NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-19-2026 12PM EDT

Episode Date: March 19, 2026

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Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Dwa Halisa Kowtel. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth isn't denying the Pentagon is asking Congress for an additional $200 billion for U.S. military effort in Iran. The comments follow overnight Iranian counterattacks on a major oil field in Qatar. NPR's Quill Lawrence reports. Heg Seth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Cain, began a news conference by paying tribute to the six service men and women who died last week when two Air Force refueling tankers collided.

Hegseh went on to attack the media for negative reporting on the war against Iran, where Hegss said the U.S. military continues to face only minor resistance as it systematically destroys Iran's Navy, Air Force, and missile production capability. Hegsaith did not dispute reporting that the Pentagon has asked Congress for roughly $200 billion saying it was needed to replenish missiles and the expensive interceptors the U.S. and allies are using to intercept Iran's comparatively cheap, drone weapons. Quill Lawrence NPR News. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business about the U.S. strategy to stabilize

the global economy during Operation Epic Fury as it relates to SPR, Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The largest coordinated SPR release in history, 400 million barrels, was approved last week, and some countries are going to do more. The U.S. could unilaterally do another SPR release to keep the price down. Benchmark crude oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel before pulling back. This follows a tax on a major gas complex

in Qatar and other oil and gas refineries in the region. The Federal Bureau of Investigations may be purchasing commercially available data that can be used to track Americans' location. As NPR's Jude Jaffe Block reports, that came out in a Senate intelligence hearing today. Back in 2020,

FBI director Chris Ray told Congress the FBI was no longer purchasing commercial databases that include location data from internet advertising. At this hearing, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon asked current FBI director, Cash Patel, if he could also commit to not purchasing American's location data. Patel did not. We do purchase commercially available information that's consistent with the Constitution and the laws under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. Wyden says data purchases without a warrant are an end run around the Fourth Amendment, and that's compounded by the potential to use AI to comb through private information. A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment or clarify what data the FBI is buying. Jude Jaffe Block, NPR News.

The World Happiness Report is out, and it shows Finland remains the happiest land in the world, followed by other Nordic countries and Costa Rica in the top five. You're listening to NPR from New York. Gas prices continue to climb across the United States since the U.S. Israeli War on around started nearly three weeks ago, averaging $3.88 for a gallon of regular. A gallon of diesel is more than $5, according to AAA. Drivers in California are paying the highest gas prices, more than $5.5.5 for a gallon of regular. A new report finds majorities of nearly all religious. groups in the U.S. now support non-discrimination protections for LGBT people. The results are from

the Public Religion Research Institute, as in appears Jason DeRose, reports. In the U.S., about three quarters of white mainline Protestants, black Protestants, white Catholics, and Hispanic Catholics say they support laws that prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ people. PRRI also found nearly six and ten Hispanic Protestants show similar support. Even among traditionally conservative white evangelicals, 54% say they favor non-discrimination protections. Among other religions, nearly six in ten Muslims, as well as large majorities of Hindus, Jews, Jews, and Buddhists agree with such protections. PRRI found Jehovah's Witnesses to be the only religious group without majority support for LGBT rights. Jason DeRose, NPR News. Russian officials are confirming its

trilateral peace talks with the U.S. and Ukraine are on hold because of the Iran war. The news comes as European leaders are pressing Hungary to stop blocking an aid package that was previously approved for Ukraine in December. This is NPR News from New York.