by Suzanne Nuyen

April 7, 2026

Good morning. Michigan clawed its way to victory yesterday, defeating UConn and securing the school's second NCAA men's basketball title. Here's the news we're following today:

In a press conference last night, President Trump reiterated his threats against Iran's civilian infrastructure and promised destruction if the country doesn't accept a deal that includes the opening of the Strait of Hormuz by 8:00 p.m. ET tonight. Trump said Iran's next move will determine whether the war winds down or escalates.

President Trump speaks as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (center) and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, look on during a news conference at the White House on April 6.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

🎧 NPR's Franco Ordoñez, who was at the press conference, tells Up First that the president veered in many directions in his speech, but left no question about plans to attack power plants and bridges if a deal isn't reached later today. Talks are continuing, and Trump said that the U.S. has an active, willing participant on the other side who is more moderate. The president did not share specifics, but said that this participant wants to make a deal. Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey are continuing to lead discussions on a 45-day ceasefire proposal. Trump said the latest proposal was not good enough, and Iranians rejected it.
🎧 As Trump threatens Iran's power plants and bridges, Israel is sending a new warning to Iranians: Don't take the trains. NPR's Daniel Estrin says heavy bombing along Iran's railway is expected today. He adds that targeting infrastructure that's not used in direct support of military action raises the prospect of war crimes, according to the Geneva Conventions. The railway may serve the Iranian regime, but many civilians also use it to visit family across the country. NPR reporters who visited the railway station at the Turkey-Iran border have seen trains packed with Iranians, many of whom are just seeking internet for a few days over the border before returning to Iran. With the internet shut off in Iran for more than a month, it's unclear if Iranians can even see Israel's warning to avoid trains.
➡️ Oil and gas prices aren't the only costs that have increased because of the war. From beer cans and helium balloons to mortgages, here are the shortages and price spikes that have started to pop up.
➡️ As the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, the International Rescue Committee and Save the Children tell NPR that clinics and humanitarian centers across the Middle East, Asia and Africa face the risk of running out of basic medication and food.

NASA's Artemis II crew is now on their way back to Earth from a trip around the moon. Their mission set a record for the farthest humans have traveled from Earth. They return with new knowledge of the lunar surface and key test-flight data for the Orion spacecraft, which will help future missions take humans to the moon's surface.

🎧 One of the most critical tests of the Orion spacecraft will come on Friday when the crew is expected to splash down on Earth, according to Central Florida Public Media's Brendan Byrne. The space capsule will punch through the Earth's atmosphere at 25,000 miles per hour, enduring temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees. The reentry will test the head and shield parachute that will slow the crew down before they splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
➡️ The Artemis II astronauts had the unique opportunity to observe a solar eclipse from the opposite vantage point, watching the sun disappear behind the moon. Here's what they saw that satellites can't capture.

A study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine suggests abortion pills could be safely administered over the counter. Researchers surveyed 168 patients waiting to see a clinician to receive medication for an abortion. Participants were shown a prototype packaging for what an over-the-counter abortion medication could look like, and asked to assess whether they would be good candidates. Overall, 88% of participants' self-assessments matched those of their clinicians. Developmental psychologist July Maslowsky tells NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin that the study's scenario isn't that different from how 1 in 4 patients currently access abortion medication through telehealth. Still, there's a long road ahead to reach the point where a drugmaker would apply to the FDA to switch abortion medications to be over the counter. There is still a lot of research to be done, and more than a dozen states have banned abortion through any method, at any point of pregnancy.

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Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, the nation’s largest bank, spoke with NPR’s Steve Inskeep at the company’s offices in Washington, D.C. During the conversation, Dimon discussed the economic fallout from the Iran war, AI’s impact on the workforce and society and life lessons he’s learned.

Watch the interview now on YouTube or listen to the Newsmakers episode later today.

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A Florida Highway Patrol officer looks at pictures of undocumented immigrants accused of crimes before a press conference at the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations building on November 13, 2025, in Miramar, Florida.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images North America

After the aggressive, high-profile federal immigration operation in Minnesota, the government appears to be shifting its approach to immigration enforcement toward a less visible focus that relies more on local police. In his confirmation hearing last month, new Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that he wanted to see ICE "become a transport more than the front line." Here's what to know about how and why this shift in immigration enforcement is taking place — and what it might look like in communities nationwide.

➡️ The enforcement operation in Minnesota was politically unpopular. Officers slammed protesters to the ground, deployed tear gas and ultimately killed two U.S. citizens. An NPR/PBS News/Marist poll in February found that two-thirds of Americans said ICE had gone too far.

➡️ Mullin's comments point to an increased emphasis on the federal 287(g) program, which allows state and local law enforcement officers to take on some of the duties of ICE officers. The program has existed for decades. But the number of local law enforcement agencies that have signed up for it has grown exponentially during Trump's second term.
➡️ These partnerships have changed local policing and made it harder for communities to be aware of when immigration enforcement is happening near them.
➡️ The federal government has given some local law enforcement agencies financial incentives for signing 287(g) agreements. Some sheriffs are also staunch ideological supporters of the Trump administration's immigration approach.
➡️ Other law enforcement leaders express concern that cooperation with federal immigration authorities would erode community trust and deter undocumented immigrants from calling 911 when a crime is committed against them.

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It's critical that couples talk about money as soon as they can and be vulnerable to each other about their finances, according to entrepreneur and author Vivian Tu. She says the first time she got "financially naked" in front of her partner, it was out of desperation. She had just started her career on Wall Street, she had no money and had just broken her lease on a roach-infested New York City apartment. She says opening up to her partner strengthened their relationship, and eventually they got married. In her book Well Endowed, she offers young people advice on making major financial decisions. She shares with Life Kit questions couples should ask each other if they want to get "financially naked" with each other.

💵 You can start talking about money on the first date if you come at it from a fun place. The answer to a question like, "If I gave you $100,000 to plan a perfect two-week vacation, what would that look like?" could tell you a lot about a person.
💵 Before deciding to become exclusive with a partner, discuss things like what your career dreams are, whether you want to buy a home and where you want to settle down. Pay attention to how your partner spends their money. This data can help you decide whether this person will fit into your life.
💵 If you're thinking about moving in and you haven't had any money conversations yet, now is the time. Talk about what you make, what you have, what you owe in terms of debt and what your expenses are every month.
💵 The conversations shouldn't stop with long-term partners. Keep setting goals and asking questions like whether you want a family and how big you want it to be.

Curiosity didn’t go anywhere. It just got louder.

Every NPR story begins the same way: with a question.

Who?

How?

Why?

Before a producer’s finger taps ‘Record,’ before a journalist’s pen touches a notepad, someone like you notices something that doesn’t quite add up, or a change you can’t explain, and wants to understand it.

Below are recent NPR podcast episodes that started as burning questions. Maybe they’ll answer questions you had. Hopefully, they’ll inspire even more.

Because curiosity can’t be silenced, as long as we keep handing it a megaphone.

Why are groceries still so expensive?

How long will the world’s economy run on the dollar?

Why do I have nightmares?

Why was ICE created?

How does AI affect my electric bill?

Who can afford a starter home now?

A close-up view of shellear fish climbing a rock wall.

Pacifique Kiwele Mutambala

The high cost of housing in the U.S. is pricing older people out of not only buying a home but also renting alone. The share of adults 65 and over looking to rent with a roommate has tripled in the past decade, according to the listings site SpareRoom.

Seventeen years ago, researcher Auguste Chocha Manda observed thousands of tiny fish species called shellears climbing up a 50-foot rock face behind a waterfall. Manda lost his footage, but a new paper in the journal Scientific Reports, which posthumously credits Manda, explains how shellears are able to climb.

The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to dismiss the criminal case against Trump ally Steve Bannon over his failure to testify before Congress about the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

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