NPR News: 03-27-2026 10AM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, on Corva Coleman, the Senate is voted for a package that funds most of the Department of Homeland Security. That's been shut down for more than 40 days as Democrats and Republicans disagreed over limits to federal immigration agents' operations. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says most departments within DHS will get paid. This long overdue agreement funds TSA, the Coast Guard, FEMA, SISSA, strengthens security at the border in the ports of entry and keeps Americans safe. This could have been accomplished weeks ago if Republicans hadn't stood in the way. But it won't fund most federal immigration operations, Senate Majority Leader John Thun. They wanted an issue, politics over policy. Self-interest over reform pandering to their base over actually solving a problem.

1:00It's an appalling commentary on the state of the Democratic Party. But the funding issue is not over. This measure has to go to the House for a vote before it is fully passed. Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey are playing a role in efforts to end the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. President Trump has told reporters Iran is, quote, begging to make a deal. Iran says there are no negotiations with the U.S. And its list of conditions for halting the war include payments for damages and an end to attacks on Iranian-backed militias in the region. Trump, meanwhile, says he wants Iran to halt all nuclear enrichment and curb its missile and drone production. Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelayadi says Cairo is working to bridge existing gaps between the U.S. and Iran's positions. We are supporting the peace initiative by President Trump to open the door for negotiations with Iranian side. He says Egypt is communicating directly with Iran's foreign ministry, A. Abu Trawi and

2:02Pairanus Dubai, with reporting by Ahmed Abulhamda in Cairo. Stocks open lower this morning, NPR Scott Horsley reports the Dow slid more than 450 points in early trading. All prices are up and stock prices are down nearly four weeks after the U.S. launched its war with Iran, scrambling global energy supplies. All the major stock indexes fell sharply on Thursday, with the Nasdaq dropping into correction territory, more than 10 percent below its recent peak. The spike in oil prices is particularly hard on Asian countries that rely heavily on imports from the Middle East. Japan's government warned those prices could put lasting pressure on inflation in the world's fourth largest economy. The federal judge says the online betting company Draft Kings can continue using the term March Madness for now, that's despite a lawsuit from the NCAA, which says it tries to avoid any hint that it's on board with gambling around its college basketball tournament. It's got Horsley and Pairanus Washington. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. A federal judge will hear arguments today from a Georgia county that is demanding the

3:04return of ballots that were cast in 2020. The FBI seized thousands of Fulton County ballots last January. President Trump has lied about winning the 2020 presidential election and the state of Georgia. He lost both in 2020. It was an extremely warm winter in the West as multiple states set new records this year. NPR's Rebecca Hirscher reports. The contiguous U.S. was nearly 5 degrees Fahrenheit hotter this winter compared to the country's average winter during the 20th century. That's according to the latest climate information released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Nine states had their warmest winters ever recorded, going back to 1895. Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and Oklahoma. Three of those states smashed their previous record by more than two degrees. Forecasters say 2026 is very likely to clock in as one of the seven warmest years for the

4:08planet as a whole. The Earth is rapidly warming up because humans are burning fossil fuels, which release pollution that traps extra heat in the Earth's atmosphere. Rebecca Hirscher and Pairanus. Police in Hawaii say a helicopter on a tour crashed yesterday on the island of Kauai. Three people were killed and two others injured on a remote beach. Officials say the helicopter was operated by a company called Airborne Aviation. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.