NPR News: 03-27-2026 5PM EDT

President Trump signed an executive order directing payment for TSA agents working without pay amid the partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, now in its 42nd day. This has led to long lines at airports. House Republicans rejected a Senate-passed bill that would have funded most of DHS through September, criticizing it for insufficient emphasis on immigration enforcement. Republicans argued the bill failed to prioritize deporting violent felons illegally in the U.S. while protecting law-abiding immigrant families and avoiding harm to American citizens. House Speaker Mike Johnson labeled the Senate bill "the most reckless thing we've ever seen" and a "joke," questioning if all Senate Republicans had read it. Instead, the House planned a vote that day on a resolution to fund DHS at current levels until May, even as Congress heads into spring break until mid-April.

Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz

Amid the U.S. war with Iran, Houthi forces—referred to in the broadcast as "Mouze"—are demanding that vessels provide detailed information and, in some cases, pay for passage through the Strait of Hormuz. This escalates maritime tensions in the key shipping route.