"Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.
Pakistan will host foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt for two days
starting on Sunday.
“Betsy Jol's reports this is part of a broader diplomatic effort that Pakistan says”
is aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishak Dar says foreign ministers are meeting in Islamabad. This comes after Pakistan formally announced earlier this week that it was relaying messages between Iran and the United States in its effort to promote peace between them. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shabbat Sharif also offered to host the US in Iran for talks
on a settlement and said he spoke with Iran's President for more than an hour by phone today.
Egypt has also offered to host meetings to de-escalate the war launched one month ago,
and Turkey has said that it is also passing messages between Washington and Iran. For NPR News, I'm Betsy Jol's in Islamabad. Online's are still being reported at security checkpoints at airports across the nation
“as Congress continues to clash over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.”
Passengers have been standing in line for hours this morning at Baltimore Washington airport with some missing their flights. Traveler Darian Davis describes the scene there. I've been doing it since maybe January, and this process usually takes about maybe 15 minutes and at least on the Baltimore side.
I have no idea how long this is taking at this point. To be really honest, you just kind of got a smile and not to hope you get through, but it's at least four times a time, and that's in Baltimore. Atlanta is just unspeakable at this point. President Trump last night signed an executive action that would pay TSA agents who've
been working without a paycheck for more than a month.
“The White House says the move is aimed at easing security lines.”
Stations against President Trump are expected in cities across the country today. Organizers of the No Kings Movement are expecting more than 3,000 rallies nationwide. Steve Futterman reports from Los Angeles. Organizers expect tens of thousands to show up for an afternoon rally in front of L.A. City Hall.
Other rallies are occurring in places like Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and the long of the ocean in Santa Monica. In downtown L.A. were previous protests have moved on to freeways, halting traffic, security barricades have been put up on some freeway on an off-ramps to try to prevent that from happening again. Last year in June during another No Kings protests, large numbers did turn out in the
L.A. area. That protests took place just days after they were violent confrontations between police and protesters over ice enforcement activities. For MPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. protests are also taking place in Washington, DC, New York, and Philadelphia. This is NPR News.
Lawmakers in California have voted to audit the state's joint intelligence centers. The move comes after claims of illegal data sharing and invasive surveillance. The BACLU and other group say police use the centers to help immigration and customs enforcement and to bypass local limits on facial recognition. Democrats call it transparency, Republicans call it a political witch hunt.
Place stations are getting more expensive. Sony announced on Friday that it's increasing the price for its flagship PlayStation 5 video game systems, and P.R. Steven Besaha reports. The PlayStation 5 Pro will cost $900 starting April 2nd, that's a $150 increase. Traditionally game systems get cheaper as they get older. But the nearly six year old original PlayStation 5 is also going up 100 bucks. Sony blames the price increases on quote, "pressures in the
global economic landscape." That is likely referring in part to tariffs, since the systems are manufactured overseas. This is also potentially the latest sign of AI making computers more expensive to build. Data centers have gobbled up and raise a price of the memberships that computers like video game consoles also need. Microsoft also raised prices on its Xbox line in September. Steven Besaha and P.R. News
Thousands of striking workers at one of the nation's biggest meatpacking plans are extending
their walkout to a third week, they're pushing for higher wages and better health care.
Jobs USA says it's operating the Swift Beat Plant in Greenley, Colorado at limited capacity right now. This is NPR News.
