NPR News: 03-27-2026 1AM EDT

0:00Live from MPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. European Union's top diplomats as if Washington wants the war in Iran to end. It needs to put pressure on Russia. Jerry Schultz reports EU officials' comments come amid new reports at Moscow is providing to Iran with weapons to use against the U.S. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaya Callis, says the wars in Ukraine and Iran are interlinked, and that Russia is a common thread in both. She urged the Trump administration to do more to convince Russia to stop its war on Ukraine, noting that the Kremlin is also acting against Americans, with substantial assistance to the Iranian regime. Russia is helping Iran with intelligence to target Americans, to kill Americans, and Russia is also supporting Iran now with the drones, so that they can attack neighboring countries and also U.S. military bases. Callis was speaking at a meeting of G-7 foreign ministers in France, where support for Ukraine was a top agenda item.

1:00For MPR News, I'm Terry Schultz and Brussels. President Trump says he's extending a deadline to strike Iranian power plants on social media Thursday. Trump said he is extending that deadline for Iran to open the state of Hormuz to April 6. Trump says talks with Iran are going well, but Iran says a U.S. ceasefire proposal was one cited in unfair. President Trump says he's going to sign an executive order to pay TSA agents in Pierre's Tamara Keith. Reports and airport security workers are about to miss their second paycheck because of the Homeland Security shutdown. On social media, Trump announced he would sign an order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security to pay TSA agents, quote, in order to address this emergency situation and to stop the chaos at the airports. However, no such order has so far been signed, and it's not clear it would be legal since Congress holds the power of the purse and hasn't yet approved funds for the department as Democrats hold out for reforms to ice immigration enforcement tactics.

2:04Hundreds of TSA agents have quit during the shutdown, and many more are calling out from work, causing very long lines at some airports. Tamara Keith and Pierre News. Our brother and sister have been charged after an explosive device was found earlier this month outside a gate at McDill Air Force Base in Tampa. Greg Kio is the federal prosecutor for the Middle District of Florida. He says Alan Zhang fled to China with a sister and Mary. He remains in China, but his sister was arrested upon her return to Florida. Kio says she's being charged as an accessory to the crime for allegedly selling the car used to drop off the device. As bomb is placed on the 10th, they left on the 12th. On the 11th, they attempted to destroy evidence by selling the automobile involved to car match. The authorities say Alan Zhang actually planted the device and made a 911 call, saying there was a bomb at the base. You're listening to MPR News. A widely available substance has surged in recent years to dangerous effects.

3:07In the past 10 years, there's been a 1200% increase in calls coming into US poison centers involving cradum. Originally, cradum is a plant from Southeast Asia used for pain relief and its psychoactive properties. In the US, the term encompasses a variety of pills, teas, and synthetic products, which are widely available in convenience stores and smoke shops. The national poison data system recorded more than 3,400 reports related to cradum use last year. Most cases involved adults in their 20s and 30s, though cases have gone way up for those in their 40s and 50s. Many resulted in serious medical outcomes and required hospitalization. The research is published in the CDC's morbidity and mortality weekly report. Cradum is not federally regulated, though the Food and Drug Administration recommends that some highly potent forms of it should be. Ping Huang and PR News. Philadelphia Philly's third baseman, Alex Balm, is suing his parents for millions of dollars.

4:07Bum filed a lawsuit in Philadelphia this week accusing his parents of siphoning large amounts of his money into a financial account they managed for him and then using some of the money to pay their own expenses. Balm says his parents refused to give him access to the account, so we'll provide information about them. Stocks in Asia, mixed in Friday trading, Japan's benchmark knee-k is down, but stocks in mainland China are advancing as oil prices remain above $100 a perl. I'm Jail Snyder, NPR. 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.