenteeism increase again.”
  — Henry Harteveldt ([01:53])
• “‘No president has the power to rewrite the rules on his own.’”
  — Letitia James, NY Attorney General (quoted by Miles Parks) ([02:44])
• “It's just awesome to see from our spaceship out the window, our beautiful home planet, the Earth.”
  — Howard Hugh, NASA ([04:28])

4. Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Start Time | |-------------------------------------------------------------|:----------:| | U.S. Planes Down Over Iran | 00:16 | | DHS Shutdown & TSA Pay/Staffing | 01:17 | | Voting Executive Order Lawsuits | 02:16 | | Economic/Jobs Update | 03:05 | | Artemis II Moon Mission | 04:03 | | NCAA Women’s Basketball Result | 04:46 |

This episode delivers succinct updates on critical national security, political, economic, and science news, with expert insight and direct quotes, offering essential context for listeners seeking to stay current.