NPR News: 03-17-2026 4PM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump predicts the U.S. can win the war against Iran without NATO, if need be. At the White House today, he criticized U.S. allies concerned about getting involved in the war, including sending warships, to help keep open the oil supply waterway the Strait of Hormuz. All of the NATO allies agreed with us, but they don't want to, you know, despite the fact that we help them so much, we have thousands of soldiers in different countries all over the world, and they don't want to help us, which is amazing. Trump speaking with reporters while hosting Ireland's Prime Minister and recognition of St. Patrick's Day, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent has resigned to protest the war in Iran. NPR's Greg Meiery reports Kent had been a staunch supporter of President Trump because Trump said he opposed Middle East wars. Joe Kent addressed his blunt resignation letter to President Trump in a post on X. He wrote, quote, I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.

1:03Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby. Kent is a former Green Beret deployed 11 times in the Middle East. His wife was a senior chief petty officer in the Navy. She was killed in a suicide bombing in Syria in 2019. When nominated for his position last year, Kent faced sharp criticism from Democrats, including Senator Patty Murray. She called Kent, quote, a conspiracy theorist who espouses white supremacist views. Greg Meiery, NPR News, Washington. On a frigid day in Chicago, voters are out at the polls after months of a high stakes Illinois primary election season. This year's ballots include an open U.S. Senate seat and four Chicago area house seats. Esther Yunjee Kang, from MBCWBZ, spoke with Democratic primary voters this morning.

2:03Tiffany Shockley brought her young son with her to vote. Top of mind is one issue. Prices. And gas. Food crisis. I have like one income. I have a son. I cannot, I cannot live like that. Edward Ellis says he's fed up with the tariffs, the wars, and what he calls the dysfunction of both political parties. He almost didn't come today. But then when you think about what people have been through to vote, I just feel that is my duty to vote. The Democratic candidates span three generations, from Gen X to Gen Z, and the outcome may indicate how far left the party's voters are looking to go. For NPR News, I'm Esther Yunjee Kang in Chicago. U.S. docs have ended the day higher with a Dow closing up 46 points to settle at 46,993. From Washington, this is NPR News. A new study of diet and disease finds that the more ultra-processed food a person eats,

3:06the higher their risk of developing heart disease. NPR's Allison Aubrey with new details. The study included more than 6,000 adults aged 45 to mid-80s, and found that with every additional serving of ultra-processed foods, people reported as part of their typical diet, the higher the odds of a heart attack or stroke. Dr. Amir Haider authored the study. If you're in the top 20 percent of those who consume the most ultra-processed foods, you had a 67 percent higher risk. The study looked at several ethnic groups. Haider says prior research shows junk foods have been more heavily marketed toward minority populations, which is one factor that may help explain the more pronounced relationship with black Americans. Allison Aubrey, NPR News. People in multiple states, including Pennsylvania and Ohio, report hearing, allowed boom this morning. Dan Cook offered his version. It was just like a boom, like that. I baaah!

4:06Experts say it was likely a meteor, the National Weather Service's Pittsburgh office posted an employee's video on X showing a fireball streaking across a clear sky around 9 a.m. Eastern. Professor Lawrence Garvey, with Arizona State University Tells Reuters, the space object broke the sound barrier. At a speed in the range of 25,000 and 160,000 miles per hour, hence as Mr. Cook describes it, boom, like that. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.