NPR News: 04-04-2026 6AM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now – April 4, 2026, 6AM EDT

Host: Windsor Johnston | Duration: Approx. 5 minutes

Episode Overview

This brief NPR News Now update delivers the latest headlines for April 4th, 2026, focusing on escalating international conflict, historic space travel, U.S. immigration enforcement changes, a food safety recall, and NCAA basketball tournament previews.

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Key News Highlights & Insights

1. US Military Planes Shot Down in Iran Conflict

• Escalation in US-Iran Tensions
  • Two US military aircraft were shot down on Friday in separate incidents, intensifying the ongoing conflict.
• Details of the Incidents
  • An F-15 was shot down over southwest Iran; uncertainty remains about whether an anti-aircraft gun or missile was responsible.
  • The aircraft had a pilot and a weapons officer; only one’s rescue is confirmed, and one crew member remains missing.
  • A second aircraft, an A-10 Warthog, was also shot down near the Strait of Hormuz; its pilot was rescued.
• Timestamps & Quotes
  • [00:18] Tom Bowman:

    "Officials are telling me the F-15 was shot down over southwest Iran. Not sure what took it out, anti aircraft gun or a missile. Now the aircraft carries a pilot and a weapons officer. We're also not sure which one was rescued. And also, NPR just confirmed a New York Times report that a second US aircraft was shot down, a 10 Warthog, somewhere near the Strait of Hormuz. That pilot was rescued."

2. Israeli Strikes on Tehran

• Continued Regional Instability
  • Israel launched new attacks on critical infrastructure in Tehran, adding to Middle Eastern tensions.
  • No further details or direct quotes provided.

3. Artemis II Lunar Flyby Mission

• Historic Space Flight Milestone
  • The Artemis II astronauts are currently over 130,000 miles from Earth, marking the first lunar flyby in over fifty years.
• Astronauts’ Experience
  • The crew, aboard the Orion spacecraft, is on a trajectory to circle the moon and return, with time to connect with family and enjoy the journey.
  • NASA’s Howard Hugh shares excitement over onboard imagery.
• Timestamps & Quotes
  • [01:33] Howard Hugh:

    "It's just awesome to see from our spaceship out the window, our beautiful home planet, the Earth."

  • [01:40] Nell Greenfield Boyce:

    "The astronauts have plenty of cameras on board, so there's more pictures to come, especially during their closest approach to the moon on Monday."

4. Shifts in US Immigration Enforcement

• Closer Federal-Local Police Cooperation
  • Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen intends for ICE to collaborate more closely with local police.
  • Notably, the federal program deputizing local police as ICE officers has expanded significantly during President Trump’s second term, particularly in Florida and Texas (over 40 million affected).
  • Criticisms by immigrant rights groups center on fears of covert enforcement and minor infractions leading to deportation.
• Timestamps & Quotes
  • [02:40] Kristen Etter (Texas Immigration Law Council):

    "Detention, mass deportation, but do it in a way so that the public doesn't think it's happening anymore."

  • [02:47] Meg Anderson:

    "In a statement to NPR, a DHS spokesperson says the department has, quote, supercharged its efforts to work with local police."

5. California Raw Milk Cheese Recall

• Food Safety Alert
  • The FDA has linked E. Coli cases to a California raw milk producer, prompting a recall under federal pressure.
  • Raw Farm is now recalling over six varieties of raw milk cheddar cheese after initial resistance.
  • No direct quotes; focus is on consumer safety.

6. NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Preview

• Semifinal Matchups
  • The UConn Huskies secured their spot after a dramatic last-second victory versus Duke.
  • Freshman Braylon Mullins discusses the team’s mindset and their upcoming semifinal against Illinois.
• Timestamps & Quotes
  • [03:54] Braylon Mullins (UConn Freshman):

    "We have to flip the page and just like focus on Illinois. So yeah, I mean, the last couple days I think that's been the mindset just trying to forget about the the game on Sunday because, I mean, it wasn't the national championship game."

  • [04:04] Greg Eklund:

    "In the second semifinal, two number one seeds will square off, Arizona against Michigan. Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd, in his fifth season with the team, announced that he has agreed to terms on a new contract."

7. Women’s College Basketball Championship Set

• South Carolina and UCLA will face off for the national championship on Sunday after winning their semifinal matches.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tom Bowman on US Aircraft Loss ([00:18]):

  "Officials are telling me the F-15 was shot down over southwest Iran."

• Howard Hugh, NASA Orion Program ([01:33]):

  "It's just awesome to see from our spaceship out the window, our beautiful home planet, the Earth."

• Kristen Etter, Immigration Law Council ([02:40]):

  "Detention, mass deportation, but do it in a way so that the public doesn't think it's happening anymore."

• Braylon Mullins, UConn ([03:54]):

  "We have to flip the page and just like focus on Illinois."

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:01–00:46]: US-Iran conflict and military aircraft incidents (Tom Bowman)
• [01:08–01:52]: Artemis II moon mission coverage (Nell Greenfield Boyce, Howard Hugh)
• [02:07–02:57]: Immigration enforcement shift (Meg Anderson, Kristen Etter)
• [02:57–03:41]: Raw milk cheese recall and NCAA Men’s tournament preview (Greg Eklund, Braylon Mullins)
• [04:23]: NCAA Women’s championship update

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Conclusion

This NPR News Now bulletin delivers concise yet impactful updates on escalating global conflicts, historic space exploration, shifts in U.S. immigration policy, public safety updates, and the climactic moments building toward the NCAA basketball championships. It captures both the urgency of breaking news and the human moments behind the headlines.

Transcript

[Windsor Johnston]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Two US Military planes were shot down in separate incidents on Friday, escalating tensions in the ongoing conflict with Iran. NPR's Tom Bowman reports. Two American crew members were rescued, but another remains missing.

[Tom Bowman]

Officials are telling me the F15 was shot down over southwest Iran. Not sure what took it out, anti aircraft gun or a missile. Now the aircraft carries a pilot and a weapons officer. We're also not sure which one was rescued. And also, NPR just confirmed a New York Times report that a second US aircraft was shot down, a 10 Warthog, somewhere near the Strait of Hormuz. That pilot was rescued.

[Windsor Johnston]

NPR's Tom Bowman. Meanwhile, Israel says it's carried out a new series of attacks on key infrastructure in Tehran. The Artemis II astronauts are now more than 130,000 miles away from Earth. And NPR's Nell Greenfield Boyce reports the crew members are heading toward the moon for the first lunar Flyby in over 50 years.

[Nell Greenfield Boyce]

With the Orion spacecraft now on the trajectory that will take it around the moon and back, the crew has more time to rest. The four astronauts finally got to talk to their families back on the ground, and they've been taking pictures. Howard Hugh is the Orion program manager at NASA. He says his favorite photo so far shows the inside of the spacecraft and one of its windows.

[Howard Hugh]

It's just awesome to see from our

[Windsor Johnston]

spaceship out the window, our beautiful home planet, the Earth.

[Nell Greenfield Boyce]

The astronauts have plenty of cameras on board, so there's more pictures to come, especially during their closest approach to the moon on Monday. Nell Greenfield Boyce, NPR News.

[Windsor Johnston]

A shift seems to be underway in how the federal government carries out immigration enforcement. NPR's Meg Anderson reports. Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen says he wants ICE to work more closely with local police.

[Meg Anderson]

Mullin's comments point to a federal program that deputizes local police to act as ICE officers. It has exploded in growth during President Trump's second term. In Florida and Texas in particular, more than 40 million people live in places where local police have signed off. Immigrant rights groups say the program creates situations where minor traffic stops quickly turn into immigration arrests. And when local police do the work, they say it makes immigration enforcement more hidden. Kristen Etter is with the Texas Immigration Law Council.

[Kristen Etter]

Detention, mass deportation, but do it in a way so that the public doesn't think it's happening anymore.

[Meg Anderson]

In a statement to npr, a DHS spokesperson says the department has, quote, supercharged its efforts to work with local police. Meg Anderson, NPR News.

[Windsor Johnston]

This is npr. A California raw milk producer has issued a recall for several products under pressure from federal officials. The FDA says multiple cases of E. Coli have been linked to the company. Raw Farm says it's voluntarily recalling more than a half a dozen varieties of raw milk Cheddar after previously resisting requests for a recall. The first game of the national semifinals of the NCAA men's basketball tournament will feature the Yukon Huskies after their dramatic last second win against Duke last Sunday. Greg Eklund has a preview of the game.

[Greg Eklund]

UConn freshman Braylon Mullins is back in his home state after hitting the game winning shot against Duke. But says the Huskies in their semifinal game against Illinois and can't rest on their laurels, we have to flip the

[Braylon Mullins]

page and just like focus on Illinois. So yeah, I mean, the last couple days I think that's been the mindset just trying to forget about the the game on Sunday because, I mean, it wasn't the national championship game.

[Greg Eklund]

In the second semifinal, two number one seeds will square off, Arizona against Michigan. Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd, in his fifth season with the team, announced that he has agreed to terms on a new contract. For NPR News, I'm Greg Eklund in Indianapolis.

[Windsor Johnston]

Women's college basketball is set for its national championship game. South Carolina will take on UCLA on Sunday afternoon after winning their semifinal matches. I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington.

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