Menu
Sign In Search Podcasts Libraries Charts People & Topics Add Podcast API Blog Pricing
Podcast Image

NPR News Now

NPR News: 03-21-2026 5PM EDT

21 Mar 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.875 - 4.96 Janine Herbst

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst.

0

Chapter 2: What is the Senate debating regarding the Save America Act?

4.98 - 28.35 Janine Herbst

The Senate is holding a rare Saturday session debating the Republicans' Save America Act, which has new requirements for voter registration and requires photo IDs at the polls to make sure only citizens can vote. But Democrats say federal law already blocks non-citizens from voting. They're also debating ending the DHS shutdown and getting TSA workers paid.

0

28.33 - 37.52 Janine Herbst

Democrats have repeatedly blocked efforts to fund all of the Department of Homeland Security without reforms to ICE. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

0

37.96 - 51.335 Chuck Schumer

Every bill they have brought before the Senate says, oh yeah, we want to pay the TSA workers, we want to reduce the lines at airports, but only if you pass ICE funding with no reform.

0

Chapter 3: How is the recent missile attack by Iran affecting international relations?

51.355 - 54.338 Chuck Schumer

And the American people want reform. They know that.

0

54.655 - 56.26 Janine Herbst

Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

0

56.28 - 65.07 John Thune

It's going to be very, very hard to explain if we leave town this next week without having funded the Department of Homeland Security.

0

65.354 - 71.08 Janine Herbst

Meanwhile, the Senate today blocked a proposal that would have banned trans athletes from competing in women's sports.

0

Chapter 4: What impact did immigration enforcement have on students in St. Paul?

71.901 - 79.91 Janine Herbst

Britain says Iran launched an unsuccessful missile attack at a joint British and American base in the Indian Ocean. NPR's Ruth Sherlock has more.

0

80.251 - 100.624 Ruth Sherlock

In a statement to NPR, the British Ministry of Defence accused Iran of lashing out across the region after it said Iran had made a failed attempt to strike at Diego Garcia military base. It's unclear how close the missiles came to the base, located on the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, some 2,500 miles away from Iran.

0

101.265 - 113.172 Ruth Sherlock

The base has long been strategically important for the US, which has used it in military operations from the Vietnam War to the invasion of Iraq and in other more recent conflicts. The British government has said U.S.

0

Chapter 5: What are the implications of Robert Mueller's death?

113.192 - 124.312 Ruth Sherlock

bombers can use some British bases, including Diego Garcia, for operations to prevent Iran attacking ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News.

0

125.134 - 133.109 Janine Herbst

Nearly two months of virtual learning ended this week for students in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was a response to the sweeping immigration enforcement surge in the state.

0

Chapter 6: How is the British version of Saturday Night Live different from the US version?

133.349 - 134.832 Janine Herbst

NPR's Meg Anderson has more.

0

135.132 - 152.634 Meg Anderson

More than a third of the students at this elementary school switched to online learning during the ICE surge. NPR is not naming the school because the staff fears the federal government could target them. After weeks of online learning, the school year feels like it's starting all over again. And not every student came back.

0

Chapter 7: What challenges are people facing regarding water scarcity?

153.115 - 161.005 Meg Anderson

One family is now in El Salvador. Others are in Mexico. But many of the students who returned are relieved, like Camila, a fifth grader.

0

160.985 - 167.337 Unknown

It felt good because I got to see my friends again, and they helped me feel safer.

0

167.697 - 175.171 Meg Anderson

She says it's starting to feel just a little bit like how it was before. Meg Anderson, NPR News.

0

175.191 - 191.243 Janine Herbst

And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. Robert Mueller, the FBI director who transformed the agency into a terrorism-fighting force after the 9-11 attacks, has died. He was 81 years old.

0

191.823 - 210.28 Janine Herbst

Mueller was also the special counsel in charge of investigating ties between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign and whether the Trump campaign illegally coordinated with the Kremlin to sway the outcome of the 2016 presidential race. Mueller led the FBI for 12 years and was named special counsel

210.26 - 233.479 Janine Herbst

eight days after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, who was also investigating Russia in the Trump campaign. Trump has unforgiven Mueller's investigation, though, saying in a post on social media, quote, good, I'm glad he's dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people. The British version of Saturday Night Live debuts tonight with Tina Fey hosting. Vicki Barker has more from London.

233.759 - 244.62 Ayoade Bangboye

Comedy and satire are not strangers to the British airwaves, but live comedy and satire is. Cast member Ayoade Bangboye telling the BBC.

244.6 - 248.024 Unknown

I mean, I'm nervous, but I think my nerves are just like excitement.

248.225 - 255.734 Ayoade Bangboye

You know when you're nervous because you care. Producer James Longman is confident the SNL brand will appeal to British viewers.

Comments

There are no comments yet.

Please log in to write the first comment.