NPR News: 03-08-2026 8PM EDT

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. Iran has chosen a new supreme leader, the slain Ayatollah's son, Mushtaba Khamenei. The 56-year-old hardliner is a cleric and politician, and he's closely allied with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard, which the U.S. designated a terrorist group in 2019. He's expected to continue his father's hardline stance. President Trump dismissed him as a leader, saying he would be an unacceptable choice This is the war now in its second week escalates as the Pentagon intensifies its attacks on Iran. Israel targeted oil storage facilities in that country and Iran hit a desalination plant in Bahrain. Another U.S. service member has been killed in this war in Iran, marking the seventh reported American death of the conflict. The Pentagon says the service member died last night, as NPR's Luke Garrett reports. The U.S. service member died after suffering serious injuries from an Iranian attack on March 1st, according to U.S. Central Command. The deadly strike had targeted U.S. troops stationed in Saudi Arabia. The identity of the seventh fallen service member has not been publicly released as the military contacts relatives On Saturday President Trump attended the dignified transfer of the remains of the first Americans killed in the war Six army reservists killed by an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait. Trump and other administration officials have repeatedly said they expect more casualties as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran goes on. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington. Six people are in custody in New York after police say an improvised explosive device was thrown outside the mayor's official residence last night. It happened during an anti-Islam demonstration led by conservative influencer Jake Lang and a counter-protest outside Gracie Mansion. New York City Mayor Zoran Mondami, who's Muslim, was inside the residence at the time. There were no reported injuries. Wall Street's on edge as U.S. futures contracts are sharply lower and crude oil passed $100 a barrel as the war in Iran continues to impact oil production and shipping. NPR's Maria Aspin has more. U.S. investors and consumers are worried about the surging price of oil after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. Companies that rely on oil, including airlines and cruise ships, have seen their shares tumble amid the wider stock market volatility Meanwhile inflation consumers are seeing the price of gasoline spike And if disruptions to the oil supply go much longer the higher cost of shipping and trucking will likely raise prices for goods of all kinds Investors are also anxious about the underlying strength of the U.S. economy, especially after a surprisingly bad jobs report showed that employers cut 92,000 jobs last month. Key inflation data this week will show us how much more prices are increasing. Maria Aspen, NPR News. Dow futures are down 896 points. You're listening to NPR News. Today, thousands of people crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, commemorating the anniversary of the Bloody Sunday, when in 1965, Alabama state troopers brutally attacked a peaceful march for voting rights. Troy Public Radio's Alexis Phelps reports, Organizers are hoping to inspire younger generations of activists. Some of the protest songs from the original march were sung as participants marched across the bridge. Speakers from the stage remembered civil rights leaders such as Joanne Bland, Bernard Lafayette and the Reverend Jesse Jackson who died last month A number of younger activists were at the event including college student Savannah Ashley part of the group Black Voters Matter Voting really changes how the world treats us, honestly. It changes who's in charge of everything. It changes our programs, our initiatives. It changes everything. A number of speakers also referenced a current Supreme Court case that could significantly alter parts of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. For NPR News, I'm Alexis Phelps in Selma, Alabama. Norwegian police are investigating an explosion outside the U.S. Embassy in Oslo. Police say they received reports of a loud bang or explosion early this morning. The blast from some kind of incendiary device caused only minor damage to one of the embassy's entrances, and no injuries were reported. U.S. embassies have been placed on high alert in the Middle East over the war in Iran, and several have faced attacks as Tehran hits back at industrial and diplomatic targets. I'm Janine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from 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.