NPR News: 03-12-2026 6PM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton, a man armed with a rifle rammed his truck into a synagogue in suburban Detroit today as Russ McNamara from Detroit Public Radio reports the attacker is dead, but motivated him is still unknown. There was an exchange of gunfire at Temple Israel and West Bloomfield Township, however the only injury was a security guard who was struck by the vehicle. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard says he had been working with local police in preparation for a potential attack at area synagogues since the start of the war with Iran. We've been talking for two weeks about the potential sadly at this happening, so there was no lack of preparation. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer called the attack heartbreaking and that quote, Michigan's Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace. For NPR News, I'm Russ McNamara in Detroit. Iranian state media aired a statement today attributed to the country's new Supreme Leader, his first since succeeding his late father, Mushtabat Khamenei says Iran will continue to

1:03use the effective closure of the strategic strait of Hormuz as leverage against the U.S. in Israel. I also mentioned about how the closing the Hormuz strait should be used and re-open it if the war is stopped. The statement was read by a news anchor, Khamenei's absence from public appearances and video has raised questions about his health. Israel suspects the 56-year-old was wounded in the opening salvo of the war. As fuel costs spiked during the Iran war, the White House is considering waving a century-old shipping law in an effort to ease prices as NPR's Danielle Kurtzlaven reports doing so would loosen rules on which ships can transport oil and other commodities to the U.S. The administration may waive the Jones Act, part of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. The Jones Act requires ships moving between U.S. ports to be made and operated by the U.S.

2:04In a statement, press secretary Caroline Levitt said the administration is considering waving the act, quote, for a limited period of time to ensure vital energy products and agricultural necessities are flowing freely to U.S. ports. The act has been waived before after natural disasters and during international conflicts. In 2011, amid conflict in Libya, President Obama waived the Jones Act to allow foreign ships to transport oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Danielle Kurtzlaven and PR News, the White House. The professional women's hockey league is coming to a TV set near you. The league announced its March 28th game between the New York sirens and Montreal Victoir will be the first accessible to a national U.S. TV audience. The deal comes as women's hockey enjoys a surge and momentum following the team's gold metal victory at the Olympics last month. It'll air on Ion in a one-time deal that could potentially turn into a long-term partnership. This is NPR News. Georgia's film industry is struggling. The state's generous tax credits once turned Atlanta into the Hollywood of the South, drawing

3:08hundreds of productions and transforming the local economy. Its spending has tumbled from its peak of $4.4 billion in 2022 to just $2.3 billion in the last fiscal year. The 2023 Riders and Actors' strike accelerated the decline and Marvel has since shifted its productions to the UK. Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina has announced that he will run for re-election. South Carolina Public Radio's Luis Alfredo Garcia reports the Democrat was first elected in 1992. Representative James Clyburn is among the oldest Democrats in Congress. The 85-year-old is serving his 17th house term. He announced plans to run again despite calls for generational change within the Democratic Party. But Clyburn says he still feels fit for the task and that this next campaign will be vigorous. I do believe that I'm very woolly cropped and healthy enough to move into the next term.

4:09South Carolina's sixth district is heavily democratic. Clyburn says he has the support of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. For NPR News, I'm Luis Alfredo Garcia in Columbia, South Carolina. States are setting new rules for cash purchases after the U.S. Mint stopped making pennies and the one-cent coins get scarcer. Some states are considering legislation to allow or require businesses to round those purchase totals to the nearest nickel. Indiana already requires rounding for cash sales that do not end in zero or five cents. This is NPR. This week on the NPR Politics Podcast, the war on Iran is rippling through the global economy. And we're unpacking what that could mean for this November's midterms. Plus, detailed reporting on the tactics ICE is using to surveil American citizens. Listen this week on the NPR Politics Podcast, on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.