NPR News: 04-01-2026 1AM EDT

Live from MPR News, I'm Giles Snyder.

President Trump is planning to address the nation.

The White House says he will deliver an update on the Iran War Wednesday night.

His address follows remarks Tuesday that the U.S. could end its attacks within two to

three weeks, and that Iran did not have to make a deal as a prerequisite.

Trump also criticized allies that have not helped the U.S. war effort.

Secretary to President Trump's comments on social media,

France says it has not closed its airspace to U.S. military flights involved in the war on Iran.

MPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports that President Trump criticized France for not being

cooperative and said the U.S. would remember.

Unlike Spain's total ban on U.S. overflights, France permits U.S. support aircraft overflights

on a case-by-case basis with guarantees they're not used in offensive operations.

France has deployed an aircraft carrier to the Eastern Mediterranean,

but says it is strictly for defense measures.

Spain is one of the most vocal critics of the war and has called the U.S.

Israeli attacks reckless and illegal.

Italy has denied the use of an airbase in Sicily to U.S. military planes carrying weapons.

After the U.S. did not follow the required authorization procedure,

French observers say Trump is lashing out because these furious Europeans will not

act to help reopen the strait of four moves.

Eleanor Beardsley and Pierre News, Paris.

The head of the U.N. Refugee Agency for Palestinians says

unrefaces questions of viability.

In Paris, I have patrowery reports on the remarks he made on his last day on the job.

Onera Commissioner-General Philippe Letzerini says never in the U.N.

history has an aid agency come under such attack.

He pointed to more than 390 onera employees killed in Gaza by Israeli forces in the war.

The bombing of Onera schools and Israeli legislation that's closed its clinics

and headquarters in Jerusalem.

Israel says 12 onera staff out of some 13,000 in Gaza took part in the deadly

Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023.

Letzerini says Israel's attacks on Onera are aimed at weakening Palestinian refugee rights.

The future of the agency is very much intertwined with the future of what the

political solution would be into coming months or coming years.

He steps down from the agency, as it also faces shortfalls from U.S. funding cuts.

Ayabat Rawi and Pierre News, Dubai.

The countdown is proceeding toward NASA's Wednesday evening launch aimed at sending

the first astronauts on a moon mission in more than 50 years in Pierre's Jeff Spalding.

People are excited and ready to go on this this first chapter on our way back to the moon

since the 1970s, so we're very excited.

NASA officials say the rocket is doing well and it's bad at the Kennedy Space Center

and the weather is looking promising.

Four astronauts make up the Artemis crew.

They are to circle the moon without landing and come straight back to Earth.

The launch team expected to begin fueling the rocket Wednesday morning.

And you're listening to NPR News.

A federal judge has agreed to permanently block the Trump administration from

implementing an executive order barring federal funding for NPR and PBS.

A district court judge cited the first amendment in his decision.

The impact of the ruling is not clear and the White House could appeal.

From housing to health care, the high cost of living is showing up in many ways.

And New York, the list includes challenges recruiting volunteer fire fighters.

So Gene Shrush are with Member Station WAMC and Albany has more.

While cities like New York and Albany employ paid crews, roughly 90% of the

New York state firefighters are volunteers.

But Eugene Perry, president of the Firefighters Association of the State of New York,

says recent living cost concerns have prevented people from signing up.

It's been very challenging because of the demographics now and the affordability of New York state,

where people are working two jobs and they have childcare issues that they have to have.

And it's difficult to be able to recruit volunteers.

The Association whose membership includes the state's 80,000 volunteer fire fighters

has launched a recruitment initiative to help fill depleted rosters.

For NPR News, I'm Sejina Shrusta in Albany.

Asian financial markets are higher in Wednesday trading.

South Korean shares leading the way up more than seven percent.

Japan's Benchmark knee K is up for and a half percent.

After the three main US indexes surged to their best day in almost a year.

After President Trump said the US could be done attacking Iran within two to three weeks.

I'm Jail Snyder. This is NPR News.