NPR News: 03-28-2026 10PM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. The Pentagon says 3,500 sailors and Marines have arrived in the Middle East on the U.S. as triply as Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have entered the war, saying they launched a missile toward Israel. And the U.S. says about one-third of Iran's missile arsenal has been destroyed as NPR's Great Migri reports. President Trump and the Pentagon have reported major progress in destroying Iran's missiles, but haven't released specific figures. An American official, who's not authorized to speak publicly, told NPR that the U.S. has only been able to confirm the elimination of around one-third of Iran's missile capabilities. The missile program consists of multiple elements, factories that make the weapons, launchers that fire them, and the missiles themselves. For all, Iranian missile attacks have dropped dramatically since the early days of the war. Still, missiles, along with drones, remain Iran's most effective weapons.

1:00Greg Mairi, NPR News, Washington. Meanwhile, Pakistan says it will hold talks with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt tomorrow aimed at ending the war. The Department of Homeland Security is on track to mark the longest partial government shutdown in history, and Piers-Qaadir-Gurisalis reports. The DHS budget measure stalled in the Senate for weeks as Democrats demanded immigration enforcement reforms in exchange for their votes to approve funding. The chamber finally broke the impasse after a Republican agreed to approve funding for most of the agency aside from some component that included ICE and Border Patrol. House Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the Senate measure as a quote, joke. Instead, the House passed a measure to temporarily extend funding in full for the Department of Homeland Security through late May. The vote effectively ensured that the ongoing shutdown at DHS continues with no clear end in sight. Lawmakers have already left Washington for a planned two-week recess.

2:00Claudio de Salis and B.R. News. No Kings rallies took place around the country today for the third time protesting President Trump and his policies. That includes New York, where rally goers descended on Midtown Manhattan. For Member Station WNYC, David Brand reports. The crowd of demonstrators stretched for several blocks between Central Park and Times Square. 22-year-old nursing student Mao Valentin says she showed up to protest the federal immigration crackdown. People are getting killed. Simon Terkel says he was motivated by the January 6th riot and the war in Iran. He's pardoned the people who attempted to overthrow the government, and he is enriching himself and his family every day, so there's plenty to oppose. No Kings organizers say more than 3,000 such events were planned for the day. For MPR News, I'm David Brandt in New York. And you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

3:01Hundreds of employees at one of the U.S. Navy's biggest shipbuilding contractors have voted to approve a deal with bath iron works ending a week-long strike. The shipyard says the members of the Union ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement today that goes into effect immediately. The shipyard in the Union had negotiated for weeks without resolving differences before the strike started. The school board in Dallas, Texas, has voted unanimously to offer free universal pre-K across the district. Bill Zebel, with member station KERA in Dallas, reports that the enrollment starts next month. Pre-Kindergarten for three and four-year-olds has been free in Dallas to some, like children with military parents or from low-income families. Beginning next school year, it'll be free to all. Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde told trustees it's because they have space. We're accessing open seats. The amount of money it's costing us to take up the tuition is more than if we just said

4:06you can come. Elizalde said it'll be a more effective use of current resources with no need to hire more teachers. For NPR News, I'm Bill Zebel in Dallas. Wall Street was lower yesterday, ending another volatile week as investors processed ongoing war in Iran and rising oil prices. Both the Dow and the Nasdaq fell into correction territory, meaning they're down at least 10% from recent highs, and the benchmark S&P 500 posted its fifth straight losing week. I'm Janine Herbst, NPR News in Washington.