NPR News: 03-18-2026 10AM EDT

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee is holding a confirmation hearing for President

Trump's choice to be Homeland Security Secretary.

It's Oklahoma Republican Senator Mark Wayne Mullen.

Ranking Democrat Michigan Senator Gary Peters highlighted the killings of Americans this

year by federal immigration agents.

A secretary who jumps to conclusions without the facts as we saw in the case of Renee Good

and Alex Freddie's killings only worsens the situation and actually makes us less safe.

This is a role where temperament matters, where judgment matters and where experience matters.

If confirmed Mullen would replace former DHS Secretary Christine Nome, whom President

Trump fired this month, Israel says it has killed another high-ranking Iranian leader.

Since the latest in Israeli air strikes targeting the country's top officials, Iran

has not confirmed the killing overnight of its top intelligence minister.

Separately thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran for a mass funeral of the heads of

Iran's national security council and the powerful besiege paramilitary force.

And Piers Keri Khan has more.

Defense Minister Israel Katz says the latest target Iran's intelligence minister, Esmail

Khattib, was responsible for quote the regime's apparatus of repression and assassination

and instrumental in the deadly crackdown on Iranian demonstrators earlier this year.

Katz says the war is in a decisive phase in that quote, no one in Iran has immunity.

Everyone is a target.

Meanwhile, mourners packed a huge Tehran square for the funerals of two leaders also killed

by Israel.

The extreme of the massive crowd carrying multiple coffins was broadcast on Iranian TV, including

that of Ali Lorzani.

He was believed to be running the country after Israel killed Iran's supreme leader in

the first day at launch the war together with the United States.

Keri Khan and Piers News Tel Aviv

Stocks open lower this morning as the Labor Department reported a bigger than expected

jump in wholesale prices last month.

Piers got hoarsely reports the Dow Jones industrial average slid about 200 points in early

trading.

wholesale prices in February were up 3.4 percent from a year ago.

That's the biggest annual increase in 12 months.

wholesale prices rose seven tenths of a percent between January and February, more than

twice the increase forecasters were expecting.

The combination of stubborn inflation and a softening job market puts the Federal Reserve

in a tough spot.

As policymakers wrap up their two day meeting on interest rates, the U.S. war with Iran

is only added to price pressures, triggering a spike in the cost of gasoline and diesel

fuel.

The central bank is expected to hold its benchmark interest rate steady for now.

Asian stocks were higher overnight.

Japan's Nika average jumped almost 3 percent after the government reported higher than expected

monthly exports.

Scott Horsley and Piers News Washington

You're listening to NPR News.

Prosecutors in Arizona have filed criminal charges against the popular bedding site Kalshi.

NPR's Bobby Allen reports it's the latest legal fight against the booming prediction

market industry.

Kalshi and Polly market absolutely can bet on just about anything are facing more than

20 lawsuits over their legal status as a futures contract, not gambling sites.

But now Arizona's attorney general is accusing Kalshi of operating an unlicensed gambling

operation involved in criminal wagering on sports and elections.

It's the latest sign of a growing riff between states and the Trump administration which

supports the prediction market industry.

Donald Trump Jr. the president's son is an advisor to both Kalshi and Polly market.

Kalshi says the charges are seriously flawed and meritless.

Kalshi says it's billions of dollars in weekly bets fall under exclusive federal jurisdiction.

Bobby Allen and Piers News

The national weather service says an unusually early heat wave is getting stronger and spreading

across the west and southwest.

Temperatures today could soar into the triple digits in the desert southwest.

The government of Senegal is blasting a decision about a major soccer victory.

Senegal has been stripped of its championship in the highly watched Africa Cup of Nations.

The title has been awarded to the opponent, Morocco.

The soccer tournament was played in January.

The confederation of African football made the decision after Senegal's soccer team walked

off the pitch in the middle of the final championship game.

Senegal was protesting a late goal that had been ruled out.

Senegal says it will appeal to the court of arbitration for sport in Switzerland.

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