NPR News: 03-22-2026 9PM EDT

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst.

President Trump is sending federal immigration agents to U.S. airports starting tomorrow

as the Transportation Security Administration faces staffing issues from the partial government

shutdown that's now in its fifth week.

NPR's Luke Garrett has more.

Trump's borders are, Tom Homan is in charge of the ICE deployments to U.S. airports.

On Sunday morning, Homan told CNN he doesn't have a finalized plan yet.

To work in progress but we will be at airports tomorrow helping TSA move those lines along.

Homan said he expects ICE agents to guard entries and exits at the nation's busiest airports.

I don't see an ICE agent looking at an X-ray machine because you're not trained in that.

While their goal is to help TSA move passengers through security lines,

Homan said ICE will still enforce immigration laws at U.S. airports.

TSA security wait times have increased as more agents call out sick or quit.

Most TSA officers have worked without pay during the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

Luke Garrett and NPR News, Washington.

Iran is threatening to escalate strikes in U.S. and Israeli infrastructure in the region,

along with crucial water desalination facilities.

If President Trump goes through on his threat last night to quote,

obliterate Iran's power plants if the country doesn't open the strait of poor moves.

Iran's effect will be blocked the straits since the U.S. and Israel war started.

Meanwhile, in Israel, officials are assessing the damage after Iranian air strikes last night

on two cities in the south near Israel's nuclear research center.

More than 100 people were wounded, residential buildings were damaged.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the attack shows Iran endangers the entire world.

Luckily no one was killed, but that's due to luck, not their intention.

Their intention is to murder civilians.

Second, they are using, they fired on Jerusalem right next to the holy sites of the three monotheistic face.

The western wall, the church of the Holy Sepulchre and the al-Aqsa mosque.

The UN's nuclear agency says there are no reports of damage to Israeli nuclear facilities.

Retailers are predicting strong sales growth, fuelled in part by tax refunds

and the forecast of a cooldown in inflation.

The nation's top retail trade group is forecasting that spending at stores and restaurants

will go 4.4 percent this year and pierce Alina Seljuk reports.

The National Retail Federation says this growth will be greater than the recent years

or the years before the pandemic.

The forecast counts on a slight boost from tax cuts at the start of the year.

It also predicts that inflation might ease in the second half of the year.

The group acknowledged that it's not considering any potential fallout of the war in Iran,

including the impact on shipping or gas prices.

Chief Economist Mark Matthews says the retail group is still optimistic

that the resilient American consumer and, quote,

the underlying fundamentals of the U.S. economy will support continued stability in the year ahead.

Alina Seljuk and Bear News Washington, you're listening to NPR News.

The Supreme Court hears arguments tomorrow on mail-in ballots.

The case involves Mississippi's allowance of a grace period for accepting ballots

that are postmarked on election day but arrive later.

It was brought by President Trump's allies who want to bar mail-in voting

except in certain cases such as illness or military service.

Trump has claimed without citing evidence that the practice allows fraud in elections.

Project Hail Mary, a feel-good film about a space voyage,

blasted off at cinemas this weekend, and here's Bob Mandello has more.

The story of an alien encounter during a long-shot trip to save the Earth from extinction

seems to be morphing into a tool to save Hollywood from extinction.

It is time-go.

I think you mean go-time, pal.

Project Hail Mary will take in more than $80 million in North America this weekend,

easily the best opening of 2026.

Oh my god.

It's also doing extremely well overseas.

Its worldwide total through Sunday night will top $140 million.

Thumbs up.

No, that thumbs down.

You can do the thumbs up.

It's close enough.

And exit polls say 85% of those who've seen Project Hail Mary would recommend it to a friend,

suggesting it'll continue to soar for a few more weeks at least.

Bob Mandello and PR News.

U.S. Futures contracts are trading lower at this hour.

Dow futures down about two tenths of a percent.

Nasdaq futures are down more than a half percent.

And S&P 500 futures also down nearly a half percent.

You're listening to NPR News from Washington.

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