NPR News: 03-29-2026 8PM EDT

This NPR News Now broadcast from March 29, 2026, leads with deepening Middle East conflicts, particularly Israel's expanded military actions in Lebanon amid threats from Iran and regional responses, before turning to EU asylum policy changes and briefer updates on U.S. sports, markets, art, and prehistoric research.

Israel Widens Lebanon Invasion Amid Hezbollah Threat

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an expansion of his country's invasion into southern Lebanon while visiting troops in northern Israel. The goal is to establish a "security buffer zone" to block Hezbollah militants from launching rockets into Israel. Initial plans targeted territory up to the Litani River, about 10 to 20 miles in, but orders later extended evacuations to a zone 10 miles further north. Lebanon's government reports over 1,200 people killed in Israeli attacks and about one-fifth of the population displaced. Strikes have hit homes, bridges, highways, and fuel stations—some homes only recently rebuilt from Israel's 2024 invasion—forcing mass northward flight and overwhelming shelters. On Sunday alone, at least 49 people died, including a paramedic. NPR's Lauren Frayer reported from Beirut, where Israeli warplanes drowned out interviews amid the roar of ongoing operations.