NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-25-2026 4AM EDT

Episode Date: March 25, 2026

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Live from NPR News, I'm Jail Snyder. UN Security Council members are expected to resume negotiations today on a draft resolution, authorizing the possible use of force to keep the straight of Hormuz open to international shipping. Linda Fasullo reports a rival French proposal seeks de-escalation and a diplomatic solution. The draft resolution proposed by Bahrain with the backing of Gulf states, with authorized nations acting alone or through naval partnerships, quote, to use all necessary means to secure transit passage and deter attempts to close or interfere with navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. It also demands that Iran immediately cease all attacks against merchant and commercial vessels there

and expresses counsel readiness to impose measures including targeted sanctions against those involved in undermining freedom of navigation. Diplomats say veto-holding Russia and China, allies of Tehran, opposed the proposed measure, which the U.S. is believed to support. For NPR News, and the Nifasulo in New York. Israel and Iran exchanged air strikes today amid reports that the Trump administration has sent a 15-point ceasefire plan to Tehran. TSA agents have been working more than a month without pay due to that ongoing congressional standoff over homeland security funding. The shutdown has led to long security lines at the nation's airports. Keith Jeffries is the former federal security director for TSA at Los Angeles International Airport.

The biggest challenge is is the security risk that it brings to the aviation sector. The crowds, the angst, the stress, and the shortage of personnel to get them through from point A to point B safely. Senate negotiators are working to salvage a proposal to end the homeland security shutdown. Republicans and Democrats traded offers Tuesday with little progress. President Trump has said that he will not be held. happy with any deal and Democrats have refused to fund DHS demanding changes to immigration operations. Federal judge casting doubt on the government's ban of the AI company Anthropic. NPR's John Ruich reports on the legal battle over the Pentagon's designation of the company as a supply chain risk.

Judge Rita F. Lin of the U.S. District Court from Northern California says the government's ban on Anthropic looks like punishment and an attempt to cripple the company. Anthropics sued the Pentagon after it labeled the company a supply chain risk amid a contract disagreement over how the company's AI model Claude can be used. Anthropic does not want its AI used in autonomous weapons or for mass surveillance of U.S. citizens. The Pentagon argues it's not up to companies

to decide how the military uses their products. President Trump has also ordered all government agencies to stop using Claude. Anthropic asked for a preliminary injunction against the government action. Judge Lean heard arguments from both sides in court in San Francisco and said she expects to make a ruling in the next few days.

John Rewich, NPR News. This is NPR. A jury in New Mexico has found that social media giant META failed to warn users about the dangers its platforms posed to children. The jury Tuesday found META in violation of New Mexico's consumer protection law by hiding what it knew about risks to children's safety and mental health, ordering META to pay $375 million in penalties. Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp and says it plans to appeal.

A jury is deliberating a similar case in Los Angeles. One of Tennessee's oldest towns is set to become home to a federally contracted depleted uranium refinery. A material the Trump administration says it needs to update the nuclear weapons stockpile, Pierce Gentry of the Appalachia Mid-South Newsroom reports. After months of debate over potential environmental and health risks, BWXT received just enough votes from the county government. this week to overcome a zoning hurdle and move forward with its project. Hundreds of locals packed the county courthouse in protest, including musician Gabriel

Wilson, who says outside pressure shapes the vote. There's a lot of pressure on our commission from state government, from federal government. Our country right now is in a semi-hot war in the Middle East, and I think that all of that plays into the atmosphere around a decision like this that can't be ignored. The project now heads to federal regulators for review. Under its $1.6 billion federal contract, BWXT must begin production by the end of 2028. For NPR News, I'm Pierce Gentry in Jonesboro, Tennessee. Stocks are advancing and oil prices are easing.

Japan's benchmarked NICA jumped 2.8% today. This is NPR News.