NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-27-2026 2AM EDT

Episode Date: March 27, 2026

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Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. Despite shipping through the Strait of Hormuz largely shut down due to the Iran War, Treasury Secretary Scott Besson is making the case that the U.S. economy remains strong, and he doesn't think high oil prices will last. I am confident that shipping traffic will continue to increase on a daily basis even before we secure the straits. Oil prices have fallen a bit in Asia but remain above $100 a barrel. On social media Thursday, President Trump further paused his threat to target Iranian power plants. If it doesn't open the straight, he said he is extending his deadline to April 6.

Trump says talks with Iran are going well, but Iran says a U.S. ceasefire proposal is one-sided and unfair. United Arab Emirates says it intercepted 15 missiles and several drones fired at it from Iran Thursday. The UAE says two more people were killed by fallen debris in Abu Dhabi, raising the country's civilian death toll on the war to eight. And Pierre Zaya Petrauri has more from Dubai. The UAE, which has been targeted the most in the region by Iranian counterattacks, says it is ready to join an international force to open the Strait of Hormuz. Ships, including oil and gas tankers, are unable to transit because of Iranian attacks.

In an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal, the UAE's ambassador to Washington, Yusuf al-Dabaa said Iran cannot be allowed to hold the global economy hostage. He wrote, a simple ceasefire isn't enough. and that a conclusive outcome is needed that addresses Iran's threats, including, he says, its nuclear capabilities and its missiles and drones. Before the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, approximately 130 ships a day pass through the strait. The latest figures show six or less ships transiting a day in coordination with Iran. A. Abl-Trawi, NPR News, Dubai. The Senate is under pressure to resolve the homeland security shutdown before Congress leaves

town this weekend for its spring recess. A vote to advance DHS funding failed again. Thursday. President Trump says he'll sign in order to pay UTSA workers as they face another missed paycheck Friday. Delta Airlines passengers traveling through the Atlanta Hub will have some additional wiggle room to rebook flights. A policy expands on an earlier travel waiver and could provide some relief as security delays continue to disrupt travel. Marlon Hyde, member station WABE reports. Passengers flying to and from Atlanta that are booked through March 30th can book new travel dates without additional fees. Rebook travel must begin by April 6th. Fair differences will be waived if passengers remain in the same cabin and booking class. TSA's acting administrator

said this week that the agency is experiencing the longest wait times ever because of the partial government shutdown that started last month. Delta has also temporarily suspended specialty services from members of Congress this week while TSA employees continue to work without pay. This is NPR. The federal judge in New York is weighing whether Venezuela should pay legal fees for former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores. The two are facing drug trafficking charges. Maduro's lawyers argue that the U.S. is violating their constitutional rights by blocking

Venezuelan government money from being used for legal costs due to U.S. sanctions on Venezuela. The two were in a New York federal court. room on Thursday for the second time since their capture more than two months ago. The judge did not say when he will make a ruling. The musician who made up half of the soft rock duo Seals and Crofts has died at age 87 in PR's Isabella Gomez-Sarmiento reports. Dashcroft's first two instruments were the piano and the drums. In the late 1950s, he played in a rock band with saxophonist Jim Seals, But it would take another decade for the two musicians to find their groove doing something totally different, playing guitar and harmonizing. Seals and Crofts were to multiple hits that permeated the airwaves throughout the 1970s, including Summer Breeze and Diamond Girl.

They separated in 1983, but reunited for several performances in the coming decades. Croft's daughter, Lua Crofts, shared news of our father's death on social media. She wrote, quote, with sorrow and gratitude, we mourn a man whose loving kindness, remarkable compassion, beautiful and tender voice, has uplifted hearts across the globe. Isabella Gomez-Armiento, NPR News. This is NPR.