by Brittney Melton

March 24, 2026

Good morning. Airlines’ schedules are now recovering after a collision between a regional jet and a fire truck temporarily closed LaGuardia Airport yesterday. Here’s the news we’re following today:

After nearly a month of the U.S. and Israel bombing Iran, President Trump said yesterday that in-depth conversations are currently underway with Iran. Trump’s comments on the talks came as he backed away from threats of attacking Iran's energy infrastructure if Iran didn't open the Strait of Hormuz by yesterday. The president has delayed his deadline for attacking Iran until the end of the week. However, Iran's Foreign Ministry said, "There is no dialogue between Tehran and Washington."

Commercial vessels are seen in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, in northern Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

Getty Images

🎧 An Israeli official informed NPR that the U.S. is planning for talks to happen within the coming days in Pakistan. Iran’s Foreign Ministry says that the U.S. reached out to the country seeking discussions to end the conflict. Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan are actively involved in de-escalation efforts and officials from the three countries met in Saudi Arabia last week to discuss containing the war. NPR’s Aya Batrawy tells Up First one of the challenges the talks face is that there is no trust between Tehran and Washington. In addition, with Iran’s top leaders being killed in the conflict, it is uncertain who will represent Iran in the talks. Trump has set tough conditions for peace, including no nuclear enrichment by Iran, a demand Iran rejected prior to the war. Israel also wants conditions that could lead to regime change.
🎧 Trump said Iran called wanting to negotiate a deal and that the U.S. is talking to a "top person" in the country's regime, but Trump did not reveal their identity. The president said the person the U.S. is talking to agreed Iran would never pursue nuclear weapons. NPR’s Franco Ordoñez says it is evident that Trump is eager for a swift deal, especially as midterms approach and oil markets struggle. Ordoñez adds that if the U.S. and Israel can resolve the war quickly, before gas prices surge, Trump and his party could weather this conflict successfully.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrived at around a dozen airports across the U.S. yesterday. The agents were deployed to the airports amid many Transportation Security agents calling in sick or resigning after going over a month without pay due to a partial government shutdown. Despite ICE agents' presence, the first day of their placement still found many travelers dealing with long security lines.

🎧 ICE agents have been seen walking near main security checkpoints, mainly patrolling the area rather than assisting with security lines, according to Sofi Gratas with Georgia Public Broadcasting. In Atlanta, the mayor said that ICE would focus on crowd control in domestic terminals and report directly to TSA officers. The TSA Union opposes agents working security, arguing they lack the necessary training to perform that role. The union also expressed frustration that ICE agents are being paid while TSA officers are not. Gratas says most travelers she spoke with questioned the need for ICE at the airport, since they mostly seemed to be wandering around. One traveler did express support for ICE's presence to Gratas and praised the president for sending them.

The Senate confirmed Sen. Markwayne Mullin yesterday as the new secretary of Homeland Security. The 54-45 confirmation vote puts the Oklahoma Republican in charge of immigration enforcement, which is a major priority for Trump’s second term. Mullin will be replacing Kristi Noem, making him the second secretary to lead the agency during this Trump administration. He assumes leadership in the midst of a shutdown that has forced 100,000 of the department’s more than a quarter-million employees to work without pay.

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Living better

A close up photo shows a bit of chicken, rice, carrot and edamame on a fork.

Beck Harlan for NPR

Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.

Some big food companies like Nestle are beginning to market to people using popular GLP-1 obesity and diabetes drugs by labeling some products as "GLP-1 Friendly." The labels target individuals taking medicine like Zepbound and Wegovy, who are looking for healthier, ready-made meals that can help minimize the drugs’ side effects. But what does it truly mean to follow a GLP-1-friendly diet? Nutritionists help us decode that concept.

🍽️ Suzy Badaracco, a nutritionist and CEO of marketing research firm Culinary Tides, states that "GLP-1 Friendly" foods lack a regulated definition and standard, making such labels purely marketing.
🍽️ Protein should be included in the diet to prevent muscle loss as weight drops quickly. Eat fiber from fruits and vegetables to counteract slow digestion, which can lead to constipation or even intestinal blockages.
🍽️ The best foods for people using GLP-1 drugs are those without labels, such as fruits, vegetables and water, according to nutritionist Allison Wiseman.

A crowd of fans near the Gwanghwamun Square for BTS’ comeback concert. The stage and background is light up red. Around six large screens are seen throughout the crowd showing the members on stage.

Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

South Korea’s most famous band, BTS, celebrated their reunion with a massive free concert in front of the former royal palace, Gyeongbokgung, over the weekend. The group’s seven members took to the stage, greeting fans after a more than three-year hiatus to conduct their mandatory military service and launch their solo music projects. The day before the concert, BTS dropped a new album, Arirang, which shares its name with a beloved Korean folk song. NPR’s Anthony Kuhn caught up with BTS fans in Seoul to discuss the group’s growth over the years and their new music. Listen to snippets of their new music and what fans have to say about the K-pop group’s influence.

What does it mean to be an American? There’s no single answer. At NPR, we think of American identity as a story, one that’s constantly being rewritten by the people who live it.

The American Storytelling collection brings together stories from local stations across the NPR Network, from small-town struggles to natural wonders to the layered histories that shape our nation. These are some of our biggest little-known shows, all in one place.

Explore the American Storytelling channel on Apple Podcasts or find it in the NPR App.

Listen Now ➔

A statue of the explorer Christopher Columbus stands on White House grounds at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C.

Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Over the weekend, the Trump administration positioned a Christopher Columbus statue on White House grounds, doubling down on its efforts to celebrate the 15th-century explorer.

Architecture and cultural organizations are suing Trump and the Kennedy Center board over the planned renovations to the arts complex. The lawsuit, filed yesterday, seeks compliance with historic preservation laws and congressional approval before the changes take place.

A new report finds that the number of abortions in the U.S. held steady in 2025 from the previous year, despite anti-abortion rights advocates pursuing laws and court cases to restrict access to them.

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This newsletter was edited by Treye Green.

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