NPR News: 03-22-2026 5AM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News and Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. President Trump is threatening to obliterate Iranian power plants if the country doesn't open the Strait of Hormuz. NPR's Julia Simon reports the White House has given Tehran a deadline to comply. President Trump hosted the statement on social media late Saturday, demanding Iran open the Strait in 48 hours or by Monday evening. The Strait of Hormuz is the vital waterway. They connect about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies to world markets. As the war with Iran enters its fourth week, the Strait remains effectively shut. Iran continues to hit ships and tankers. The Trump administration asked allies to send warships to protect tankers, but other countries were unwilling to participate. Iran says if its fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked, the country will target energy infrastructure belonging to U.S. and Israel in the region.

1:01Julia Simon and Pair News. President Trump is threatening to deploy federal immigration agents to U.S. airports of lawmakers don't reach a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security. In a social media post, Trump said ICE agents would take on airport security roles as soon as Monday, telling them to quote, get ready. Several Democrats are pushing back Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal says it's dangerous to shift immigration enforcement into airport security operations. What Americans have seen from ICE in breaking down doors, dragging people out of cars, shooting them, killing them, denying them medical aid, detaining them illegally, U.S. citizens, I think has not only appalled them, but angered. A bipartisan group of senators met with DHS, borders are Tom Homenley Friday to break the impasse, TSA employees have been working without pay for more than a month. Former FBI director Robert Mueller has died, and PR's Carrie Johnson reports Mueller transformed

2:04the agency after 9-11 and went on to investigate President Trump's campaign ties to Russia. Robert Mueller led the FBI for 12 to mulch his years, taking office only days before terror attacks hit the nation on 9-11. He helped transform the bureau from a traditional crime-fighting agency into one that works to identify and prevent terror networks from striking on American soil. Later in his career, he served as special counsel, investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mueller said he could not reach a conclusion about whether President Trump obstructed justice, but he also said he could not exonerate Trump. Posting on social media, that quote, I'm glad he's dead. He could no longer hurt innocent people. Mueller a decorated Vietnam war veteran and Marine was 81 years old. Carrie Johnson and PR news. This is NPR. Cuba is again without electricity after its power grid collapsed for the third time this month.

3:07State officials are reporting a nationwide blackout, but haven't identified a cause. The outage comes as the government struggles with aging infrastructure and fuel shortages. Duke and Michigan advanced in the NCAA men's basketball tournament on Saturday, but the day's most dramatic finish happened in Oklahoma City, where Nebraska moved on to the sweet 16 for the first time in school history. Greg Eclan reports. Langen Nebraska native Braden Frager scored on a layup with two seconds left in the game for the 74-72 victory, but the vocal Huskers fans held their collective breath on a half-quart shot by Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner. It was electric the whole time through. Big crowd presence. And yeah, it hurts that the season's over. The Corn Huskers, meanwhile, are in the midst of their most successful season and heading to Houston for the South Regional Semifinal. The biggest upset of the day was the elimination of Gonzaga, a number three seed after a 74-68

4:11loss to the Texas Long Horns. For NPR News, I'm Greg Eclan. Heavy rain continues to lash Hawaii as the state deals with its worst flooding in more than two decades. Evacuation orders have been issued for about 5,500 people on Wahoo. Officials are also warning that a more than 100-year-old dam could fail. The governor says the damage across the state could top $1 billion. This is NPR News.