NPR News: 02-28-2026 5PM EST

Get in, loser. We're taking a trip under the sea to a junkyard. I've done cobra helicopters. We've seen old washer machines. Does a second strip book count. This junk helped create one of the world's largest artificial reefs and a new home for many marine animals. But how did our trash become another fish's treasure? Find out on Shortwave, listen in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. President Trump said on social media today that Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead. A person briefed on the situation tells NPR he was killed by an Israeli strike. Earlier today, the U.S. and Israel conducted joint strikes on Iran. And as NPR's Tamara Keith reports, President Trump is calling for regime change. Trump cited malign behavior by Iran and its proxies going back to the 1980s. He asserted that Iran is trying to rebuild its nuclear program and could develop a missile that may someday reach the U.S. He said Iran's missile industry, Navy, and proxies would all be targeted. This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States Armed Forces He then spoke directly to the people of Iran Stay sheltered Don leave your home It very dangerous outside Bombs will be dropping everywhere When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. Tamara Keith, NPR News. And following the strikes, Iran says it's closing the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway crucial to the world's oil trade following the Israeli strikes. Iran's state media said this was the announcement relayed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy to ships in the area around the strategic waterway. All navigating through the Strait of Hormuz is forbidden. No ship in every type is not allowed to pass from a Strait of Hormuz. Iran also warned it planned to launch drone attacks on commercial vessels. It said they would be part of what it called intense attacks during the night, targeting military and economic interests. The narrow waterway controlled by Iran connects the biggest Gulf oil producers with the export route to outside markets. Closing the strait could lead to higher oil prices. Jaina Raff, NPR News, Amman. Europe is watching from the sidelines with a mix of alarm and caution as the U.S. and Israel attack Iran. And Perzeldner Beardsley reports France Germany and the U are calling for talks on Tehran nuclear program to resume The leaders of Europe three most powerful countries say they have long urged Iran to end its nuclear program stop destabilizing actions in the region, and cease the, quote, appalling treatment of its own citizens. Germany, France, and the UK, also known as the E3, underlined that they are not participating in the military strikes and reiterated their commitment to regional stability and to the protection of civilian life. but the leaders also condemned Iranian attacks on countries in the region and urged the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution. Ultimately, they said, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris. And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. When NASA finally does launch the Artemis II lunar mission, mission. Among its four-person crew will be the first female and first black astronauts to head to the moon. The launch was originally scheduled for February, then pushed back to March, and now the space agency says April is the earliest it could launch. Problems included hydrogen and helium leaks. It will be NASA's first moon mission in more than 50 years and will be more than just a moon mission. NASA says it will also conduct scientific research on the astronauts' health, along with the rocket performance and of course the moon The seventh movie in the Scream horror franchise is making a lot of noise at the box office this weekend NPR Bob Mondello has more Paramount Pictures has a lot to scream about this weekend. The company appears to have won its hostile takeover bid to acquire Warner Brothers, a rival Hollywood studio. And Ghostface, Paramount's masked villain in the Scream movies, is scaring up some serious ticket dollars. I'm going to make everyone you love suffer. Industry estimates have Scream 7 bringing in nearly $60 million by Sunday night. That easily tops the opening of every previous Scream movie. It's also close to double the opening of Wuthering Heights two weeks ago, which had been the best weekend start of 2026. Bob Mondello, NPR News. On Wall Street this week, all three major indices fell from a week earlier. with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 1%. I'm Janine Herbst, NPR News in Washington.