NPR News: 04-10-2026 9AM EDT
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. A wartime surge in energy prices caused a spike in inflation last month. NPR's Scott Horsley reports on the latest figures from the Labor Department.
Consumer prices in March were up 3.3% from a year ago. That's the biggest annual increase in almost two years.
What caused the spike in inflation reported in March 2026?
Prices jumped nine-tenths of a percent between February and March, with a spike in gasoline prices accounting for nearly three-quarters of that increase. Gas prices have jumped by more than a dollar a gallon since the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran. Pump prices have remained high this week, despite the tentative ceasefire. Higher prices for jet fuel also pushed up prices for airline tickets last month, while grocery prices were down. Stripping out volatile food and energy prices, so-called core inflation in March was 2.6 percent, a rate that's likely to make the Federal Reserve cautious about any further cuts in interest rates. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
High-level talks are set to begin in Pakistan this weekend as U.S. and Iranian officials meet to discuss a ceasefire plan. Security is tight in Islamabad, where authorities are locking down parts of the capital ahead of the meetings. NPR's Dia Hadid reports a two-week ceasefire announced on Tuesday is already under strain.
Suggesting the last-minute nature of the talks, Pakistan's foreign minister posted an official letter on X. It asked authorities to ensure delegates could enter the country with a visa on arrival. Hundreds of police, soldiers and paramilitary forces cordoned off a two-mile radius around Islamabad's upscale Serena Hotel, where delegates are expected to stay. Talks to end the latest Mideast war are expected this weekend, but there's already concern that they're in peril. Israel bombarded Beirut shortly after the ceasefire was announced on Tuesday, killing more than 250 people. Israel and the US say the fight against the Iranian proxy Hezbollah isn't part of the ceasefire. Iran disputes that. Diya Hadid, NPR News, Mumbai.
Israel continues to push back on Iran's claim that Lebanon is part of the ceasefire. Ophir Falk is a top foreign policy advisor for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He says Lebanon is willing to negotiate.
The Lebanese government reached out a number of times. Israel to conduct these negotiations. Now that Hezbollah has been degraded and after Lebanon reached out to Israel, we've agreed and we want to conduct direct negotiations.
Israel launched fresh airstrikes against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon today, insisting those operations fall outside the ceasefire framework. Stocks closed higher across Asia today, with Japan's Nikkei average gaining more than 1,000 points. On Wall Street, Dow futures are up two points at this hour. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The castrapped U.S. Postal Service is seeking approval to raise the price of first-class mail beginning in July. The agency received temporary approval to raise prices for priority mail deliveries later this month by 8 percent to offset the cost of fuel. The astronauts on board the Artemis II are making their way back to Earth. Their Orion space capsule is scheduled to splash down off the coast of California tonight.
Central Florida Public Media's Brendan Byrne reports the return ends a nearly 10-day mission that took the crew around the moon and back.
Returning from space is risky. The spacecraft will reach speeds up to 25,000 miles per hour and could experience temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit once it hits the atmosphere. It will take 13 minutes for the capsule to splash down under a canopy of parachutes. A lot has to go right to return them safely, says Jeff Radigan, the Artemis II lead flight director, starting with their initial approach.
Let's not beat around the bush. We have to hit that angle correctly. Otherwise, we're not going to have a successful reentry.
During the return, mission control will lose contact with the spacecraft for around six minutes.
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