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Today’s top stories
In the last 24 hours, unknown attackers hit three commercial ships carrying oil in the Strait of Hormuz. The key passageway for the world’s oil, which is one of the hot spots in the U.S. and Israel’s war in the Middle East, is now effectively closed. President Trump is urging ships to keep using the route and is promising protection, but has offered very little detail on how that protection will work.
Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday, after attacks hit ships in the region.
AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
- 🎧 The U.S. and Israel could soon reach a point when there are a limited number of viable targets for their bombing campaign in Iran, NPR’s Greg Myre tells Up First. Oil prices spiked today to $100 a barrel. Iran might keep the Strait of Hormuz closed to inflict as much economic pain as possible and deter future U.S. and Israeli attacks on them again, Myre says.
- 🎧 Yesterday, the International Energy Agency announced that member nations would release 400 million barrels from their strategic oil reserves. It’s the largest crude oil release the IEA has ever coordinated. Of those, 172 million will be coming from the U.S. over four months beginning next week. Former Trump economic adviser Stephen Moore tells NPR’s Tamara Keith the president is betting that the conflict with Iran will be short, gas prices will soon drop and voters will forgive or forget. But rising fuel costs could make other essentials more expensive for consumers, Keith says. This could become a political challenge for Republicans in the midterm elections, where affordability is a top issue.
The Pentagon has launched a formal investigation into a missile strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed at least 165 civilians, many of them children. A preliminary assessment determined that the U.S. was at fault for the strike, which happened on the first day of the war.
- 🎧 If a U.S. role is confirmed, this attack would mark one of the highest civilian death tolls by the U.S. in a single incident in 35 years, NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf says. Iran has released images of missile parts it says struck the school. The parts appear to belong to a U.S.-made Tomahawk missile. Only a few countries use Tomahawks, including the U.S. Recently, Trump suggested the missiles were “generic” and could have been fired by Iran. But experts told NPR that the U.S. is the only actor in this conflict that uses Tomahawks.
The Trump administration is seeking to tighten rules for immigrants with temporary legal status seeking a commercial driver’s license, citing several high-profile crashes involving foreign-born drivers. Critics argue that these changes won’t improve road safety. According to the Department of Transportation’s estimate, the proposed regulations could force around 200,000 immigrants, including asylum-seekers and DACA recipients, out of the trucking industry.
An internal government watchdog and members of Congress are separately investigating new allegations of Social Security data misuse by a Department of Government Efficiency staffer. On March 6, the Social Security Administration’s inspector general alerted House and Senate leaders about an anonymous complaint regarding potential data misuse by a former DOGE employee, according to a copy of the letter obtained by NPR. This week, congressional Democrats ramped up their investigation into DOGE’s access to Social Security data after receiving whistleblower claims that a former agency software engineer retained databases containing personal information on nearly every American.
Today’s listen
Commuters walk through Moynihan Train Hall in New York Penn Station in New York on March 9, 2026.
Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images
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Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images
While commuters race through New York’s Moynihan Train Hall in Penn Station to get to their destinations, dancers are rehearsing down the corridor and posting their performances on social media. The passageway from track 5 to 21 is officially called the West End Concourse, but some call it TikTok Hall. For many dancers, the concourse has become a third space to practice their moves. Reporter Jeff Lunden noticed this unofficial dance studio on a recent trip and returned with his microphone to uncover the story behind it. Listen to discover why these performers find joy in dancing at the train station.
Living better
Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.
For decades, psychologists believed willpower would help people get better grades in school, establish healthier diets, gain successful careers and more. Hundreds of studies supported this idea. As a result, parents have taught their children to use willpower to resist modern temptations like fast food and video games. But new research suggests a simpler, more effective strategy.
- 🍟 Successful people didn’t have better willpower. Instead, they structured their lives to limit temptations.
- 🍟 Parents can create distraction-free times and places for children and teach them how to implement this strategy themselves.
- 🍟 To shape children’s preferences, you can provide them with numerous opportunities to experience the pleasure of healthier options. For example, if you want your child to read more, keep books in the car.
3 things to know before you go
Psilocybin mushrooms ready for harvest in a humidified chamber. Researchers have shown that a dose of psilocybin can help people quit smoking.
John Moore/Getty Images
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John Moore/Getty Images
- A study suggests the psychoactive substance in magic mushrooms powerfully affects people trying to stop smoking. The research compares the substance to nicotine patches.
- Exonerees in Michigan created the Organization of Exonerees app to help newly released individuals. The app’s features include navigating the process of obtaining essential documents, such as birth certificates, and providing a peer support network. (via Michigan Public)
- NPR’s Jennifer Pak takes readers to Shanghai’s Jade Buddha Temple for this week’s Far-Flung Postcard. She showcases a way to appease Tai Sui, a heavenly general who clashes with those born in the Year of the Horse.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
