NPR News: 03-12-2026 3AM EDT

0:00Who should win the Oscar for the best original song this year? On the latest all songs considered from NPR music, we rank the nominees. I think Diane Warren should have won two Academy Awards. The problem is very often the lyrics are not much more insightful than you would find on the nearest throw pillow. Here's the NPR music podcast on the NPR app or wherever you get podcasts. Live from NPR News, I'm child Snyder. Officials say Iranian boats appear to have attacked two fuel tankers setting them on fire in Iraqi waters. More than a dozen vessels have come under a tax since award began a week and a half ago. The attacks have brought shipping to a virtual standstill and oiled energy markets. Here's NPR's Jackie Northam. Maritime monitoring agencies say fire broke out in the engine room of a tie flag cargo ship after it was struck off the coast of Oman. Iran has claimed responsibility to other ships flying Greek and Japanese flags were also hit. US Central Command says it

1:00attacked Iranian mind-laying vessels around the street of Hormuz, although it's unclear whether Iran has laid minds in the narrow waterway. Iran has warned vessels need permission to pass through the street of Hormuz. Hundreds of oil tankers around the street are idle because of the risk, sending the price of oil skyrocketing. President Trump promised to send naval escorts, but that hasn't happened yet. Jackie Northam NPR news. You win security councils condemning Iran for launching missiles and drones at Gulf Arab countries. Current council member Bahrain drafted the resolution, which won broad support as empires michelle kelemend reports. Bahrain's ambassador Jamal al-awaii says he drafted the resolution to pressure Iran to halt attacks that are affecting trade and maritime routes. We have repeatedly called for dialogue and diplomacy, but these two cannot be achieved under the barrage of missiles and drones. 135 nations co-sponsored the resolution,

2:02which passed in a 13-to-0 vote in the security council. Russia and China abstained because the resolution did not criticize Israel and the United States for launching the war. Russia called the resolution extremely unbalanced. Iran says it's targeting US military bases in the region. Michelle kelemend NPR news the state department. To Atlanta now where the ACLU is asking the Department of Homeland Security to stop detaining immigrants and holding cells in the basement of an Atlanta immigration and customs field office for more times than legally allowed. Member station WAB in Atlanta, Emily Wu Pearson reports. The field office in downtown Atlanta is designed to temporarily house immigrants between transfers. In a letter to DHS, the ACLU asks the agencies to follow the ICE policy that states holding facilities should not house people for more than 12 hours. Data from the non-profit deportation data project shows since January 2025, immigrants have sometimes been detained

3:03in the facility for months, and attorneys say their clients have experienced unsanitary conditions and not received enough food while detained there. DHS and ICE did not return emails requesting for NPR news. I'm Emily Wu Pearson in Atlanta. This is NPR news. Congressional investigators have heard from the longtime accountant for the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The House oversight committee deposed Richard Khan behind closed doors Wednesday as lawmakers seek a fuller picture of Epstein's financial portfolio. Khan worked closely with Epstein for years and now serves as an executor of his estate. Washington State is on its way to having its first income tax. Lawmakers Wednesday officially signed off under proposed tax on high earners, called a millionaires tax. Member stations KUOW and KNKX reporters Sarah Meises Tannen has more from Olympia. A bill that would levy a 9.9% tax on all household incomes over a million dollars has

4:06passed its final legislative hurdle and is now on its way to the governor's desk. The tax is predicted to generate over $3 billion annually from the state's highest earners. Senate Majority Leader Jamie Peterson, who shepherded the tax through the legislature, says the money is desperately needed to support programs like childcare and education. We're on our way toward reforming a tax system that for 93 years has punished poor and working people and has not asked enough of our wealthiest and most successful. The new tax would go into effect in 2029, but court challenges and a potential ballot initiative to repeal it are expected in the coming months. For NPR News, I'm Sarah Meises Tannen in Olympia. Stock markets in Asia down across the board as oil prices rise following reports of Iranian attacks on more ships and the Gulf to fans benchmark NK down 1.4%. This is NPR News.