NPR News: 03-18-2026 1AM EDT

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Roman.

The head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent resigned Tuesday over his opposition

to the war in Iran.

Kent is a military veteran who served multiple tours in Iraq.

He had staunchly supported President Trump because Trump had promised not to get the U.S.

involved in new Middle East wars.

NPR National Security correspondent Greg Myrie has more on Kent, his career, and the president's

reaction to the resignation.

Trump nominated Kent for this key national security position just a year ago, saying he had

hunted down terrorists and criminals his entire adult life.

Well, today, Trump said he thought Kent was a nice guy, but was very weak on security.

And then the president went on to say, quote, it's a good thing that he's out because he said

Iran was not a threat.

Iran was a threat to every country.

When Kent was nominated last year, he faced sharp criticism from Democrats.

Senator Patty Murray called him a conspiracy theorist who espouses white supremacist views.

Iran continues to fire missiles into Israel with most intercepted, shrapnel from the missiles

and Iranian interceptors have damaged buildings and fallen very close to holy sites in Jerusalem,

which have mostly been closed since the war with Iran began.

NPR's Kerry Khan reports.

The sirens sounded multiple times in Jerusalem as Iranian missiles were intercepted late Monday.

As usual, it was followed by echoing booms as Israeli interceptors shattered the missiles.

Middle debris hit the compound of the holy church of the sepliker, the traditional Christian

side of Christ's crucifixion.

Israeli officials condemned what they say as Iran's targeting of religious sites.

UNESCO confirms U.S. and Israeli airstrikes have damaged at least four ancient world heritage

sites in Iran, and a leading human rights group here on us says at least 20 hospitals

and three dozen schools have been damaged in the first two weeks of war.

Kerry Khan and PR News, Jerusalem.

Illinois's lieutenant governor, Julia Stratton, has secured her party's nomination for the

U.S. Senate from Member Station WBZ in Chicago, Maria Rolfo reports.

The supporters are exuberant here at a watch party, at a film studio on Chicago's west side.

Stratton had consistently pulled in second place to Congressman Raja Krishnamorthy, whose

campaign spent $25 million on ads that have been airing since July.

But Stratton had this notable last-minute surge in the polls with the help from Illinois

governor J.B. Pritzker, who threw in $5 million to help the group supporting the state's

lieutenant governor.

Stratton beat out nine candidates, including Congressman Robin Kelly.

For NPR News, I'm Maria Rolfo in Chicago at Stratton's Victory Party.

And this is NPR.

A federal judge is ordering the Trump administration to immediately rehire more than a thousand

employees of the Voice of America and present him with a plan within a week to restore its

global operations.

A week ago, Judge Royce Lamberth ruled the Trump the selection to lead the agency, the

former TV anchor, and twice unsuccessful candidate for office in Arizona, Carrie Lay could

have been appointed illegally because she had not been confirmed by the Senate.

As the partial government shutdown continues, more terminals are closing across the country

at airports as TSA workers go unpaid.

From Member Station WHYY in Philadelphia, Cory Sharper has more.

Community checkpoints in two more terminals have been closed at Philadelphia International

Airport.

This latest closure comes less than a week after P.H.L. shuttered the Terminal C Security

Checkpoint.

The airport recommends travelers arrive nearly three hours early for domestic flights,

in nearly four hours early for international flights.

At a post on social media, the airport made its visitors for their patients as they

quote, keep operations running smoothly in efficiency for all travelers.

TSA says it is reassigning employees to other checkpoints to help lines move faster.

For NPR News, I'm Cory Sharper in Philadelphia.

Venezuela defeated the United States, three to two in the final game of the preseason

World Baseball Classic Tournament that was held in Miami.

The U.S. tied the game two to two in the eighth on a Bryce Harper two run homer, but Venezuela

scored a run on the top of the ninth and hung on to win.

This is NPR News, I'm Dan Roman.