NPR News: 03-25-2026 5PM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton, it's still not clear what's going on with negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to end the war. NPR's Mar-a-Lyesson reports. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt said talks continue and that they are, quote, productive. But according to Iranian state media, Tehran has rejected a U.S. proposal, quoting a senior Iranian security official who says Iran will end the war when its conditions are met. Those conditions include the right of Iran to control the straight-of-war mues. Iran has refused President Trump's demands to reopen the strait to oil and gas shipments. Trump has made a series of other demands, sometimes contradictory. They include unconditional surrender, regime change, a hand in picking Iran's next leader, and an end to Iran's nuclear weapons program. When asked about the possibility of more talks this weekend, Levitt said nothing has been officially announced. Mar-a-Lyesson, NPR News, the White House. A jury in Los Angeles has found that meta and Google were to blame for the depression and anxiety of a woman who compulsively used social media as a small child.

1:04As NPR's Bobby Allen reports, it's the second major verdict this week in landmark social media trials. A jury has awarded a woman $3 million for mental health struggles that developed after compulsive use of YouTube and Instagram. After a month-long trial, a jury found that meta and Google deliberately designed social media platforms to add to young people. The verdict comes a day after a separate jury in New Mexico ordered meta to pay $375 million for failing to protect kids and teens from child predators on its platforms. The Los Angeles jury found that meta and Google acted with malice, which means the case now moves to the punitive stage, where the amount of damages could be far more. Google and meta are vowing to fight the verdicts, which are the first-ever judgments against the social media industry over the harms of its platforms. Bobby Allen and P.R. News, Los Angeles. The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration says air travelers are experiencing the highest airport wait times ever under her agency. Han-Win McNeil told a House committee that workers going without pay during the partial government shutdown could lead to airport closures.

2:05The latest offers to end a funding and pass and put restraints on President Trump's mass deportation agenda have not gained traction. The national average price for a gallon of regular gas is nearing $4, and P.R. Scott Horsley reports that's making a lot of U.S. driver's nervous. 45% of Americans say they're concerned about being able to afford gasoline in the coming months. That's according to a new survey from the Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center. Triple A says the average price of gasoline nationwide now tops $3.98 a gallon. That's up about a dollar since the war with Iran began. Crude oil prices have eased a bit on hopes for a negotiated end of the conflict. The U.S. benchmark for crude has dropped below $90 a barrel. Scott Horsley in P.R. News, Washington. And those hopes for a possible end to the war with Iran push stocks higher at the S&P 500 and Dow, both rose more than half a percent. You're listening to NPR news from Washington. Wellness influencer Dr. Casey means his nomination to become U.S. surgeon general is stalled

3:06a month after senators grilled her on vaccines during a tense confirmation hearing. The delay deepens doubts about means his confirmation amid concerns over the Trump administration's approach to health policy. Republican senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine say they still have questions for means. Nearly one-third of Americans have sought health advice from artificial intelligence according to KFF. It's more common among younger people in those who lack access to health care as NPR's Yuki Naguchi reports. People under the age of 30 are far more likely to turn to AI, especially when it comes to advice on mental health. The KFF survey on health information and trust found there were three times more likely to seek emotional support from AI than those 50 and over. The ability to ask questions quickly and in private were big reasons people do so. But one in five people consulted AI because they either could not afford care or lack to provider. Again, those under age 30 were far more likely to cite those as reasons for turning to

4:11chatbots. Yuki Naguchi and P.R. News 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.