NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-23-2026 12AM EDT

Episode Date: March 23, 2026

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Hartsfield Jackson International Airport is warning passengers to plan for at least three hours to clear domestic screenings. That's as Congress has failed to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security. For member station, WABE in Atlanta, Alex Helmick, has more. The website for Atlanta's airport says the delays are due to current federal conditions. And international travelers may have to wait four or more hours to clear security. TSA agents missed their first paycheck last week because of the partisan gridlock in D.C. with many quitting or calling out.

Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens says federal agents from Homeland Security and U.S. immigration and customs enforcement will be deployed at the airport to help with line management and crowd control, but not to conduct immigration enforcement operations. Atlanta officials are offering meal vouchers and free parking as well as other support for TSA agents during this time. For NPR news, I'm Alex Helmick in Atlanta. The war continues in Iran this weekend. Tehran said Sunday it will target desalination plants in neighboring countries if President Trump follows through with his threat to hit Iran's power plants.

Trump made that threat in an effort to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade of that strategic waterway is causing massive increases in world oil prices. In Israel, journalist Yossi Melman says people are concerned that what was supposed to be a quick war will now last much less. longer. It is becoming a war of attrition with no sight of ending it. Israel is a lot of Israelis are fatigue. Most Israelis are waking up every night for the last 23 days, three, four, five times a night and running to the shelters. Some of Israelis have shelters in their own houses, but many of the population, nearly 30%, have no shelter at all.

So there is a feeling of fatigue, feeling that we don't see an end to it. With no major economic data being released any time this week, Wall Street investors are going to continue to closely follow the war with Iran. NPR's Rafael NAM has our reports. There are few things that are more difficult to process for investors than not having any sense of what comes next. And as the war rages on, investors are starting to get alarmed about the effects on the U.S. and the global economies. One big fear is inflation.

Americans are already feeling the effects of higher gasoline prices, while diesel prices are also spiking. Businesses and households could also start reducing their spending if they grow more cautious about the economy. And a continued decline in stock markets could hit retirement portfolios as well. A lot, though, depends on when the conflict ends. Raphaelna, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News. Washington, D.C.,'s iconic cherry blossom trees, which are a major tourist attraction, are expected to reach peak bloom in the next week or so,

and Pierre Chantelice Duster has more about the trees and their history. The annual National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the friendship between the U.S. and Japan. Diana Mayhew, president and CEO of the festival, says that friendship was reflected in a 1912 gift from Japan to the United States of more than 3,000 cherry blossom trees. They were unique of Japan. It was, you know, just a symbol of this beauty and renewal and hope. Some of the original trees are still standing. Japan says it is giving 250 more of the trees to celebrate America's 250th birthday. President Trump has thanked Japan, saying the new trees will be planted near and around the world. Washington Monument. Shandalee Duster, NPR News. Today's show co-host Savannah Guthrie is once again asking

neighbors, friends, and residents of the Tucson, Arizona region for any information that might lead to finding Guthrie's mother. Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on February 1st and authorities believed she was kidnapped or abducted in a new social media post. Savannah Guthrie said someone in the area where Nancy Guthrie disappeared may hold the key to solving the case. Matt Fitzpatrick played a bogey-free last round Sunday to win the PGA Championship in Florida. He made a 15-foot birdie put on the 18th end of the day with a 68 and a one-shot win over David Lipsky. The win comes just one week after Fitzpatrick lost a late lead at Sawgrass for a runner-up finish. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News.