NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-29-2026 4AM EDT

Episode Date: March 29, 2026

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. No King's protests were held across the country this weekend to demonstrate against Trump administration policies. St. Louis Public Radio's Brian Munoz covered a rally in Missouri. Thousands of St. Louis area residents gather outside of Union Station in downtown for the third No King's protests of President Donald Trump's second term. A choir of demonstrators stand shoulder to shoulder while seeing songs decrying federal immigration enforcement in the Trump administration. Marianne Mears lives in nearby University City and is a member of the choir.

I got to find a way to express myself. You know, I had to be a part of the movement. It's energizing. It kind of keeps me doing every little bit I can to change things. The 62-year-old Merz says she remains hopeful Democrats can take back seats during the upcoming midterm elections. For NPR news, I'm Brian Munoz in St. Louis. Ice agents have been working with TSA officers in some U.S. airports for almost a week now.

in an effort to speed up security lines, but passenger delays are continuing in some major airports. At BWI Airport in Baltimore, Sunday, it took travelers' hours to reach their gates. But passenger Dary and Davis says, despite those problems, humanity won out, at least for the day. I'm not sure what it's going to look like to rectify the situation, but it does look like the passengers are doing pretty well in the lines. For me, though, the most shocking part is the children, actually.

They're doing really good, but the lines are super. full of children. It's just horrible timing. Houthi rebels in Yemen say they launched a missile strike toward Israel on Saturday and vowed that they would continue those attacks. It's the second such strike by the Houthis this weekend. The entry by the Houthis into the whole Middle East conflict adds to regional tensions. The Houthis have the capacity to disrupt shipping lanes around the Arab-Arabian Peninsula and in the Red Sea. Pakistan will host foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt for two days starting Monday. As Betsy Joel's reports, this is part of a broader diplomatic effort

that Pakistan says is aimed at de-escalating tensions throughout the region. Pakistan's foreign minister Ishak Dar says foreign ministers are meeting in Islamabad. This comes after Pakistan formally announced that it was relaying messages between Iran and the United States in its effort to promote peace between them. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shabashirif also offered to host the U.S. in Iran for talks on a settlement, Egypt has also offered to host meetings to de-escalate the war launched one month ago. And Turkey has said that it is also passing messages between Washington and Tehran. For NPR news, I'm Betsy Jolz in Islamabad.

A week-long walkout of the Bath Iron Works in Maine has ended. The shipbuilder says the unit has ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement and they'll return to work immediately. The employees work for one of the Navy's biggest shipbuilding contractors. You're listening to NPR News. Ukrainian president, Vlodomir Zelensky, has made unannounced visits to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar this weekend. He's in the Middle East to sell Ukraine's expertise with drones. He's already signed 10-year security agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Ukraine has become one of the world's leading producers of battle-tested drone interceptors that are cheap and effective. A popular tutor-turned influencer in China died this week at the 8th.5. age of 41. His fiery rhetoric on education and social issues attracted 27 million followers on China's TikTok app, Doe Yin, and millions more on other platforms. And Pierce Jennifer Pack reports from Shanghai. Zhang Shuefong was known for giving frank and practical advice on college applications, which is big business in China. Once he was criticized for advising against useless majors, like journalism. Many Chinese families trusted Zhang to guide their children. because he, too, came from a humble background and worked his way up.

Fans say they're shocked. He's died at the peak of his career. Zhang's company says he died from sudden cardiac arrest. He is survived by a daughter, age 11, and a wife. Jennifer Pack, NPR News, Shanghai. Olivia Olson scored 19 points in fellow sophomore Silas Hordes added 16 as Michigan beat Louisville 71 to 52 in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament on Saturday. Michigan now moves on to the elite eight. In other games, Tyneillate Latson scored 28 points in South Carolina beat Oklahoma, 94 to 608.

Texas overwhelmed Kentucky, 76 to 74, and TCU beat Virginia. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.