NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-24-2026 6PM EDT

Episode Date: March 24, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. A New Mexico jury has found that Facebook parent company META violated state consumer protection laws that it failed to disclose the risk of its platforms on mental health and didn't adequately monitor for child sexual exploitation. The verdict comes with a $375 million penalty. Meta says it tries to weed out harmful content and experiences but acknowledges some bad material gets through. Citing national security concerns, FCC is banning foreign-made routers, the devices that connect computers, phones, and smart devices to the internet. NPR's John Rewich has more. The FCC says it's added consumer-grade routers made overseas to a list of telecoms equipment prohibited from being imported into the United

States. The rule applies to new devices, not routers already in the U.S. It says the move follows findings from an interagency body that such routers pose unacceptable national security risks. That includes a severe cybersecurity risk. It says could be leveraged to disrupt critical infrastructure or harm Americans. The FCC says the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security can grant conditional approval for routers to be imported if they're determined not to pose a security risk. John Rewich, NPR News. A series of Trump administration policies are ratcheting up the pressure on U.S. NPR's at Danielle Kurtzleben reports these challenges may test the patience of rural Trump supporters. The war on Iran and the resulting closure of the U.S.

the Strait of Hormuz have spiked the costs of nitrogen fertilizer and fuel. All of that comes after deportations thinned out the agricultural labor force and tariffs both pushed input prices higher and disrupted normal trading relationships. Illinois farmer Dave O'Brien is fed up with the Trump administration's messaging. It bothers me with these statements about, well, there's going to be a little hurt to be spread around, but that'll all get better. That's almost an insult. We're supposed to take it in the ribs, but I guarantee you'll get it better.

In a statement to NPR, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said President Trump is, quote, looking at every potential option to lower fertilizer prices. Danielle Kurtzleben and PR News. A senior Israeli official tells NPR the Israeli military would need several more weeks of fighting to achieve its war goals in Iran. NPR's Daniel Estrin reports. President Trump says the U.S. is holding talks to seek an end to the Iran war. Iran says no direct negotiations are happening.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he spoke with Trump and that Trump believes there's an opportunity to leverage U.S. Israeli military achievements in Iran to realize the goals of the war through an agreement. A senior Israeli defense official tells NPR the war has degraded Iran's chain of command and many of its military industries, but that Israel has not yet achieved, quote, full strategic victory.

The official who's not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, estimated Israel's military would need a few more weeks to achieve its goals in Iran, including hitting Iranian military industries and capabilities. This is NPR news from Washington. A top Brazilian justice has granted former President Jayaer Bolsonaro permission to serve his 27-year sentence for a coup attempt at home. Instead of in prison because of his failing health, the decision follows Bolsonaro's hospitalization

for pneumonia. Japanese police have detained a man suspected of breaking into the Chinese embassy in Tokyo. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports that China has lodged a diplomatic protest of the incident with Japan. Japan's Kyoto News Agency and public broadcaster NHK, quote anonymous sources is saying that the suspect scaled a wall, broke into the embassy, and threatened to kill Chinese diplomats. The reports say the suspect had on him a Japanese military ID, and a knife was found at the scene. Chinese embassy staff detained the man and nobody was injured. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a press briefing in Beijing that China is asking Japan for a thorough investigation and punishment for the person responsible.

Ties between Beijing and Tokyo have been strained since last November, when Japanese prime minister Saniya Takaichi warned of possible Japanese military involvement if China blockades or attacks Taiwan. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul. The Major League baseball season starts tomorrow, and managers will have a little less to argue about with the start of ball and strike challenges through so-called robot umpires. Human umpires will still make each call, but the decisions can't. be appealed to a computer. Teams get two challenges per game, and they'll have to be initiated by

the batter, pitcher, or catcher. The system has been tested in minor leagues since 2019. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.