NPR News: 03-31-2026 7PM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. President Trump's explanations for why he launched the war in Iran have been inconsistent and sometimes contradicted by his cabinet and the language about the war has also been different than in the past, including references to religion as NPR's Quilorance explains. The cartoon memes that have been released by the White House and the Pentagon included with videos of destruction of targets in Iran, presumably killing people alongside video game memes, the brazen political jabs in the middle of war briefings, which I don't ever recall seeing in the past 25 years of these sort of briefings. And Hegseth also always says a prayer like he did this morning. May his almighty and eternal arms of providence stretch over them and protect them and bring them peace in the name of Jesus Christ. And just to say the obvious, the US military is not all Christian. NPR's Quilorance reporting the Supreme Court has overturned Colorado's law that bans

1:02conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth. Colorado public radio spent a Berkland reports the case was brought on behalf of a therapist who sent she had the right to speak freely with her clients. Colorado's law prohibits mental health professionals in the state from attempting to change a minor client's sexual orientation or gender identity during talk therapy sessions. Colorado's psychological governing bodies say the practice is harmful and the state argued it has the authority to regulate licensed therapists. But an eight to one high court majority sided with a Christian counselor who argues the law banning certain therapies violates the First Amendment. The majority found the Colorado law regulate speech based on viewpoint and permit some types of speech but not others. One of the sponsors of Colorado's law said the ruling would put some children in jeopardy. For NPR News, I'm Benta Berkland in Vale, Colorado. NASA officials say that everything's looking good as they count down the hours to a launch

2:03of the Artemis 2 mission. The first possible launch window opens tomorrow evening. NPR's Nell Greenfield voice reports that the goal is to send four astronauts flying around the moon. Their trip out to the moon and back is expected to last about 10 days. The crew's vehicle, a bell-shaped capsule, is currently perched on top of a massive rocket at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA test director Jeff Spalding says launch preparations have been progressing smoothly. People are excited and ready to go on this this first chapter on our way back to the moon since the 1970s. The weather forecast says there's an 80% chance of favorable conditions at launch time. If there's a weather delay or a technical glitch, there could still be several additional launch opportunities in the following days. Nell Greenfield voice, NPR News. US stock search today is Wall Street, Wade hopes about a possible end to the war with Iran. This is NPR News. Three fired FBI agents are suing to get their jobs back, saying they were illegally

3:05punished for investigating President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The lawsuit adds the list of court challenges to a purge by FBI director Cash Patel. Patel has said the fired agents weaponized law enforcement, which they deny. US colleges with branch campuses in the Middle East are making contingency plans during the Iran War. From member station GBH in Boston, Kirk Carapesa reports Iran says it could strike US University operations and students in the Gulf States. The warning came after Iranian news sites reported two universities in their country were hit by US strikes. Consatellite campuses in the Gulf region include Boston's Halt International Business School in Dubai. About 20% of Halt students are enrolled there. A spokesperson for the school says classes there have moved online in accordance with rules issued by the United Arab Emirates. Former Tufts Dean and retired Navy Admiral James DeVritis says if he lit a school in the

4:05Gulf, he'd suspend operations and move students back to the US or Europe. For NPR News, I'm Kirk Carapesa in Boston. A bottle of wine from 1945 sold for more than $812,000. The most expensive ever sold at auction. The 750 ml bottle of 1945 Domain de la Romane Conte came from a private wine cellar. The auction house says the bottle is the final vintage produced for the wine maker replanted its oldest vines, grapes that survived two world wars. This is NPR. According 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.