NPR News: 04-03-2026 6PM EDT

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. Two U.S. Air Force combat planes were shot down today, and that's according to an official not authorized to discuss the incidents. A plane that went down near the Strait of Hormuz had one crew member who has been rescued by U.S. forces. One crew member has been rescued from the other plane crash in southwestern Iran, but the search continues for its second crew member. The White House is asking Congress for the largest defense budget in modern U.S. history, one and a half trillion dollars. The boost comes amid more than the month-long war with Iran, NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports. This spending boost would be paired with a requested 73 billion in cuts to domestic spending, according to a budget summary from the White House. The annual budget request represents a blueprint of the executive branch's priorities, though Congress ultimately sets spending levels. Trump outlined his priorities during a closed-press lunch this week with religious leaders. It's not possible for us to take care of, take care, medicate, medicare, all these individual things. They can do it on a state basis, you can't do it on a federal. We have to take care of one thing, military protection. We have to guard the country. The White House posted a video of the event before deleting it. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News, The White House. A group of 24 states filed a lawsuit today to block President Trump's latest executive order on voting. NPR's Miles Park reports the order attempts to add new restrictions to mail-in voting. This suit filed by a group of Democratic states is the third to be filed challenging the executive order, after the Democratic Party sued on Wednesday and a coalition of voting rights groups sued on Thursday. The Constitution is explicit in delegating power to run voting to the states, although Congress can step in to set national rules for federal elections as well. In a statement, New York Attorney General Letitia James referenced all that, saying, quote, no president has the power to rewrite the rules on his own. Numerous legal experts said they expect courts to swiftly block this order, as they did with Trump's order last March, which tried to add new restrictions to voter registration. Miles Parks, NPR News, Washington. The high cost of housing means more people are priced out of not only buying, but also renting, alone. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports that has led to an uptick in seniors seeking roommates. The share of people 65 and older looking for a roommate has tripled in the past decade, says Matt Hutchinson, with the listing site Spare Room. They're not the biggest group of roommates, but they're by far the fastest growing. David West is one of them. He never imagined living with a stranger at age 72, but divorce and job loss burned through his savings. His roommate, Ian Fresno, covers utilities, and West shares his cost-co membership. And it's that give-and-take thing. It's trying to help each other out as much as possible. Carla Desatell is 74 and enjoys the shared company when she gets along well with a roommate. And that's pretty special when that works out. She's also proud she's learned to live with less. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Mia and Mars Parliament has elected Min Ong Lange as the country's new president. He's the general who ousted Ong San Suu Kyi's civilian government in 2021. The move marks a nominal return to an elected government, but is seen as an effort to keep the army in power. Mia and Mars election was deemed neither free nor fair by opponents and independent observers. The crew of the Artemis II mission is hurtling toward the moon. They'll fly by in a few days and circle back to Earth. But what do they eat? From Central Florida Public Media, Marion Summerall explains. The menu includes a wide variety of foods with things like spicy green beans, tropical fruit salad and maple cream cookies. In a NASA video about eating in space, astronaut Christina Cook says foods you wouldn't even imagine being rehydrated are actually good. NASA's Norm Knight, the director of the Flight Operations Directorate, says NASA tracks each meal to ensure the crew's health. We have a food lab and we have folks at the Johnson Space Center tracking what they eat, the nutrition, the calories. It makes a difference. Each crew member was able to help sample and craft their own menu preferences before launch. For NPR News, I'm Marion Summerall in Orlando. New Jersey Democratic Governor Mikey Sherrill and her family will move into Drum Thwackett, the state's official governor's mansion. She'll be the first governor to live in Drum Thwackett full time in more than 20 years. For those curious, Drum Thwackett is a Scott's Gaelic phrase meaning Wooded Hill. I'm Ryland Barton. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.