NPR News: 04-03-2026 2PM EDT
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. A U.S. official tells NPR that one member of a two-person crew of an F-15 fighter jet that was shot down over Iran has been rescued, and that the search for the second crew member continues. Multiple videos show what appear to be those efforts, including... Two helicopters and a refueling aircraft flying low over the country. This, as Iranian state media televised a call-out asking for nomadic tribes and local villagers to target any foreign pilots in the area. They also posted photos of wreckage from a U.S. F-15 jet. Explosions are reported in Iran as the U.S. and Israeli war continues to go on in the country. And Tehran is choking off oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump wrote online today that, quote, But he said something quite different this week in his national address, telling NATO allies they need to take care of the Strait. NPR's Jackie Northam reports Iran's now saying it will start charging the ships to use the vital waterway through which about a fifth of the world's oil and gases pass.
An Iranian lawmaker says the fee for a ship to pass through the Strait of Hormuz could cost up to $2 million. It will involve government-to-government negotiations, getting permits and transiting through Iranian territorial water. The toll system is still being formalized and currently appears ad hoc. Analysts say some ships, including those from India, Pakistan and China, have worked out deals diplomatically. Iranian-owned and flagged vessels won't be charged and any ship with links to the U.S. or Israel will not be allowed to pass full stop. Analysts say it's unlikely a toll system similar to the Suez Canal would get regional buy-in and that opening the strait through diplomacy is still the best answer.
Jackie Northam, NPR News.
President Trump says there's a new White House fraud task force that will mostly focus on Democratic-led states. The White House says it's inspired by fraud in Minnesota's state-run social service program. NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports it will focus on fraud nationwide.
Trump called Vice President J.D. Vance, who's leading the task force, the fraud czar. He added that while the task force will look for fraud nationwide, it would focus primarily in blue states led by, in Trump's words, crooked Democrat politicians. Trump then listed California, Illinois, Minnesota, Maine and New York as examples. He also explicitly called out Minnesota for having a large Somali population. Trump created the task force in mid-March. He has made combating fraud a central part of his political message ahead of November's midterms. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News, the White House.
Wall Street is closed today in observance of the Good Friday holiday. You're listening to NPR News. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Army's Chief of Staff, General Randy George, along with two other generals, as the U.S. wages war in Iran. This amid tension between Hegseth and Army leadership. General George was appointed to his job in 2023 and led the Army out of a recruiting crisis in 2024. He's also pushed the Army to speed up acquisition of cheap drones. Hegseth also fired Army General David Houdini. and Army Major General William Green, though no reasons have been given for those departures. Amazon has announced a fuel surcharge in response to those higher oil prices brought on by the war in Iran.
As NPR's Andrea Hsu reports, the fee will be imposed on third-party sellers who use the company's warehouses and delivery systems.
Starting April 17th, Amazon third-party sellers will see a 3.5% increase to their fulfillment fees. In a message to sellers, the company said that equates to an average of 17 cents per unit, a cost sellers could pass on to customers. Amazon said it had been absorbing increased fuel prices. But like other major carriers, it was hiking fees to recover a portion of its added costs. UPS and FedEx imposed new fuel surcharges last month, and the U.S. Postal Service says starting April 26, it's adding an 8 percent surcharge to package and shipping services, including priority mail and parcel select.
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