NPR News: 03-10-2026 8PM EDT

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. President Trump appears to be backing off his political demands as he claims the end of the war in Iran is near. As NPR's Franco Ordonez reports, the White House says Trump alone will determine whether Iran has unconditionally surrendered. The White House has been clear about its four military objectives, but it's been less clear about the political ones. Trump has said he would settle for nothing short of unconditional surrender and that the U.S. needed to be part of the selection of an acceptable leader. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt told reporters Trump did not mean that literally. When President Trump says that Iran is in a place of unconditional surrender, he's not claiming the Iranian regime is going to come out and say that themselves. She says he meant that when Iran no longer poses a credible threat to the U.S., That's when he would determine the end of U.S. operations. In the meantime, Iran's choice of a new supreme leader is the late Ayatollah's son, who Trump has called unacceptable. Franco Ordonez, NPR News, the White House. NPR Ruth Sherlock has been spending time with Iranians who have made it out of the country and now are watching this war unfold Hotels in this Turkish town close to the border are filled with Iranians fleeing the bombardment At breakfast, they talk politics. There are mixed feelings about ending this war now. A 26-year-old woman who asked NPR not to name her because she could be arrested if she returns to Iran for speaking to foreign media says, after the government killed many thousands of people during nationwide demonstrations in January, she can't imagine having to continue living under this regime. We lost so many people that it's just so hard to go back. There's this hole in your heart. And a mother with children who fled Tehran last night said she just wants the bombing to stop. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News, Van Turkey. The Food and Drug Administration is taking a new approach to regulating e-cigarettes. The move reflects a shift away from banning flavoured nicotine products, including menthol. NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports. For years, federal and state regulators have tried to crack down on a growing number of flavored e-cigarettes, including mint or menthol, that anti-smoking advocates say appeal to younger people. In new guidance issued this week the agency says it will now consider approving minty as well as spiced flavors if companies show evidence that adult smokers are using them to try to curtail cigarette consumption. This move drew criticism from anti-tobacco groups who've argued that any flavor, including menthol, are a harmful gateway to nicotine use because they make vaping and Smoking tastes better. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News. U.S. stocks held steadier today as Wall Street waited for the next signal on whether the war with Iran may end. This is NPR News from Washington. Young students are still struggling to bounce back academically after the pandemic, even though many were babies at the time. In new data from testing company NWEA, first and second graders are scoring below kids pre-pandemic in math and reading. Researchers say the problem looks bigger than impacts from the pandemic. They point to emerging data that suggests parents are reading less to kids. YouTube is now the world's largest media company, according to research company Moffitt-Nathanson, as NPR's Chloe Veltman reports. YouTube made around billion in revenue last year according to parent company Alphabet Moffitt says it edged out Disney media business which generated nearly billion in 2025 YouTube is now valued at roughly billion Its closest competitor is Netflix, which has a market cap of over $400 billion. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos gave a nod to YouTube's massive growth in a speech last month. YouTube is not just cat videos anymore. YouTube is TV. Moffitt Nathanson says despite that climb to the top, YouTube's revenue growth has actually declined a little, rising 14% in 2025 compared with 19% in 2024. YouTube did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment. Chloe Valtman, NPR News. Traditional reindeer racing drew an international crowd to the town of Sala in northern Finland last weekend. Reindeer pulled handlers on skis, competing for the fastest time. Only the top animals reached the premier Hot Series after meeting a tough time limit. A reindeer named Pom Pom won the final race this year. This is NPR News. 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.