NPR News: 03-19-2026 6AM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, on Corva Coleman, President Trump is issuing a new threat to Iran after it attacked the world's largest, liquefied natural gas complex in Qatar. The Iranian attack came after yesterday's Israeli strike on the South, Paris, gas field in Iran. And Piers Aya Batraou reports the Iranian attack on the facility in Qatar will have global implications. Qatar Energy says its Rosla Fan gas-deliquid facility suffered extensive damage. Saudi Qatar has had to halt all gas production, disrupting global supplies and the production of fertilizer. Qatar says other gas sites were further struck overnight by Iranian missiles. Iran's revolutionary guard, Korra, says it also struck a site in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia that U.S. fighter jets used for fueling. Qatar expelled Iranian military at the Shays and Saudi Arabia's foreign minister convened Arab diplomats in Riyadh late last night, saying Iran's attacks only deepen its isolation. President Trump wrote on social media the U.S. had no knowledge of the Israeli attack on the South, Paris, gas field, and said there would be no more Israeli attacks on this

1:02valuable site. He also warned if Iran doesn't stop attacking Qatar, the U.S. will blow up the entirety of this Iranian gas field. Aya Batraou and Piers News, Dubai. The attacks on the mid-east energy sites are sending oil prices higher. Benchmark oil prices have risen to at least $114 a barrel, that's compared to about $73 a barrel before the war started. The motoring club, Tripolet, says the average cost of a gallon of regular gas is $3.88 a gallon today, that's almost a dollar higher than it was a month ago. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says it is too soon to tell the war's effects on the American economy. The implications of events in the Middle East for the U.S. economy are uncertain. In the near term, higher energy prices will push up overall inflation, but it is too soon to know the scope and duration of the potential effects on the economy. He spoke as the Fed shows to hold interest rates steady yesterday. The nation's central bank is sticking with its forecast of just a quarter-point rate

2:02cut this year. Homeland Security Secretary nominee Senator Mark Wayne Mullin appeared at his Senate confirmation hearing, and Piers Human Abustillo reports, Mullin appears to be trying to soften his tone and distance itself from some of the administration's hard-line rhetoric on immigration. Mullin was asked about his initial remarks after the deadly shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretty, a U.S. citizen killed by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. He called Pretty, quote, deranged. But during his confirmation, he walked that back. Those words probably should have been retracted. I shouldn't have said that, and Secretary, I wouldn't. The investigation is ongoing, and like I said, there's sometimes going to make a mistake and I'll own it. Outgoing Secretary Kristi Nome faced bipartisan pushback when she called Pretty a domestic terrorist. Mullin's critics questioned whether he'd strike a new tone in practice as Homeland Security Chief. A final vote on his confirmation could happen as soon as next week. Human Abustillo and Piers News, Washington. You're listening to NPR. A federal immigration judge has denied asylum to a five-year-old immigrant boy and his

3:05family. The case of Liam Conejo-Ramos came to national attention this year after he was taken from his Minnesota home and put in a Texas detention center, a lawyer for Liam's family says they will appeal, but if they lose, the family is expected to be deported to their country of origin, Ecuador. The Senate has rejected a war power's resolution that would have limited President Trump's military actions in Iran. The vote was 53 to 47, mostly on party lines. Pennsylvania Democrat John Federman voted to block the resolution Kentucky Republican Rand Paul voted to support it. The Senate defeated a similar resolution this month. The NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments will have a full slate of games today. For Member Station WDET in Detroit, Quinn Kleinfelter reports. The University of Michigan is one of four top seeds in the men's tournament, along with Duke, Arizona, and defending champion Florida. Michigan State also made the big dance, as it has for almost three consecutive decades.

4:07That head coach Tom Izzo says earning a spot in the tournament guarantees nothing. Michigan and Michigan State also factor into the women's tournament, where the top seeds are Connecticut, Texas, UCLA, and South Carolina, the same teams who were in the final four championship last year. For NPR News, I'm Quinn Kleinfelter in Detroit. I'm Quinn Klein, core of a coolman in NPR News in Washington. This message comes from Easy Cater, the workplace food platform, Easy Cater helps organizations order food from favorite restaurants, meet dietary needs, and stay on budget, with employee meal programs, flexible payment options, and 24-7 customer support, all on one platform. Learn more at EasyCater.com