NPR News: 04-01-2026 1PM EDT

The April 1, 2026, NPR News Now episode delivers a midday roundup of developments across U.S. politics, international tensions, sports, and corporate culture, with heavy emphasis on challenges to President Trump's policies and ongoing Middle East hostilities.

Supreme Court Skepticism on Birthright Citizenship Limits

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on President Trump's push to restrict birthright citizenship, contending that children born in the U.S. to parents who are illegally present, temporarily visiting, or on long-term visas should not automatically qualify. The ACLU countered that this violates the Fourteenth Amendment's citizenship clause. Justices across the ideological spectrum—including Chief Justice John Roberts, Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch, and Obama appointee Elena Kagan—expressed doubts. Roberts described the administration's arguments as "quirky and idiosyncratic," Kagan called them "esoteric," and Gorsuch criticized Solicitor General John Sauer for reaching back to Roman law sources to reinterpret the amendment's plain text. NPR's Nina Totenberg, a long-time court watcher, also reported a new White House-imposed restriction barring journalists from standing or observing the courtroom before proceedings begin; guards enforced it despite protests that it hinders basic reporting duties.