NPR News: 03-07-2026 2PM EST

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nur Rahm. The Iranian President appeared on state media today. He apologized to neighboring countries, hit by Iranian drones and missiles after the U.S. and Israeli attacks. He said Iran would only attack countries, originally attacks on Iran. Shortly after he spoke, President Trump posted on social media that Iran will be hit very hard today. He's demanded that Iran's surrender unconditionally. This morning, Trump said Iran was a threat to the rest of the world. They were very close to a nuclear weapon. They would have had one if we didn't do our B2 hit midnight hammer. They would have had it eight months ago. They would have had a nuclear weapon, you know, crazy, and they would have used it. So we did the world a favor. Trump spoke near Miami where he opened a summon of Latin American leaders on security. This afternoon, he's attending a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base for the return of six

1:01U.S. soldiers killed in a drone attack in Kuwait the day after the strikes against Iran began. In New York, a man was found guilty in a plot to kill President Trump and other prominent U.S. officials at the orders of Iran. NPR's Jacqueline Diaz has the story. A federal jury in Brooklyn found Asif Merchant, guilty of planning to hire hitmen, steal documents, and kill American politicians. Federal prosecutors said the scheme was backed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Merchant, who is a Pakistani national, received spycraft training from Iran around 2022. It was sent to the U.S. in 2024 to execute his scheme to kill President Trump and former President Joe Biden. But he didn't get far in his grand plan before a law enforcement learned of the plot. Merchant could now face life in prison. Jacqueline Diaz and PR News Russia attacked several Ukrainian cities, including the capital Keeve overnight, with ballistic

2:02missiles and attack drones. Officials say at least eight people were killed, and more than a dozen were injured. NPR's Joanna Kekisis reports from Keeve. Ukraine's Air Force has Russia used 480 drones and 29 missiles in the attacks. More Keeve, Ukraine's second largest city, was the hardest hit. A ballistic missile struck a high-rise building in the north-eastern city, killing several residents and injuring many more. Russia frequently launches airstrikes on Ukraine, Ukrainian forces have learned how to shoot down attack drones like Shahed's, which were designed in Iran. Ukraine is now sharing that expertise with Gulf nations. Many and forces have attacked U.S. sites in these nations with Shahed drones, in retaliation for the war that the U.S. and Israel is waging on Iran. Joanna Kekisis and PR News Keeve. This is NPR News in Washington. The death toll is rising in Kenya after flash floods overnight.

3:04Officials say at least 23 people have died in the capital, Nairobi. The floods swept away cars and disrupted air travel, scientists say global warming is making both floods and routes worse in the region. The story of gentlemen Jack, the 19th Century English Countrywoman whose lifestyle and possibly published secret diaries, made her an early gay icon, has been turned into a ballet. Vicki Barker reports from London. Annie Lister, nicknamed gentlemen Jack, wore masculine attire and wooed a series of women in her lifetime, seductions. She described encoded diaries which she hid behind a wooden panel in her Yorkshire home. Choreographer Adabelle Lopez Ochoa says it was a challenge training female ballerinas to dance like the masculine Annie. You know walk on your heels instead of walking on your toes, take the space instead of always be wary that you're going to hit someone. So that was really interesting for me as a choreographer, but also to guide the dancers.

4:06After its world premiere in Leeds, the Northern Ballet production of gentlemen Jack will tour the UK for NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania conducted a survey on how the public views medical advice. It found people trust career scientists at federal health agencies more than the leaders of those agencies. Two thirds of Americans have confidence in the scientists while only 38% trust health secretary, Robert of Kennedy, Jr. I'm Nora Rom, NPR News in Washington. Listen to this podcast sponsor free on Amazon Music with a prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to NPR News Now Plus at plus.npr.org, that's plus.npr.org.