82nd Airborne deploys; Israel-Lebanon conflict; DHS : NPR

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Today’s top stories

President Trump is sending thousands more U.S. troops to the Middle East. NPR confirms that at least 2,000 paratroopers have been ordered to mobilize. This decision aligns with the president’s ongoing efforts to engage Iran in diplomatic talks aimed at ending the conflict, despite Iran’s denial that negotiations are taking place. Trump mentioned that a representative from Iran proposed some form of “a very significant prize” concerning the Strait of Hormuz, although the specifics remain unclear.

• 🎧 This week, NPR reported that the Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division and members of his headquarters staff are heading to the Middle East. At this time, the specifics of their mission are not known. For decades, the U.S. has had plans ready to seize Kharg Island, Iran’s energy hub in the Persian Gulf, NPR’s Quil Lawrence tells Up First. Trump has shown particular interest in the island and the U.S. has already conducted bombings there, possibly as a negotiating tactic. So far in this conflict, U.S. casualties have remained low, and the main costs for the nation have been political and economic, Lawrence says. Putting boots on the ground in Iran would ramp up the risk of U.S. casualties and could introduce unpredictable variables of war.
• 🎧 While the war has been heavily focused on U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, Lebanon has been heavily impacted by Israeli bombings of homes, bridges and highways. The conflict has reignited cross-border conflict between the two countries. And the violence could intensify — with Israeli officials warning of a ground invasion. Israel’s defense minister said yesterday that the country plans to take Lebanon’s territory and move the Israeli-Lebanese border northward. Moving the border would leave thousands of Lebanese living in occupied territory, according to NPR’s Lauren Frayer. Paul Khreish, a municipal official in Ain Ebel, informed NPR he is worried his region will no longer be Lebanese and doesn’t know whether he should remain where he is or leave.
• ➡️ Since the beginning of the conflict with Iran, Trump’s objectives have changed. Here’s a reminder of some of the things he’s said about the war and where the U.S. is now.

Discussions on funding the Department of Homeland Security have been intermittent between the White House and Congress. NPR’s Barbara Sprunt notes there is a slight indication of progress. This comes amid increasing airport lineups as Transportation Security agents continue working unpaid. The DHS, which includes TSA, has been shut down for over a month now.

• 🎧 Senate Republicans proposed a new deal to Democrats yesterday, but top Democrats are not satisfied with the deal’s lack of reforms. The new plan does aim to fund DHS without funding the part of ICE charged with detentions and its deportation operations. The White House will eventually want to fund ICE enforcement, which could complicate negotiations. But Republicans could use a budget tool called reconciliation to pass the deal without Democrats’ support. If Republicans go this route, they could use the opportunity to include a big priority for Trump in the same process, passing an elections overhaul package, Sprunt says. Senate Majority Leader John Thune says he wants to secure DHS funding by the end of the week.

A whole industry of data brokers buys vast amounts of electronic information from cell phone apps and web browsers — with the brokers providing bulk cell phone data to police departments and federal government agencies. The brokers give this data to these authorities in ways that can reveal personal details about Americans without a warrant. Privacy advocates believe Congress has a chance to close the well-known loophole around the 14th Amendment that allows for this form of government snooping. This opportunity arises as Congress prepares to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is set to expire on April 20.

Life advice

Stock market numbers are displayed on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during afternoon trading on March 03, 2026 in New York City. Stocks tumbled with the Dow Jones losing over 400 points amid a possible prolonged U.S.-Iran conflict.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The stock market has experienced a decline due to uncertainties surrounding the U.S. and Israeli conflict with Iran and its economic repercussions. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has dropped about 9% from its February peak, which occurred roughly two weeks before the conflict began. This isn’t a crash or a bear market, which is defined as a 20% decline from recent highs. However, the market dip has reduced the value of Americans’ investments, including college and retirement funds. Here’s what financial advisers recommend if you’re worried about market instability:

• 📉 If you are 10 years or more away from needing the funds, it’s best to leave your accounts untouched. Markets have demonstrated resilience to recent global disruptions and might rebound within months or a few years.
• 📉 Prepare for future geopolitical events by diversifying your holdings. As the time for withdrawal nears, shift investments into more stable assets, like U.S. Treasury bonds.
• 📉 If you need funds now and have multiple accounts, draw from the one performing best — or at least not the worst. You will still be selling at a loss, but the impact will be minimized.

Picture show

Girls sit on a wall to get a good vantage point of people walking up the mountains with flaming torches and fireworks for Nowruz in Akre, the Kurdish region of Iraq on Friday.

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Claire Harbage/NPR

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Claire Harbage/NPR

While the vernal equinox, marking the start of spring, might be just another date for many, Iranians celebrate it as Nowruz, the Persian New Year. In the Kurdish regions of the Middle East, Nowruz is a core expression of Kurdish identity. More than 30 million Kurds live in a contiguous area across Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey, divided by external borders and historical internal differences. For decades, Akre, an ancient town nestled against craggy mountains in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, has been the focal point for Nowruz celebrations. Kurds gather there to light flaming torches at sunset, carrying them up the mountainside to symbolize light overcoming darkness. Take a look at how the event was celebrated this year.

3 things to know before you go

Dayton Webber, then 18, pictured at a baseball game in 2016. In the years before his arrest, he shared his experience playing sports — and turning pro in one of them — as a quadruple amputee.

Kevin Sullivan/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images

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Kevin Sullivan/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images

1. Quadruple amputee and professional cornhole player Dayton Webber has been arrested and accused of killing a man in the front seat of his car during an argument on Sunday in La Plata, Md.
2. NPR’s Word of the Week is gaslighting, a buzzword that describes a destructive form of psychological manipulation that therapists say people are overusing. Here’s a look at what the term actually means.
3. The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case challenging a Texas law that allows law enforcement to arrest reporters who obtain information from government employees.

This newsletter was edited by Treye Green.