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NPR News: 03-17-2026 2PM EDT

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EN

"Live," from NPR News, in Washington, I'm Lakshmi saying.

President Trump is lashing out at NATO leaders who do not want to get involved in the

U.S. war against Iran.

He blasts of them on his truth, social, and, while speaking to reporters at the White House

today, NPR's Franco Ordonia's reports, Trump called the decision shocking. Trump pressed allies for help to protect oil ships crossing through the straight of our news. Saudi was disappointed at their reluctance considering how much support the U.S. has contributed to European interests, including the war in Ukraine.

Trump told reporters that NATO leaders were making a foolish mistake.

"I've long said that, you know, I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us.

So this was a great test, because we don't need them, but they should have been there." Several European Western and Asian leaders, including from Germany, Italy and Japan, said this week that they would not participate in military efforts to reopen the straight, which

accounts for 20% of the world's oil supply, Franco Ordonia's NPR News, the White House.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is calling for a change in Cuban leadership a day after President Trump called the Caribbean island a "weekend nation" that he could take over. Rubio, who is of Cuban heritage, addressed reporters today, is millions of people on the island wait for electricity to be fully restored following another nationwide blackout. And Pierre Zeta Paralta says this comes amid an oil blockade by the U.S.

President Diascaneid blamed the U.S. for "cruly squeezing energy resources." And that has made the situation in Cuba worse because the country depends on imported oil to run its thermal power plants, and for three months now, Cuba hasn't received any oil. NPR is a paralta reporting. Nearly 130 Democratic members of Congress are calling on the federal government to prevent a funding shortfall for reproductive health clinics

in the U.S. and Pierre Zelena Simmons-Defense says this follows the administration's

release of its title 10 funding guidance. Title 10 allows thousands of health centers around the country to provide free and low-cost birth control, cancer screening, and testing for sexually transmitted infections to people without insurance. This year, grantees were given just one week to complete their applications. Usually, they have three or four months. Claire Coleman runs the National Family Planning

and Reproductive Health Association. She worries Title 10 grantees might have to cut staff or hours or even services if there's a delay in funding.

That's all going to be on the table on the first of April if these awards don't come out on

the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to NPR's request for comment. Selena Simmons-Defense and Pierre News, Washington. At the last check on Wall Street, the Dow is up 144 points. You're listening to NPR News. U.S. Attorney General Pambotti is being subpoenaed to testify before Congress about possible mismanagement of a federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

The Republican Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform James Comer sent a letter to Bondi and CC ranking member Robert Garcia on it. He says lawmakers have questions about the Justice Department's examination of Epstein's Anosociculane Maxwell's Sex Abuse Crimes against women and children. The DOJ's been accused of failing to comply with a law to disclose all documents related to Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019.

President Trump is taking aim at California Governor Gavin Newsom criticizing him for his learning disabilities. Newsom is widely rumored to be a potential presidential candidate. Here's NPR's Denaki Mitha. President Trump said this. "The president of the United States, Gavin Newsom, admitted that he has learning disabilities, dyslexia, and we think about him is dumb."

Trump said Newsom's learning disabilities should disqualify him from running for president. Newsom has spoken openly about his dyslexia. He takes rigorous notes and often commits speeches to memory. When asked about Trump's latest comments, Newsom's team responded with a link to a video of that very same clip, poking fun at the fact that President Trump mistakenly refers to Newsom as the president of the United States. Newsom's caption reads, quote, "No, thank you. We believe

in free elections, Genogymetha and Parannus. You're listening to NPR."

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