NPR News: 03-01-2026 5PM EST

This message comes from Capital One with the Capital One Saver Card. Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment. Capital One. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. Details at CapitalOne.com. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. President Trump says the U.S. grieves for the three American service members killed in the fighting with Iran, calling them true American patriots. He spoke in an address posted online. Sadly, there will likely be more. Before it ends, that's the way it is. Five service members were seriously wounded. NPR's Greg Myrie has more. U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for operations in the Middle East, says that in addition to those killed and seriously wounded, others sustained minor shrapnel injuries. The brief statement did not provide details. However, the reference to shrapnel wounds suggest the casualties were caused by the missiles or drones that Iran is firing at U.S. forces in the region, on land and at sea. U.S. and Israeli airstrikes last June and in the current air campaign have significantly weakened Iran military but it still has the ability to carry out deadly attacks In another lethal Iranian strike a missile hit a civilian area near Tel Aviv on Sunday killing at least nine people Greg Myrie NPR News Washington A U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly says that for now, Operation Epic Fury continues unabated. President Trump declared on social media the U.S. has sunk nine Iranian naval ships. However, U.S. Central Command has only confirmed one warship had been struck. Israel's military is saying its air force killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a Saturday strike. Iran's regional allies are mourning his death. NPR's Jawad Rizkala reports from Beirut. Thousands of black-ladd supporters of the militant Iran-backed group gathered in a square in Beirut's southern suburbs. They chanted that Khamenei was their leader as they beat their chests in mourning. As Shia Muslims aligned with Hezbollah, many here saw him not only as a powerful political figure, but as their spiritual leader as well. This part of Beirut is a Hezbollah stronghold, the area where Hezbollah's own leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike a year and a half ago. A few buildings here still lie in ruins from the war with Israel. Some in Lebanon now fear that war could resume if Hezbollah chooses to defend Iran. But for now party loyalists are merely mourning Jawad Rizkallah NPR News Beirut Iranian officials say since the Saturday strikes the nation is being led by its president the head of the judiciary, and one representative from the Council of Experts. That is the group which will elect Iran's new supreme leader. A decision is expected in a matter of days. A senior White House official tells NPR that new potential leadership in Iran is indicating they want to talk and that President Trump expects to do so eventually, but there's no indication when. The president has spoken with leaders of Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. All three countries have been hit by Iranian missiles, along with Qatar and Jordan. This is NPR News in Washington. In Austin, Texas, three people were killed, 14 injured, in a shooting early this morning in a popular entertainment district. Local police say the area is well-staffed over the weekend, and they responded quickly, returning fire from an armed male suspect who was killed at the scene. The FBI is involved and investigating as a possible terrorist incident. The federal housing agency HUD wants new restrictions on rental aid. NPR Jennifer Ludden reports a proposal could impose work requirements and a time limit of just two years The proposed rule is not a mandate It would allow local housing authorities and private landlords to impose the requirements if they choose Elderly and disabled tenants would be exempt. It's part of a push by HUD Secretary Scott Turner to promote what he calls self-sufficiency. Supporters also say there are such long waiting lists for rental aid, it's more fair to spread it around. Critics of the proposed rule say most people who can work already do. They just don't make enough to pay market rate rents. A few places have experimented with time limits but dropped them because as the cutoffs approached, they worried they'd be pushing people into homelessness. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington. Energy analysts say fighting in the Middle East could mean higher prices for crude oil and gasoline, even as nations that are part of the OPEC plus oil cartel announced today that they will boost production of crude oil. it's now possible that oil-exporting nations will face restrictions in their ability to move oil out of the region. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.