NPR News: 04-04-2026 8AM EDT

Live from NPR News and Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.

The conflict in the Middle East is intensifying Iran targeted the Oracle Office Building in Dubai

overnight.

NPR's A of a Trawi reports Tehran had vowed to strike the data center and other U.S.

defense and tech companies and the Gulf in response to the assassination of its top leaders.

Authorities in Dubai say debris fell in the facade of Oracle's office building.

The apparent overnight drone attack occurred when offices would normally be empty of personnel and no injuries were reported.

Iran says the attack is in response to the attempted assassination this week, a former foreign minister Kamal Harazi.

Iran says he was severely wounded and his wife killed.

Iranian media reported he'd been talking with Pakistani mediators on possible U.S. Iran talks to end the war.

The U.S. and Israel have been coordinating most attacks on Iran and it's unknown which carried out the attack on Harazi.

Iran's revolutionary guard named 18 U.S.

tech and defense companies as targets to further assassination attempts.

The list includes Palantir, Mehta, Google, Microsoft and others.

A of a Trawi and Pair News, Dubai.

A group of roughly two dozen states has filed a lawsuit to block President Trump's latest executive order on voting.

NPR's Miles Parks reports the move attempts to add new restrictions to mail in voting.

This suit, filed by a group of Democratic states, is the third to be filed challenging the executive order.

After the Democratic Party sued on Wednesday and a coalition of voting rights groups sued on Thursday.

The Constitution is explicit in delegating power to run voting to the states, although Congress can step in to set national rules for federal elections as well.

In a statement, New York Attorney General Leticia James referenced all that, saying, quote, no president has the power to rewrite the rules on his own.

Numerous legal experts said they expect courts to swiftly block this order, as they did with Trump's order last March,

which tried to add new restrictions to voter registration.

Miles Parks, NPR News, Washington.

It was a shortened trading week on Wall Street with markets closed for Good Friday.

NPR's Maria Aspen reports the Dow, the Nasdaq and S&P 500 all posted losses.

The war in Iran and the resulting energy crisis has had investors swinging from panic to relief and back again.

Stocks had their best day of 2026 on Wednesday.

As investors hoped President Trump would do more to end the war.

But then his address to the nation that evening left room for doubt and sparked another if temporary sell-off.

The war has already sent oil prices soaring and damaged some of the refineries and other infrastructure needed to produce more.

Consumers are paying more at the gas pump, while companies are paying more for shipping and trucking.

The longer the war continues, the longer this oil shock risks fueling inflation and wider economic damage.

Maria Aspen and NPR News.

This is NPR News.

Women's College basketball is set for its national championship game with South Carolina and UCLA battling for the title.

Steve Utterman reports from Phoenix.

In the first semifinal, South Carolina handed undefeated Yukon its first loss of the season, 62-48.

In the other semifinal, UCLA beat Texas 51-44.

The most memorable moment on semifinal night came just off the court.

When Yukon coach Gino Auremab and South Carolina coach Don Staley exchanged angry words just as the game was ending.

Afterwards Auremab said it stemmed from Staley, refusing to shake hands just before the game.

At one point, the exchange became so heated both coaches had to be held back by their assistance.

For NPR News, I'm Steve Utterman in Phoenix.

For the first time in decades, a crude mission is on its way back to the moon.

In Pagody Houston, we have some news to share with you.

You are now closer to the moon than you are to us on Earth.

That from mission control is NASA's Artemis II crew crossed a major milestone in deep space.

The four astronauts are continuing their journey around the moon and back.

Christina Cook is one of the crew members on board.

We can see the moon out of the docking hatch right now.

It is a beautiful sight. We're seeing more and more of the far side, and it's just a thrill to be here.

NASA released the first images from the mission this week.

I'm Windsor Johnston, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

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