NPR News: 03-31-2026 5AM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, and I'm Dave Mattingly. Kuwait State-run Petroleum Company says it was an Iranian drone that hit a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker off Dubai earlier today. The attack damaged the ship's hull and started a fire. It occurred in an area where commercial ships wait to exit the Persian Gulf. No injuries or leaks of oil were reported there. Tankers and container ships aren't the only vessels affected by war in the Middle East and Iran's threats in the Strait of Hormuz. Medical supply ships are also having difficulties reaching ports in the region. NPR's Fatma Tannis says many overseas clinics, including ones in Asia and Africa, are warning they're running low on much-needed medications. Dubai has massive warehouses that stalk tons of medical and humanitarian supplies, like antibiotics, vaccines, first aid kits, and also tents, latrines, dry and canned foods.

1:00Shipments of critical treatments like therapeutic foods for malnourished children in Yemen, Sudan, Afghanistan have all been stalled. Aid groups say efforts to find alternative routes have also been hampered. In many cases, it's too dangerous to go by road, but also fuel costs have skyrocketed, which means the price of air shipment has more than doubled. In all of this, aid groups say has been compounded by major cuts to global aid funding led by the United States, Fatma Tannis and PR News. At least a dozen U.S. troops were injured in Friday's Iranian missile strike on a military base in Saudi Arabia. The attack also destroyed two American radar planes, as NPR's Quill Lawrence reports. A U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly has confirmed to NPR that two E3-century aircraft were damaged in the Iranian missile and drone attack on Friday. The E3's centuries are known as AWACS, which stands for airborne warning and control system aircraft, and are crucial along with U.S. drones and satellites to de-conflicting friendly

2:04aircraft and detecting threats. Iran appears to have targeted the planes precisely where they sat, uncovered, at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Also, the official confirms that the number of wounded service members has grown since initial reports, including several injuries described as serious. Quill Lawrence and PR News For the first time since the U.S. and Israel began attacking Iran, the cost of regular gasoline in the U.S. now averages more than $4 a gallon. Triple A says the price of regular is nearly $4.2. The cost has gone up more than $1 a gallon since the start of Operation Epic Fury. Triple A says diesel fuel is averaging $5.45 a gallon. More costly diesel raises prices for consumer goods by hiking the costs of production and transportation for businesses. Diesel remains about $0.36 off its all-time high. This is NPR News. The NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament is down to the final four teams and all their

3:06top seeds. One semi-final will feature South Carolina against Yukon. The other will be Texas against UCLA. The Women's Final Four gets underway Friday in Phoenix. The championship game is set for Sunday. The Men's Final Four tips off on Saturday in Indianapolis when Illinois plays Yukon and Michigan takes on Arizona. The Trump Administration is suing Minnesota's Department of Education. As NPR's Janaki Mehta reports, the Justice Department is challenging the state's policy that allows transgender students to play on girls' sports teams. The Administration is asking Minnesota's Federal District Court to stop trans athletes from playing on girls and women's teams. The Justice Department said Minnesota schools were in violation of Title IX and called it a quote, intentionally discriminatory practice. Minnesota's Education Department told NPR it's committing to ensuring that every student quote has access to world-class education and every opportunity to thrive as their

4:07authentic self. This lawsuit is part of a broader effort from the Trump Administration to reshape Title IX, a law that prevents sex discrimination in schools. Since last year, the Federal Department of Education has opened at least 40 civil rights investigations into districts that have protections for trans athletes or allow them to compete in sports. Janaki Mehta and PR News. All Street is coming off a mixtape for stocks that now gained 49 points yesterday than Aztec dropped 153. I'm Dave Mattingley in Washington. 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.