NPR News: 03-18-2026 9PM EDT

Democrats in Congress, led by New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, are intensifying calls for a public hearing on U.S. military involvement in an ongoing conflict. They demand testimony from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, arguing the war has exacted a heavy toll in American service members' lives and taxpayer dollars with insufficient explanation. Booker stated his group will repeatedly introduce resolutions as public awareness grows across party lines. Republicans counter that President Trump, as Commander-in-Chief, retains authority to sustain operations for several more weeks. This push highlights partisan divides over the conflict's costs and oversight.

Trauma from airstrikes in Iran

NPR's Arezou Razvani reported firsthand accounts from Iranians affected by the war. One woman in her sixties, recently fled from a border city, spoke vaguely about the poor economy before breaking down in tears when the microphone was off. She expressed wishing the U.S. airstrikes on her city had killed her, even voicing fear of government reprisal despite being abroad. Her story underscores the human devastation on the ground amid the conflict, where residents grapple with economic hardship and direct violence.

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