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Chapter 1: What recent military actions have occurred in the Strait of Hormuz?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. U.S. officials say Iran launched multiple missiles, drones, and small boats at three American warships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Central Command says it destroyed the threat and targeted Iranian military facilities, including launch sites and command locations.
Meanwhile, Iran has created a government agency to try to control and tax vessels passing through the strait. The effort raises new concerns as hundreds of commercial ships remain bottled up in the Persian Gulf, unable to reach the open sea. The mayor of New York City and the head of one of the nation's largest hedge fund firms are trading sharp opinions over taxing the wealthy.
NPR's Windsor Johnston reports the debate is raising broader questions about how tax policy influences where companies choose to expand.
Citadel CEO Ken Griffin criticized Mayor Zoran Mamdani's proposal to tax luxury properties owned by wealthy part-time residents. Mamdani argues the city's tax system favors the ultra-wealthy, while critics say New York is already near a tipping point on taxes for high earners. Jared Walzak is with the center-right think tank, the Tax Foundation.
He says the state depends heavily on top earners for revenue.
New York State gets about 40% of its income tax revenue from the top 1%. You lose some of those people, you lose a lot of tax revenue.
Walzak says the proposal itself is relatively narrow, but says concerns over future tax increases could be a deterrent for some companies. Windsor Johnston and PR News.
The Postal Service is considering a rule change that would allow anyone to send handguns through the mail for the first time in nearly 100 years. A 1927 law prohibits the shipment of handguns through the USPS unless they're from licensed retailers. The DOJ has called that law unconstitutional.
Democratic attorneys general sent a letter in opposition to the change, arguing that it would override state gun laws and make it easier for felons and domestic abusers to access firearms. A council of disaster experts appointed by President Trump is recommending major changes to FEMA. NPR's Rebecca Hersher reports.
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Chapter 2: How are tax policies affecting New York City's economy?
This is NPR News. A pilot program in New York City uses plug-in batteries that can power air conditioners during peak demand, helping take pressure off the grid at its most stressed moments while still keeping residents cool. The devices are about the size of a microwave, charged when electricity demand is low, and then run window AC units for a few hours when demand spikes.
Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins is in a key midterm re-election contest. In her first ad of the campaign, she's highlighting her ability to secure federal funding. Steve Missler from Maine Public has more on how she's trying to woo voters.
The ad hits a theme that's expected to be a central part of Senator Collins' bid for a sixth term. It focuses on $6 million in federal funding she helped secure to repair a breakwater dock in Eastport, Maine, nearly a decade ago.
The breakwater has long been a part of Eastport's past. And with the help of Susan Collins, it'll always be a part of our future as well. Susan, thank you.
Collins' first ad coincides with a new spot from her prospective Democratic opponent, Graham Plattner. The combat veteran-turned-oyster farmer blasts the Republican for her early support of the war against Iran. He also accuses her of enabling President Trump and policies that enrich the wealthy at the expense of working-class Mainers. For NPR News, I'm Steve Missler in Brunswick, Maine.
The NCAA will expand its March Madness tournaments by eight teams each next season. The new 76-team brackets will jam eight extra games into the first week of the men's and women's tournaments. It's the first expansion of the tournaments in 15 years. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.
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