NPR News: 04-04-2026 2PM EDT

NPR's news roundup covers escalating tensions in the Middle East alongside U.S. domestic stories on jobs, senior housing, prediction markets, and an EU response to rising oil prices. The conflict between U.S.-backed forces and Iran drives the top developments, with spillover effects on tech targets and energy markets.

Middle East Conflict Intensifies

Search crews are hunting for a missing U.S. airman whose plane, one of two shot down over Iran yesterday, vanished amid the worsening Middle East conflict. Two other service members were rescued. Overnight, Iran struck the Oracle office building in Dubai with what authorities described as a drone attack, following threats against data centers and U.S. defense and tech firms in the Gulf. Debris hit the building's facade during off-hours, sparing personnel with no injuries reported. The U.S. and Israel have coordinated most attacks on Iran, though it's unclear who hit Harazi. Iran's Revolutionary Guard escalated by naming 18 U.S. tech and defense companies for potential assassination attempts, including Palantir, Meta, Google, and others. These moves signal broadening targets beyond military sites, raising risks for U.S. firms in the region.