NPR News: 04-02-2026 6PM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton.
What bipartisan deal is House Speaker Mike Johnson proposing?
House Speaker Mike Johnson will attempt to get House Republicans to back a bipartisan deal to fund all of the Department of Homeland Security except its immigration enforcement teams. NPR's Eric McDaniel has more.
Speaker Johnson last Friday panned the proposal that he's now asking Republicans to support. This gambit that was done last night is a joke. They voted down that plan from the Senate, and now he'll have to ask his members to support the same deal. It funds DHS immediately, except for ICE and parts of Customs and Border Protection. So folks like airport security can be paid in the short term, while a bigger three-year deal is worked out to fund all of DHS through the remainder of Trump's time in the White House. And thanks to a parliamentary maneuver called reconciliation, that long-term deal shouldn't need any support from Democrats. First, though, Johnson has to convince hardline Republicans that he's no longer joking.
Eric McDaniel, NPR News, Washington.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the top uniformed member of the Army, Chief of Staff of the Army, General Randy George, to step down and immediately retire. That's according to an official not authorized to speak publicly. It's unclear who will replace George. The global benchmark price for crude oil is currently around $106 a barrel, and U.S. oil prices are even higher. Prices went up after President Trump addressed the nation last night about the war in Iran and said the U.S. doesn't need any oil from the Strait of Hormuz. NPR's Camilla Dominovsky reports.
Since the war in Iran began, markets have been hoping for a quick resolution. One month in, President Trump did not give a clear exit path out of the conflict in a primetime address. The president emphasized that the U.S. does not need oil imported through the Hormuz Strait. And it's true that these days the U.S. imports almost no oil from the region. But as American drivers have experienced these past few weeks, that does not insulate the U.S. from global price shocks. U.S. oil prices are currently nearly double what they were in December. Camila Dominovsky, NPR News.
People in the U.S. are feeling pessimistic about their retirement savings. NPR's Stephen Basaja reports a new survey from Northwestern Mutual found 46 percent of respondents believe they will not be ready for retirement.
Americans typically think they'll need close to one and a half million dollars to retire comfortably. John Roberts is Northwestern Mutual's chief field officer, and he says 48 percent think it's likely they'll outlive their savings.
Kind of wild. Almost half of all the respondents say, I don't think I'm going to be prepared for retirement when the time comes. And then almost half say, and I don't think I'm going to have enough for as long as I expect I'm going to live in retirement.
Respondents also worry whether Social Security will still be there when it's their turn to retire. Projections from the Congressional Budget Office indicate, as of now, Social Security's trust fund for benefits may run out in 2032. Stephen Passaha, NPR News. Stocks closed mixed today.
This is NPR News from Washington. The EPA proposed today to include microplastics and pharmaceuticals on a list of contaminants in drinking water, a step that could lead to new limits for water utilities. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says they are responding to worries about plastics and pharmaceuticals in drinking water. Louis C.K. is returning to Netflix for the first time since being accused of sexual misconduct nine years ago. NPR's Chloe Veltman reports the comedian is partnering with the streamer on a new comedy special this summer and is scheduled to appear at its upcoming comedy festival.
Louis C.K. 's new special, Ridiculous, marks the comedian's first with a major distributor since his 2017 Netflix offering.
But I'm 49 and I got two kids now. You know what happens? Your circle of concern tightens. I have four nephews. I don't love any of them.
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