NPR News: 03-20-2026 2PM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kristen Wright. President Trump called NATO allies cowards on social media today. He said they don't want to help open the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers threatened by the Iran War. Tehran has been striking energy infrastructure. Ukrainian officials say they've deployed anti-drone units to several Middle Eastern countries. NPR's Joanna Cakissis reports from Kiev Ukraine has developed an air defense system to protect its cities from Russian drones nightly. Ukrainian security chief Rostem Ameri visited five Middle Eastern countries in the past week to talk about countering drone attacks. Writing on social media, Umarov said Ukrainian specialists had been sent to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan. The main focus is intercepting Shahed attack drones, which Iran has launched on Gulf nations, hosting American bases. The U.S. and Israel initiated the war on Iran. Shahed drones resemble small jets and carry explosives.

1:02Russia makes its own Shahed and has used more than 57,000 of these drones on Ukraine. Joanna Cakissis and PR News, Kiev. Ukraine's president says peace negotiators are heading to Washington to meet with White House envoys to move forward negotiations to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Former FBI director James Comey has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury months after a separate case against him collapsed. NPR's Kerry Johnson reports President Trump has been eager to see Comey targeted by the justice system. President Trump has called the former FBI director a liar and a leaker needs blame Jim Comey for an investigation into Trump campaigned ties to Russia years ago. Now a grand jury in Florida has issued a new subpoena to Comey, according to a source familiar with the matter. It seems to be part of a broader case focused on U.S. intelligence reports about foreign election interference. Comey's lawyer declined a comment. Also DOJ is fighting to revive a separate case against Comey that a judge threw out

2:05after finding the U.S. attorney in Virginia had been appointed illegally. Comey says he's the target of vindictive prosecution and there's no basis to charge him with any wrongdoing. Kerry Johnson, NPR News, Washington. After nearly 100 years on the air, CBS News Radio will end broadcasting in May, according to an internal CBS memo obtained by NPR. CBS News Radio is heard on roughly 700 affiliates. The memo says all positions on the radio team are being eliminated. It calls us a necessary decision stemming from a shift in station programming strategies and challenging economic realities. CBS Radio's signature broadcast world news roundup is the longest running newscast in the country. It has delivered original reporting to the nation since 1938, including legendary newscaster Edward R. Murrow's World War II reports from London. This is NPR News from Washington. Violence in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo by Islamist and militant groups rose

3:07sharply last year, according to a report by the Institute for Economics and Peace. NPR's Emanuel Akanwotu reports. Researchers from the Institute for Economics and Peace say Nigeria recorded the largest increase globally in terrorism-related deaths in 2025, with killings rising by 46% from the previous year. Experts say the surge is down to a long-running security crisis that has seen Islamist militant groups and criminal gangs launch attacks on communities mostly across Nigeria's north and central region. This week, 23 people were killed in a suspected suicide attack in May, Dugory, North East Nigeria, in one of the worst such attacks in years. Several politicians have warned that Boko Haram and other militant groups are growing in strength in the region. In Congo, terrorism-related deaths rose by nearly 28%, amid rising attacks by the ISIS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces. Emanuel Akanwotu, NPR News, Lagos Switzerland announced today its halting weapons exports to the U.S. The Swiss government

4:08says it won't issue licenses for companies to send arms. It cites neutrality in the Iran War. A federal arts commission has approved a final design for a commemorative gold coin honoring President Trump. The commission says the coin bearing his image celebrates America's 250th birthday this summer. The approval clears the way for the U.S. meant to start making the coin. Mint officials say the size and denomination of the coin have not been determined. I'm Kristen Wright. This is 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.