NPR News: 03-29-2026 9PM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. On Iranian official today accused the U.S. of planning a ground invasion and says that would be met with force. Impares Emily Fang reports. Writing in telegram Iran's parliament speakers struck an aggressive stance. Writing quote, the enemy publicly signals negotiations will secretly planning a ground invasion. He's referring to news that the U.S. is triply, carrying 3,500 U.S. Marines and sailors has arrived in the Middle East, though the U.S. military has not said where the Marines will be deployed and how. Earlier Iran rejected a 15-point plan the U.S. had proposed to end the war. And put forth its own proposal that would give Iran official control over the street of Hormuz and have the U.S. pay for war damages. Israel said it had started a new wave of strikes on Iran over the weekend as well, targeting weapon sites. Iranian officials said they hit universities in Tehran and Isfahan. Emily Fang in pure news, then Turkey. During his Palm Sunday Mass, Pope Leo said God doesn't listen to the prayers of those

1:03who wage war and should never be used to justify violence. Impares Ruth Sherlock has more. Pope Leo spoke as thousands of U.S. troops arrived in the Middle East as part of the U.S. and Israel's expanding war against Iran. In his Palm Sunday Mass, Leo called the unfolding conflict atrocious. He said God should never be used to justify conflict and doesn't listen to the appeals of leaders who wage war. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had recently prayed for violence against enemies he said deserved no mercy during a service at the Pentagon. Quoting a Bible passage, Leo said, even though you make many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood. Ruth Sherlock and Pion News. The U.S.A. agents are expected to be paid as soon as tomorrow. After President Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security to find the money while Congress remains at a stalemate. But as MPR's Amy Held reports, it's not clear how fast the long airport security lines

2:05will ease up. President Trump ordered TSA workers be fully compensated, without specifying where the funds will come from. Possibly in violation of the Constitution, which says Congress decides spending their own vacation till mid-April, experts say it may be too little too late anyway. TSA workers have no guarantee about their next paycheck. Hundreds have already quit. The national absentee rate is about 12 percent as high as 40 in some airports, amounting to travel nightmares. Melissa Gates was trying to reach Baton Rouge from Houston and realized, laterally, she should have just driven. I'm going to miss my flight. So I guess I'm going to spend the night. Also, unaddressed in Trump's memo, tens of thousands of other DHS workers from FEMA and the Coast Guard, they still won't get paid. Amy Held and PR News. You as futures contracts are trading lower at this hour, Dow futures are down about three-quarters of a percent. You're listening to NPR News. The federal government could soon loosen restrictions on a handful of peptide therapies

3:06for wellness and longevity. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signaled the Food and Drug Administration will soon reclassify some of them. NPR's Will Stone reports, compounding pharmacies in the U.S. will be able to make them. Kennedy made the comments about a month ago on Joe Rogan's podcast. He said to expect an announcement on about 14 of these peptides in a few weeks. The peptides in question are big in the world of biohacking and longevity, used for immune function, skin health, tissue repair and more. Scott Bruner with the Alliance for Pharmacy compounding hopes Kennedy makes the changes, but says it will take time for the supply to be available. We're going to have prescribers and patients dashing to their compounding pharmacy only to be frustrated. A sketchy market for peptides has flourished under the FDA restrictions, but researchers also warn there is very little human clinical data on safety and efficacy of these therapies, which haven't been approved by the FDA. Will Stone and PR News. Extreme weather in Afghanistan led to severe flooding, a landslide and thunderstorms in

4:09parts of the country, leaving at least 17 people dead to dozen injured. Rescue crews are surveying the area and officials say the death toll could rise. 13 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces are affected. The country is very vulnerable to extreme weather events. This oil is trading higher at this hour, West Texas crude oil is at $103.6 a barrel. I'm Janine Herbst, NPR News in Washington.