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NPR News Now

NPR News: 03-29-2026 12PM EDT

29 Mar 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

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

0.689 - 14.623 Nora Rahm

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. An Iranian official today accused the U.S. of planning a ground invasion, and Iran's military says any possible U.S. ground invasion of Iran will be met with force.

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Chapter 2: What recent accusations have been made by Iran against the U.S.?

15.283 - 17.045 Nora Rahm

NPR's Emily Fang reports.

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17.245 - 38.348 Emily Fang

Writing on Telegram, Iran's parliament speaker struck an aggressive stance, writing, quote, "...the enemy publicly signals negotiations while secretly planning a ground invasion." He's referring to news that the U.S. 's Tripoli, carrying 3,500 U.S. Marines and sailors, has arrived in the Middle East, though the U.S. military has not said where the Marines will be deployed and how.

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39.129 - 60.494 Emily Fang

Earlier, Iran rejected a 15-point plan the U.S. had proposed to end the war and put forth its own proposal that would give Iran official control over the Strait of Hormuz and have the U.S. pay for war damages. Israel said it had started a new wave of strikes on Iran over the weekend as well, targeting weapons sites. Iranian officials said they hit universities in Tehran and Isfahan.

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60.514 - 62.677 Emily Fang

Emily Fang, NPR News, Van, Turkey.

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63.178 - 86.952 Nora Rahm

Pakistan is hosting a meeting of diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt to urge an end to the war. The U.S. and Israel are not taking part by continuing to launch strikes against Iran. TSA agents at the nation's airports have been working without pay for weeks because of the partial government shutdown. President Trump signed an executive order last week that they be paid from other funds.

87.513 - 90.257 Nora Rahm

Border Czar Tom Homan says that should happen soon.

90.498 - 112.39 Unknown

As soon as Congress opens up the government and funds the Department of Homeland Security, that's what needs to happen. But yeah, I talked to Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen yesterday. There is a plan. to get these TSA agents pay, hopefully by tomorrow, Tuesday. So yeah, it's good news because these TSA officers are struggling. They can't feed their families or pay their rent.

112.75 - 130.292 Nora Rahm

He was interviewed on CNN. A federal judge in Sacramento has paused a merger of local television giants that was championed by President Trump. DirecTV had sued, arguing the merger concentrates market power and will result in higher prices for consumers. NPR's Amy Held reports.

130.272 - 152.483 Amy Held

U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley ordered Nexstar to temporarily keep Tegna's assets separate pending a review of antitrust laws. If the merger goes through, Nexstar will operate hundreds of stations reaching 80 percent of U.S. households. Congress had passed a law limiting owners to less than half of that, but the FCC granted a waiver and last week approved the merger.

Chapter 3: What is Iran's response to U.S. military actions in the region?

166.3 - 176.754 Amy Held

Nunley has ordered Nexstar and Tegna to appear at an April 7th hearing to determine next steps. A group of eight Democratic-led states are also suing. Amy Held, NPR News.

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177.194 - 198.052 Nora Rahm

This is NPR News. Defense officials in Finland say several drones crashed in its territory today. It's not clear where they came from. In recent days, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania reported that Ukrainian drones had crashed there after going astray during intensified attacks on Russian oil and gas facilities.

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198.933 - 207.006 Nora Rahm

Indonesia is banning people younger than 16 years old from digital platforms that could expose them to harm. Michael Sullivan reports.

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206.986 - 218.042 Michael Sullivan

The new government regulation bans under-16s from access to digital platforms that could expose them to cyberbullying, pornography, online scams, and addiction.

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218.302 - 236.689 Michael Sullivan

Children will be banned from having accounts on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, and Roblox after Australia last year became the first country in the world to enact a similar social media ban as governments attempt to give parents, not tech giants, the power to protect their children.

237.091 - 255.353 Michael Sullivan

Neighboring Malaysia has already announced it will implement similar restrictions, and several European countries are also considering such bans. Indonesia's ban will roll out gradually until all the platforms named conform. For NPR News, I'm Michael Sullivan in Chiang Rai.

256.126 - 276.44 Nora Rahm

A humpback whale is still stranded in Germany's Baltic Sea. It was first spotted in shallow water almost a week ago. Rescuers eventually used an excavator to dig a trench in front of it, and that seemed to work. The whale swam free but is still in shallow water and appears to be weak. Rescuers are hoping it will manage to make its way back to deeper Atlantic waters.

277.081 - 279.906 Nora Rahm

I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington.

280.493 - 300.699 Unknown

This week on the NPR Politics Podcast. In Iran, President Trump is both escalating and de-escalating, pausing strikes on energy sites claiming Iran wants to make a deal, but also moving troops to the region. We unpack what we know about where those troops are headed and how talks are playing out behind closed doors. This week on the NPR Politics Podcast.

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