NPR News: 04-04-2026 9AM EDT

0:00Live from NPR News and Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The surge continues for a missing U.S. service member after Iranian forces shot down two American planes over Iran on Friday. NPR's Greg Meiery reports. An F-15, which is a very good fighter jet, was struck by Iranian fire in Western Iran and this set off an urgent rescue operation by U.S. forces for the two crew members, a pilot and a weapons officer. Then was rescued. We still don't know the fate of the other. The rescue operation is still ongoing. This is coming from a U.S. official, not authorized to speak publicly. As NPR's Greg Meiery reporting, President Trump says he expects to wrap up the war in Iran in the next two to three weeks, but there are hints that more fighting may be coming. Lebanon says at least 23 people were killed in Israeli air strikes on Friday. At a third of the country's population is Christian, but the lead up to Easter has been subdued this year.

1:00NPR's Lauren Faire reports from Beirut. Holy Week services are mixed with funerals and the sound of explosions. Israel's military says it's striking Hezbollah's infrastructure after killing a thousand of its members. Three United Nations peacekeepers have been wounded at their base in the south. The U.N. says it doesn't know the origin of the explosion. Israel says it was a Hezbollah rocket. For U.N. peacekeepers were also killed there last week. Meanwhile, as the U.S. and Israel attack Iran and Iran retaliates against U.S. allies in the Gulf, Lebanon has not been hit by Iranian fire, but the U.S. Embassy in Beirut says Iran may now target U.S. universities in Lebanon. The American University of Beirut has shifted some classes online. The Embassy has also upped its overall warning telling U.S. citizens to leave Lebanon now. Lauren Faire and PR News Beirut. Millions of Christians around the world are celebrating Easter as Holy Week comes to a close in a video message marking the holiday President Trump reflected on the significance of the season.

2:01Christ displayed true humility in his death. He modeled true love and in his resurrection from the tomb, he proved that even death itself will not silence those who placed their trust in Almighty God. President Said Easter is a reminder that faith endures and that good ultimately triumphs over evil. He also pointed to what he called a renewed interest in religion across the country. President Trump has signed an executive order that the White House says is needed to regulate college athletics. It puts limits on name, image, and licensing agreements for players, and it limits the number of times an undergraduate student athlete can enter the transfer portal. It also caps the number of years a player can participate in college sports to five years. The executive order is expected to be challenged in court and some members of Congress are also pushing legislation that's similar to the executive order. This is NPR.

3:01Amazon has announced a fuel surge charge in response to higher oil prices brought on by the war in Iran. As NPR's Andrea Shou reports, the fee will be imposed on third-party sellers who used the company's warehouses and delivery systems. Starting April 17th, Amazon third-party sellers will see a 3.5% increase to their fulfillment fees. In a message to sellers, the company said that equates to an average of $0.17 per unit. A cost sellers could pass on the customers. Amazon said it had been absorbing increased fuel prices, but like other major carriers, it was hiking fees to recover a portion of its added costs. UPS and FedEx imposed new fuel surcharges last month, and the U.S. Postal Service says starting April 26th, it's adding an 8% surcharge to package and shipping services, including priority mail and parcel select. First-class stamps will not be affected. Andrea Shou and PR News. Amazon is a financial supporter of NPR.

4:04The line bag fees are going up as fuel costs rise. United now plans to charge $45 for a first-check bag on flights across North America and parts of Latin America and $55 for a second bag. That's about $10 more than it was before the conflict with Iran. JetBlue has also raised prices and analysts expect other airlines to soon follow. I'm Windsor Johnston and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.