NPR News: 03-18-2026 8AM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman, Israel's Defense Minister says the Israeli military has killed another Iranian leader today, the Iranian Intelligence Minister. This comes after Israel killed two top Iranian leaders yesterday. NPR's Aarizvut Rizwani reports Iran is striking back. They have ramped up attacks in the last several hours. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar have intercepted Iranian missiles and drones in recent hours. There were strikes in Israel overnight, including in Tel Aviv. There are deaths to report it there. The Iran-backed group Hasbola and Lebanon launched rockets into Israel in the early morning, and Israel has been hitting Central Bay Roots. NPR's Aarizvut Rizwani reporting. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy Todd Blant will meet behind closed doors today with the House Oversight Committee. NPR's Claudia Grisallis reports it's about the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The voluntary briefing comes nearly a month ahead of Attorney General Bondi's testimony

1:01under a congressional subpoena. Bondi is said to formally appear before the House Oversight Committee on April 17th, a bipartisan group of members have demanded Bondi explain why the Justice Department has yet to release all the files under a new law past last year. In a letter to Bondi, committee chairman James Comer said the panel is investigating the possible mismanagement of the government's Epstein probe. Comer said they also want to talk to Bondi about questions still facing the report of Epstein's death by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. That and more could also come up in this closed-door briefing. Claudia Grisallis in Pair News, the Capitol. The ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security means that TSA agents are still not getting paid. There are long lines reported at airport security, more than half of the TSA agents in Houston's airport have called out this week. The United Farm Worker says it will not participate in activities this month celebrating its co-founder, famed union leader Seisar Chavez.

2:02The union says it's become aware of sexual abuse allegations against Chavez who died in 1993, and Beers Adrien Florida reports. In a statement, the UFW said it had been made aware of, quote, deeply troubling allegations that Chavez had abused young women and girls. The union did not say how it learned of these allegations, but said they're serious enough that it's seeking more information and wants to help possible victims. NPR has not independently verified the allegations against Chavez. In the 1960s, he became a national leader for farm workers and civil rights. In a separate statement, the Seisar Chavez Foundation said, quote, we're deeply shocked and saddened by what we're hearing. Though details of the allegations have yet to emerge, fallout has been swift in California, Texas, and Arizona, events honoring Chavez's birthday March 31st have been cancelled or renamed. Adrian Florilo and PR News Los Angeles. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. There's a development in a labor dispute at one of the largest oil refineries in the Midwest.

3:05Energy company BP has locked out hundreds of workers at its refinery in Whiting, Indiana, just south east of Chicago. Workers had rejected a contract offer. This work stoppage comes as the U.S. faces increasing costs for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. A new study of diet and disease finds the more ultra processed food a person eats, the higher their risk becomes of developing heart disease. NPR's Allison Aubrey has more. 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 of UT Southwestern authored the study. If you were in the top 20 percent of those who consumed the most ultra processed foods, which was about nine servings per day, you had a 67 percent higher risk. The study looked at several ethnic groups, including Asian, black, and Hispanic participants.

4:06Haider 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. Venezuela defeated the United States last night, three to two in the championship game of the world baseball classic in Miami. Venezuela's Eugenia Suarez hit the go ahead double in the ninth inning to clinch the win for Venezuela. I'm Corva Coleman, 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.