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Lakshmi Singh (0:19)
live from NPR News. I'm Lakshmi Singh. Congress is ending a historic shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security today. The House approved a bill to fund DHS minus immigration enforcement through the end of the fiscal year. The measure was approved with a voice vote after weeks of delays and infighting among Republicans on the path forward to fund the agency. U.S. house primaries in Louisiana are suspended that day from Republican Secretary of State Nancy Landry in the wake of yesterday's U.S. supreme Court ruling in which a conservative majority struck down an election map that was redrawn to create a second majority black congressional district in Louisiana. Landry says other state primaries will proceed as scheduled. For a second day, Pentagon officials were on Capitol Hill. NPR's Quill Lawrence reports. Senators Grill the defense secretary about the war with Iran and a huge proposed defense budget increase.
Quill Lawrence (1:13)
Secretary Pete Hegseth cited high military recruiting numbers as evidence of support for the Iran war. Senators like New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand (1:21)
pushed back what I am concerned about is we are not safer, and I would just like to know why you have not signed, sought the support of the American people and three out of five Americans are against this war today.
Dr. Adam Rodman (1:33)
I believe we do have the support of the American people and we have briefed regularly what this mission looks like and why it's critically important that we undertake it.
Quill Lawrence (1:41)
Gillibrand pointed to the errant U.S. airstrike that killed more than 100 Iranian schoolgirls and Iran's blockade, driving up prices as reasons the war is unpopular. Hegseth said the biggest U.S. adversaries are Democrats and some Republicans who doubt the war. Quill Lawrence, NPR News.
Lakshmi Singh (1:58)
The US economy grew faster in the first three months of the year than at the end of 2025. NPR's Scott Horsley reports on the latest GDP figures from the commerce department.
Scott Horsley (2:08)
The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 2% in the first three months of the year. That's a little bit slower than forecasters had expected, but a marked improvement from the final three months of last year when growth was hampered by the six week government shutdown. Consumer spending grew at an annual rate of 1.6% during the first quarter. Business investment was up sharply as companies continue to pour money into data centers and artificial intelligence. The ongoing stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz continues to push crude oil prices higher. AAA says retail gasoline prices jumped another 7 cents overnight to a national average of $4.30 a gallon for regular. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.