NPR News: 04-03-2026 3PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now – April 3, 2026, 3PM EDT

Host: Jeanine Herbst
Duration: 5 minutes

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Episode Overview

This edition of NPR News Now covers the latest breaking developments in U.S.-Iran tensions, congressional investigations related to Jeffrey Epstein, DHS funding and TSA workforce concerns, a major milestone for NASA’s Artemis II lunar mission, and new research on soda taxes in fast food settings. Each story is succinctly presented, reflecting the rapid-fire, authoritative tone of NPR’s news reporting.

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Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. U.S. F-15 Shot Down Over Iran and Ongoing Military Conflict

[00:01]

• Incident: A U.S. F-15 jet was shot down over Iranian territory. One crew member has been rescued, while the search continues for the second.
• Iranian Response: Iran’s government issued a televised appeal urging civilians to search for and detain foreign pilots.
• White House Reaction: President Trump has been briefed on the situation but made no public remark at this time.
• Significance: This is the first U.S. military aircraft lost in Iranian territory since the war’s outbreak over five weeks ago.
• Escalation: President Trump claims the U.S. has destroyed a major bridge in Iran; threats of further attacks loom.

Memorable Quote:
"It's the first time America has lost a military aircraft in Iranian territory during this war that started more than five weeks ago."
— Jeanine Herbst [00:20]

• Further Reporting:
  • Emily Fang explains:
    • Target was the B1 bridge west of Tehran, under construction at the time.
    • Attack killed eight people per IRGC sources.
    • IRGC threatens retaliation against major bridges in the Middle East.
    • Trump threatens more strikes on Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including power plants, if Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

Quote:
"Trump has threatened the US will hit more civilian infrastructure, including power plants in Iran, by next week if Iran does not open the Strait of Hormuz."
— Emily Fang [00:39]

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2. Congress Tackles Jeffrey Epstein File Investigation

[01:04]

• Context: Former Attorney General Pam Bondi is subpoenaed to testify before the House Oversight Committee regarding her handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s files.
• Recent Development: President Trump fired Bondi yesterday. Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer, is now acting attorney general.
• Congressional Stance:
  • Rep. Nancy Mace emphasizes Bondi’s obligation to testify despite her firing, signaling ongoing bipartisan pressure for accountability.

Quote:
"She was subpoenaed. She is required by law to show up... Just because she's fired doesn't mean this goes."
— Rep. Nancy Mace [01:20]

• Concerns Raised: Mace also notes discomfort over new acting AG Blanche’s statement that the Epstein files should not be part of future proceedings.

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3. DHS and TSA: Funding, Staffing, and Travel Concerns

[01:36]

• Executive Action: President Trump is expected to sign an order ensuring DHS employee pay amid ongoing Congressional budget gridlock.

• Operational Impacts:

  • Improved TSA wait times since agents began receiving pay, but hundreds have resigned during the recent partial shutdown.
  • Full recovery may take months due to the time required to train new replacements.

• Industry Perspective:

  • Analyst Henry Hartveldt warns that uncertainty over back pay could lead to further TSA absenteeism, directly impacting airport security and travel predictability.

Quote:
"If the back pay isn't fully repaid ... we’re going to start seeing absenteeism increase again."
— Henry Hartveldt [02:28]

• Bottom Line: Fluctuating staffing levels mean airport wait times could become unpredictable again.

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4. NASA Artemis II: Moon Mission Progress

[02:52]

• Update: Artemis II astronauts have performed their translunar injection, sending their Orion capsule on course for the moon.
• Crew: Three Americans and one Canadian are aboard—the first lunar mission since the Apollo program.
• Milestone: First crewed moon mission engine firing since Apollo 17 (1972), following tests of life support systems.
• Context: The capsule is now 250,000 miles from Earth, set for a lunar fly-around early next week.

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5. Effectiveness of Soda Taxes in Fast Food Settings

[03:57]

• Study Findings: New research published in PLOS Medicine finds that local sugary drink taxes have not reduced soda consumption in fast food restaurants.
• Scope: Study examined drive-thru transactions at major Taco Bell locations in multiple cities with soda taxes: Chicago, Oakland, Philadelphia, and Seattle.

Quote:
"The small tax on soda did not appear to influence decision making."
— Allison Aubrey [03:57]

• Implications: While soda taxes reduce purchases in grocery stores, their impact in fast food environments is negligible—possibly due to the tax being too minor to affect consumer choices.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• "It's the first time America has lost a military aircraft in Iranian territory during this war that started more than five weeks ago." — Jeanine Herbst [00:20]
• "Trump has threatened the US will hit more civilian infrastructure, including power plants in Iran, by next week if Iran does not open the Strait of Hormuz." — Emily Fang [00:39]
• "She was subpoenaed... Just because she's fired doesn't mean this goes." — Rep. Nancy Mace [01:20]
• "If the back pay isn't fully repaid... we’re going to start seeing absenteeism increase again." — Henry Hartveldt [02:28]
• "The small tax on soda did not appear to influence decision making." — Allison Aubrey [03:57]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• U.S.-Iran Jet Downing / Escalation: [00:01 – 01:04]
• Congress / Epstein Files Investigation: [01:04 – 01:36]
• DHS Funding / TSA Labor Crisis: [01:36 – 02:52]
• NASA Artemis II Moon Mission: [02:52 – 03:57]
• Soda Tax Fast Food Study: [03:57 – 04:34]

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For More Info

For further coverage or sponsor-free listening, visit NPR News Now at plus.npr.org/newsnow.

Transcript

[Jeanine Herbst]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. A US Official says one crew member has been rescued from an F15 jet shot down over Iran and the search for a second crew member continues. This says Iran put out a televised call for people in the area to search for foreign pilots and detain them. The White House says President Trump has been briefed, though he hasn't spoken about the situation yet. It's the first time America has lost a military aircraft in Iranian territory during this war that started more than five weeks ago. And President Trump says the U.S. has destroyed one of Iran's largest bridges. NPR's Emily Fang has more.

[Emily Fang]

The B1 bridge west of the capital Tehran, connecting it to the city of Karaj, was under construction when it was hit in an attack that Iran's IRGC security forces said killed eight people. The IRGC threatened to hit major bridges in the Middle east in retaliation. Trump has threatened the US Will hit more civilian infrastructure, including power plants in Iran, by next week if Iran does not open the Strait of Hormuz.

[Jeanine Herbst]

And here's Emily Fang reporting. Republican Congresswoman Nancy May says former Attorney General Pam Bondi still has to testify before the House Oversight Committee later this month over how she handled files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

[Nancy Mace]

I'm not going to have my arm twisted on this. She was subpoenaed. She is required by law to show up to the Oversight Committee and I will do everything that I can to work behind the scenes to ensure that that happens. Just because she's fired doesn't mean this goes.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Speaking there to NPR's HERE AND NOW. President Trump removed Bondi from her job yesterday and his former personal lawyer Todd Blanche has been named as acting attorney general. May says she's also concerned about comments Blanche made to Fox News saying the Epstein files shouldn't be part of anything going forward. President Trump is expected to sign an executive order to pay all DHS employees as Congress remains deadlocked over funding the agency. NPR's Windsor Johnston reports.

[Windsor Johnston]

Airline analysts say wait times have improved since Trump took executive action to begin paying TSA agents after more than a month. But the recovery is uneven. Hundreds of officers resigned during the partial shutdown and it can take months to train replacements. Airline analyst Henry Hartveldt says that uncertainty could quickly affect operations.

[Henry Hartveldt]

This is a day to day situation 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 that we're going to start seeing absenteeism increase again.

[Windsor Johnston]

That can lead to inconsistent staffing levels at airports, making wait times harder to predict. Windsor Johnston, NPR News, Washington.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Wall Street's closed today in observance of the Good Friday holiday. You're listening to NPR news from Washington. NASA's Artemis 2 astronauts fired their engines and they're headed toward the moon. The Translunar ignition comes 25 hours after liftoff, putting the three Americans and one Canadian on course for a lunar fly around early next week. Their Orion capsule bolted out of orbit around Earth, and it's now on its way to the moon, which is nearly 250,000 miles away. It's the first engine firing for a moon crew since Apollo 17 set out on that era's final moon shot in 1972. NASA had the Artemis II crew test their capsules life support systems before clearing them for a lunar departure. Taxes on sugary drinks aren't effective in reducing consumption in fast food restaurants, according to a new study in the journal Plus Medicine. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports. Researchers analyzed data from a major Taco Bell fast food locations.

[Allison Aubrey]

Researchers studied several years of transactions from Taco Bells, including from drive thrus in Chicago, Oakland, California, Philadelphia and Seattle. These are all places that had adopted soda taxes aimed at reducing sugar consumption and encouraging healthier habits. But the study finds that the small tax on soda did not appear to influence decision making. Other studies show that a soda tax can lead to decreased sales in grocery stores, but this doesn't seem to be the case in fast food. Researchers say it's possible that taxes too low for consumers to notice. Alison Aubrey, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

And I'm Jeanine Herbst, NPR News, in Washington.

[NPR News Announcer]

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