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Today's top stories
Iran is permitting some ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, but most oil and gas tankers remain trapped. President Trump has repeatedly insisted that Iran wants a deal to end the war, yet he has deployed thousands of U.S. troops to the Middle East. The president has also warned of the U.S. taking potential actions to seize or destroy Iran's oil and Khrag Island, home to Iran's main oil processing facility. As the fighting continues, NPR confirmed that more than a dozen U.S. service members were injured and two E-3 Sentry aircraft were damaged in an Iranian strike on a Saudi Arabian air base on Friday.
- 🎧 NPR's Aya Batrawy, who is in Dubai, tells Up First that people there are adjusting to a new normal because they are unaccustomed to attacks. Missiles never struck the city before this war, which is why Dubai, a safe haven, doesn't have shelters. One difference Batrawy has noticed in the city is fighter jets overhead chasing and shooting down Iranian-made Shahed drones, which are relatively cheap to produce and can cause extensive damage. Pakistan says it is prepared to host Iran and the U.S. for a meeting in the coming days, but no signs indicate that is happening. The Trump administration says U.S. diplomacy is working, which is why some ships are passing through the strait. However, Iran says there are no talks with the U.S.
Transportation Security officers started receiving their first paychecks yesterday after more than 40 days of the Department of Homeland Security being shut down. However, the partial government shutdown is not over yet and uncertainty looms about when they will receive their next paycheck.
- 🎧 TSA workers still have not received the full amount they are owed, causing anxiety and concern, Johnny Jones, a union leader who represents TSA workers, tells NPR. Most security screeners have received two full paychecks they have missed, but TSA workers are still waiting to be paid for part of a third missed paycheck, DHS says. It is unclear where the funds are coming from since Congress didn't appropriate them. Many Trump administration critics are questioning the legality of the White House taking this action. NPR's Joel Rose says security lines at U.S. airports were much shorter yesterday, displaying good initial signs that business is getting closer to normal. However, the fallout from this event is likely not in the rearview mirror yet due to more than 500 TSA officers quitting during the shutdown, according to DHS.
DHS has lifted its ban on reviewing asylum applications. The processing hold will remain for 36 countries labeled as "high risk" and subject to travel restrictions to the U.S. In November 2025, the Trump administration halted processing for some 4 million asylum applications with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The decision for the pause came as part of a slew of restrictions on immigration after an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C.
Life advice
Finding the silver lining can feel futile at times, but optimism can come in handy regardless of your situation. Unlike pessimism, which helps humans survive by imagining worst-case scenarios, optimism can more effectively solve problems in the modern world, says behavioral scientist and psychologist Deepika Chopra. Plus, Chopra says the best part is that anyone can train themselves to see the glass as half full. Take this quiz to find out your level of optimism, then learn how to train yourself to become more optimistic with these strategies:
- ➡️ Make a "ta-da list" which will recount all of your accomplishments for the day, no matter how big or small.
- ➡️ To avoid being overwhelmed with all the bad stuff that could happen in the future, schedule some "worry time" into your day. Use the designated time to go through your list of worries and ask yourself if you can control, change or let go of the worry.
- ➡️ Follow the "7/10 rule" for affirmations in which you choose a statement you're at least 70% confident about. Then keep building on those affirmations until you believe it 100%.
For more of the science behind optimism and manifestation, listen to this episode of NPR's Life Kit. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.
Today's listen
In February, 8-year-old Aura V and her dad, Harold Simmons II, who uses the stage name Fyütch, made history. They won a Grammy for Best Children's Music Album for Harmony, making Aura the youngest-ever individually named Grammy winner. The album's 13 songs, which took over two years to write and record, follow themes of love, positivity and inclusion. Simmons says he wanted the album to capture the life he wanted to model for his daughter while "making dope beats." But what does life look like for the young girl after winning the Grammy? NPR spoke to her about her life now. Listen to her story and snippets from the album.
3 things to know before you go
- Archaeologists may have found the remains of d'Artagnan, the swashbuckling swordsman of The Three Musketeers, under the tiles of a Netherlands church near where he died fighting more than 3 1/2 centuries ago.
- Anthony Palmini has become a leading figure in the "romantasy" audio publishing world — an exploding book genre that combines romance with fantasy. Last year, he recorded more than 50 book titles. This year, he's on track to double that.
- BTS's new album, Arirang, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart this week after selling roughly 532,000 copies. The group's success extends to the Hot 100 singles chart as their song "Swim" debuted at No. 1.
This newsletter was edited by Yvonne Dennis.
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