NPR News: 04-03-2026 9PM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton, two U.S. Air Force combat planes were shot down today. That's according to an official not authorized to discuss the incident. Two crew members have been rescued, but the search continues for a third. This comes despite the Trump administration saying it has destroyed Iran's anti-aircraft capabilities, as NPR's Tom Bowman explains. Defense Secretary Pete Heggset said the U.S. has control of the skies over Iran and it now able to fly in the lumbering B-52 aircraft for bombing runs. And last month, F-35 aircraft was struck by Iranian fire, possibly a missile. The aircraft was very damaged, but the pilot was able to land back at base so the pilot was wounded by shell fragments and required stitches. So again, this latest two aircraft down shows the skies above Iran are still dangerous for U.S. pilots. NPR's Tom Bowman reporting, a French cargo ship has become the first Western tanker to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the Iran War.

1:01NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports a fifth of the world's oil used to pass through the Strait and has now been nearly entirely choked off. The Iranian government has said no ships linked to Israel or the U.S. will be allowed to pass. The ship had remained idle in the Gulf since early March, like many other non-Iranian vessels after the war stopped nearly all commercial traffic. The Maltese flagged vessel belongs to shipping and logistics giant CMA-CGM, the world's third largest container shipping conglomerate. Ship tracking data showed the vessel navigated the approved corridor along the Omani coast. CMA-CGM, which is majority owned by a Franco-Lebanese billionaire family, is understood to have coordinated the transit with Iranian maritime authorities. Eleanor Beardsley and your news, Paris. The Trump administration wants to begin privatizing airport security operations that are currently handled by the TSA. NPR's Joel Rose reports that proposal is part of the 2027 budget release today by the

2:02White House. President Trump's budget proposes cutting funding for the TSA, the Transportation Security Administration, by more than $50 million. And it would require small airports to enroll in a program in which TSA pays for private contractors to staff security checkpoints. That program has existed for years, but only 20 airports are enrolled. The Trump administration argues that privatized screening would save taxpayers money. But critics, including the union that represents TSA officers, say it would undermine security. The budget request reflects the White House's priorities, but its Congress that ultimately sets and approves spending levels. And lawmakers are still deadlocked over funding for the Department of Homeland Security in this year's budget. Joel Rose and PR News, Washington. US employers added a surprisingly strong 178,000 new jobs last month, rebounding from a dismal February, the unemployment rate dipped to 4.3%. The job gains were about three times what economists had forecast. This is NPR News. United Airlines is raising checked bag fees by $10 starting today as higher fuel costs

3:06ripple throughout the airline industry. United says it's their first bag fee increase in two years, though some customers, including loyalty members and premium cabin passengers, will still get a free bag. Jet Blue also raised fees this week. Burkina Faso's military leader has ruled out a return to democracy three years after he took over in a military coup. The comments follow a move to ban all political parties in the West African country, and PR's Emanuel Akinwoto reports. Captain Ibrahim Troyori told State Television that quote, People need to forget about the issue of democracy. Democracy is not for us. He didn't give details on what would replace it, but said quote, we have our own approach. Troyori has become a cult figure in Africa and the diaspora, praised for cutting ties with former colonial ruler France and French companies, and for promoting a pan-Africanist vision of the country. But he has also shut down independent media and clapped down on critics, some of whom have been forcibly conscripted to the army and sent to conflict zones.

4:08He initially promised to restore democratic rule soon after his takeover in 2022, but in 2024 he announced he would remain in power for five years. Emanuel Akinwoto, NPR News, Lagos None of the athletes from the Milan Cortina Olympics tested positive for doping. That's according to samples from more than 3,000 people collected during the winter Olympics. This was the first winter Olympics since the 1998 Nagano Games to not have a positive result. I'm Ryland Barton, you're listening to NPR News from Washington.