The SAVE Act faces long odds in the Senate. GOP-led states are picking up the cause

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, seen here on Aug. 12, 2025, said he plans to sign into law new proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration.

Several Republican-led states are passing their own versions of the SAVE America Act, Trump-backed legislation that would introduce new proof-of-citizenship requirements to register to vote.

(Image credit: Chris O'Meara)

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 2:01 PM

Fear, defiance, and anger: Iranians describe life under bombardment

Iranians clear the debris from damaged homes following a military strike in Tehran on March 15.

In messages to NPR, Tehran residents describe largely deserted streets roamed by paramilitary officials and vigilantes. They say security forces are banning gatherings for Nowruz, the Persian new year, this week.

(Image credit: Atta Kenare)

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 12:11 PM

As Pakistan and Afghanistan declare truce, civilians in Kabul count the cost of war

A crowd gathers outside Kabul

At the Emergency Hospital, dozens crowded around a thick book to check the names of the victims killed in an airstrike on a rehabilitation center. The UN says over a hundred people were killed.

(Image credit: Fazelminallah Qazizai)

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 11:10 AM

Israel and Iran attack gas facilities. And, Cesar Chavez accused of sexual abuse, rape

President Trump walks to the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., as he returns from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware after attending a dignified transfer solemn event on March 18, 2026. Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base to pay his respects to six U.S. military members who were killed during a crash of a refueling aircraft in western Iraq last week.

Attacks on gas facilities by Israel and Iran have escalated the war and impacted global markets. And, renowned union leader and labor rights advocate Cesar Chavez is accused of sexual abuse and rape.

(Image credit: Oliver Contreras)

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 10:48 AM

Sen. Blumenthal discusses reforming DHS and his concerns about the war in Iran

Sen. Richard Blumenthal speaks to reporters in the Senate subway of the U.S. Capitol during a vote on March 4, 2026, in Washington, DC.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a panelist in Sen. Markwayne Mullin's Department of Homeland Security confirmation hearing, discusses the reforms he wants for the agency and shares his views on the Iran war with NPR's Steve Inskeep.

(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 10:24 AM

Japan's prime minister visits the White House under shadow of Iran war

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) listens as U.S. President Donald Trump (L) speaks to troops aboard USS George Washington on October 28, 2025 in Yokosuka, Japan.

Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will be the first U.S. ally to visit the White House since President Trump asked for help in sending ships to patrol the Strait of Hormuz.

(Image credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 10:00 AM

New autism group meets to counter MAHA's 'ideological agenda'

In an effort to challenge the Trump administration

Autism experts plan to convene in Washington Thursday to propose a research agenda at odds with the one endorsed by the Trump Administration.

(Image credit: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 9:01 AM

Cursive is back. But should students be learning the skill?

Teacher Sherisse Kenerson helps a student during after-school cursive club at Holmes Middle School in Alexandria, Va.

A Virginia after-school cursive club went viral. More than two dozen states require cursive in their curriculums. Is it an effective learning tool or just nostalgia?

(Image credit: Anna Rose Layden for NPR)

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

Trump started a war with no clear end in sight. They rarely end well for presidents

Demonstrators outside City Hall in Los Angeles on March 2 protest against the U.S. and Israel

President Trump started a war with no clear end in sight. If his predecessors' experiences are an indication, conflicts don't bode well for presidential approval ratings.

(Image credit: Mario Tama)

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

Why Trump's attacks and threats to Iran's Kharg Island are a big deal

Iranian tanker docking at the platform of the oil facility in the Kharg Island, on the shore of the Persian Gulf. The island is responsible for 90% of Iran

If the U.S. follows through on its threats to bomb the oil assets on Kharg Island, the war would likely escalate and oil prices would increase exponentially.

(Image credit: Atta Kenare)

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

This tax season, there's a new deduction for interest on car loans

Vehicles fill the parking lot at a Honda dealership in San Marcos, Texas. About 60% of the Honda vehicles sold in the U.S. last year were assembled in the United States, according to Honda, which means they could be eligible for a new tax provision allowing buyers to deduct the interest paid on their auto loans.

Taxpayers who purchased a new vehicle in 2025 may qualify for a new deduction on their taxes — even if they're not itemizing. But not everyone is eligible.

(Image credit: Brandon Bell)

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

Kick your tiredness with these 7 natural energy boosters

Feeling like a wilted flower most days? Perk up with these natural energy boosters.

A full calendar doesn't mean you have to feel exhausted all the time. Experts share natural ways to boost energy and beat the constant battle of tiredness.

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

It's called 'private credit' — and it could lead to big trouble on Wall Street

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the opening bell in New York on March 18, 2026.

The risky lending business has been booming — but now its problems are becoming increasingly visible on Wall Street and beyond.

(Image credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 9:00 AM

As overseas terrorists regroup, is the Iran war increasing danger in the U.S.?

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats on March 18. A closed session immediately followed the hearing.

Investigators in the U.S. search for motives in three recent instances of targeted attacks, and whether they are related to the war in Iran.

(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch)

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 8:45 AM

Morning news brief

Iran attacks world's largest liquified natural gas complex, Sen. Markwayne Mullin faces lawmakers at DHS confirmation hearing, organizers reckon with abuse allegations against activist Caesar Chavez.

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 8:44 AM

ICE officers are taking DNA samples from protesters they've arrested

Immigration agents took DNA samples from observers and protesters they detained during the Minnesota ICE surge, NPR has found, raising questions about how the government uses that personal data.

NPR NewsMar 19, 2026, 8:16 AM

Israel and Iran attack gas facilities, in a major escalation that rattles markets

US President Donald Trump walks to the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, as he returns from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware after attending a dignified transfer solemn event on March 18, 2026.

President Trump said that Israel acted alone when it struck the South Pars gas field in Iran. Trump threatened Iran to halt its attacks on Qatar's facilities, or face a "blow up" of their South Pars field.

(Image credit: Oliver Contreras)

NPR NewsMar 18, 2026, 6:26 PM

Cesar Chavez abused and raped women and girls, NYT investigation says

Cesar Chavez, a farm worker, labor organizer and leader of the California grape strike, is seen in a California works office in 1965.

A New York Times investigation has revealed allegations that the late renowned labor leader abused girls and raped Dolores Huerta, his longtime organizing partner.

(Image credit: George Brich/ AP)

NPR NewsMar 18, 2026, 6:14 PM

A mom wrote a kids' book on grief. She was just convicted of her husband's murder

Kouri Richins, pictured during an August 2024 court hearing, was found guilty of the aggravated murder of her husband and four other charges, including forgery and fraud.

A Utah jury convicted Kouri Richins of fatally spiking her husband's drink with fentanyl in 2022. Prosecutors said she was hoping to collect millions of dollars from multiple life insurance policies.

(Image credit: Rick Bowmer)

NPR NewsMar 18, 2026, 4:38 PM

Mamdani put Ramadan at the center of NYC's cultural life, bringing joy -- and a backlash

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, at center in a black suit, prayed and broke the daily Ramadan fast with men incarcerated at the city

NYC Mayor Mamdani observed Ramadan publicly at a time when many politicians and activists on the right are voicing hostility and in some cases open bigotry toward American Muslims.

(Image credit: Brian Mann)

NPR NewsMar 18, 2026, 4:21 PM

FAA tightens safety rules for helicopters and planes around major airports

Regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration are tightening safety rules in congested airspace around major airports, suspending the use of visual separation and helicopters. The move comes after an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided near Washington, D.C. last year, killing 67 people.

Regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration are tightening safety rules in congested airspace around major airports, suspending the use of visual separation between planes and helicopters.

(Image credit: Tom Brenner)

NPR NewsMar 18, 2026, 2:49 PM

Trump temporarily waives the Jones Act to try to lower gas prices

Containers are stacked at the Port of Los Angeles on Friday.

Experts say waiving the act will do little to dramatically lower gas prices.

(Image credit: Damian Dovarganes)

NPR NewsMar 18, 2026, 2:33 PM

Greetings from Nyeri, Kenya, where grandmothers help coach the next generation

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A group of grandmothers in central Kenya have formed a soccer team to keep fit and to give hope to a generation of teenagers — whom they sometimes outrun on the field.

NPR NewsMar 18, 2026, 2:00 PM

A mysterious floral artist has taken over the New York Botanical Garden

The floral designer known as Mr. Flower Fantastic wears a gas mask and gloves because he

Mr. Flower Fantastic is a graffiti artist turned floral designer who keeps his identity a secret. His new show is an ode to NYC in orchids. Oh, and did we mention he's allergic to flowers?

(Image credit: New York Botanical Garden)

NPR NewsMar 18, 2026, 1:21 PM

These roaches form exclusive long-term relationships after eating each other's wings

A new paper in the journal Royal Society Open Science describes evidence that the wood-feeding cockroach Salganea taiwanensis may engage in a behavior known as pair bonding.

Salganea taiwanensis, a kind of wood-feeding cockroach, may engage in what's known as pair bonding, a new study finds.

(Image credit: Haruka Osaki)

NPR NewsMar 18, 2026, 11:27 AM

The Fed to meet about interest rates. And, Sen. Mullin faces DHS confirmation hearing

The Federal Reserve building is seen in Washington, D.C., March 15.

The Federal Reserve is expected to hold the benchmark interest rate steady today amid economic uncertainty. And, Sen. Mullin faces a confirmation hearing to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

(Image credit: Annabelle Gordon)

NPR NewsMar 18, 2026, 10:14 AM

Iran retaliates after Israel kills two top Iranian officials

A worker at a market for fuel oil and automotive fuel on March 17, 2026 in Erbil, Iraq. Recent drone attacks in the region have forced some oil refineries here to cease operation, while others continue.

Iran launched a barrage of missiles after Israel killed two top Iranian officials, including Ali Larijani, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Israel also struck central Beirut.

(Image credit: Sedat Suna)

NPR NewsMar 18, 2026, 10:00 AM

Red states move to protect crisis pregnancy centers using model legislation

Across the country, there are more than 2,500 crisis pregnancy centers where staff try to convince women not to have abortions and connect them with help. Here, former VP Mike Pence visits a a mobile ultrasound unit with Carolina Pregnancy Center director Alexia Newman in South Carolina in 2022.

The Alliance Defending Freedom is behind a legislation known as the CARE Act, moving through a number of statehouses. Other states are trying to crack down on crisis pregnancy centers, accusing them of deceptive practices.

(Image credit: Meg Kinnard)

NPR NewsMar 18, 2026, 9:00 AM

Israel is a key issue in Democratic primaries as support for the U.S. ally drops

An attendee holds a U.S. and Israeli flag at an October 7th memorial rally near the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 7, 2024.

Support for Israel is down among Americans, particularly Democrats, with the last couple years being a major turning point.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

NPR NewsMar 18, 2026, 9:00 AM

Sen. Mullin faces confirmation hearing to lead Homeland Security Department

Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin faces questions from his fellow senators at his confirmation hearing to lead the Department of Homeland Security,

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)