Iran; Fuel costs; DOGE misuse of knowledge; Immigrants : NPR

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Immediately’s high tales

Within the final 24 hours, unknown attackers hit three industrial ships carrying oil within the Strait of Hormuz. The important thing passageway for the world’s oil, which is likely one of the sizzling spots within the U.S. and Israel’s struggle within the Center East, is now successfully closed. President Trump is urging ships to maintain utilizing the route and is promising safety, however has provided little or no element on how that safety will work.

• 🎧 The U.S. and Israel may quickly attain a degree when there are a restricted variety of viable targets for his or her bombing marketing campaign in Iran, NPR’s Greg Myre tells Up First. Oil costs spiked immediately to $100 a barrel. Iran may hold the Strait of Hormuz closed to inflict as a lot financial ache as doable and deter future U.S. and Israeli assaults on them once more, Myre says.
• 🎧 Yesterday, the Worldwide Power Company introduced that member nations would launch 400 million barrels from their strategic oil reserves. It is the biggest crude oil launch the IEA has ever coordinated. Of these, 172 million will likely be coming from the U.S. over 4 months starting subsequent week. Former Trump financial adviser Stephen Moore tells NPR’s Tamara Keith the president is betting that the battle with Iran will likely be quick, fuel costs will quickly drop and voters will forgive or overlook. However rising gas prices may make different necessities costlier for shoppers, Keith says. This might grow to be a political problem for Republicans within the midterm elections, the place affordability is a high concern.

The Pentagon has launched a proper investigation right into a missile strike on an Iranian women’ college that killed no less than 165 civilians, lots of them kids. A preliminary evaluation decided that the U.S. was at fault for the strike, which occurred on the primary day of the struggle.

• 🎧 If a U.S. position is confirmed, this assault would mark one of many highest civilian dying tolls by the U.S. in a single incident in 35 years, NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf says. Iran has launched photographs of missile components it says struck the varsity. The components seem to belong to a U.S.-made Tomahawk missile. Just a few nations use Tomahawks, together with the U.S. Just lately, Trump prompt the missiles have been “generic” and will have been fired by Iran. However consultants informed NPR that the U.S. is the one actor on this battle that makes use of Tomahawks.

The Trump administration is searching for to tighten guidelines for immigrants with short-term authorized standing searching for a industrial driver’s license, citing a number of high-profile crashes involving foreign-born drivers. Critics argue that these modifications will not enhance highway security. In line with the Division of Transportation’s estimate, the proposed laws may power round 200,000 immigrants, together with asylum-seekers and DACA recipients, out of the trucking trade.

An inside authorities watchdog and members of Congress are individually investigating new allegations of Social Safety knowledge misuse by a Division of Authorities Effectivity staffer. On March 6, the Social Safety Administration’s inspector normal alerted Home and Senate leaders about an nameless criticism relating to potential knowledge misuse by a former DOGE worker, in keeping with a duplicate of the letter obtained by NPR. This week, congressional Democrats ramped up their investigation into DOGE’s entry to Social Safety knowledge after receiving whistleblower claims {that a} former company software program engineer retained databases containing private data on almost each American.

Immediately’s hear

Commuters stroll by means of Moynihan Practice Corridor in New York Penn Station in New York on March 9, 2026.

Daniel Slim/AFP by way of Getty Pictures

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Daniel Slim/AFP by way of Getty Pictures

Whereas commuters race by means of New York’s Moynihan Practice Corridor in Penn Station to get to their locations, dancers are rehearsing down the hall and posting their performances on social media. The passageway from observe 5 to 21 is formally referred to as the West Finish Concourse, however some name it TikTok Corridor. For a lot of dancers, the concourse has grow to be a 3rd house to apply their strikes. Reporter Jeff Lunden seen this unofficial dance studio on a latest journey and returned along with his microphone to uncover the story behind it. Hear to find why these performers discover pleasure in dancing on the practice station.

Residing higher

Residing Higher is a particular collection about what it takes to remain wholesome in America.

For many years, psychologists believed willpower would assist folks get higher grades in class, set up more healthy diets, achieve profitable careers and extra. A whole lot of research supported this concept. Because of this, mother and father have taught their kids to make use of willpower to withstand fashionable temptations like quick meals and video video games. However new analysis suggests a easier, simpler technique.

• 🍟 Profitable folks did not have higher willpower. As a substitute, they structured their lives to restrict temptations.
• 🍟 Mother and father can create distraction-free occasions and locations for youngsters and train them easy methods to implement this technique themselves.
• 🍟 To form kids’s preferences, you may present them with quite a few alternatives to expertise the pleasure of more healthy choices. For instance, in order for you your baby to learn extra, hold books within the automobile.

3 issues to know earlier than you go

Psilocybin mushrooms prepared for harvest in a humidified chamber. Researchers have proven {that a} dose of psilocybin might help folks stop smoking.

John Moore/Getty Pictures

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John Moore/Getty Pictures

1. A examine suggests the psychoactive substance in magic mushrooms powerfully impacts folks attempting to quit smoking. The analysis compares the substance to nicotine patches.
2. Exonerees in Michigan created the Group of Exonerees app to assist newly launched people. The app’s options embrace navigating the method of acquiring important paperwork, resembling delivery certificates, and offering a peer assist community. (by way of Michigan Public)
3. NPR’s Jennifer Pak takes readers to Shanghai’s Jade Buddha Temple for this week’s Far-Flung Postcard. She showcases a solution to appease Tai Sui, a heavenly normal who clashes with these born within the Yr of the Horse.

This article was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.