NPR News: 04-04-2026 8PM EDT

This NPR News Now broadcast delivers a snapshot of global and domestic developments, with the heaviest focus on Middle East escalations amid the intensifying US-Iran conflict, alongside US policy setbacks, veteran hardships, a local accident, and persistent Russia-Ukraine violence.

Middle East Conflict Intensifies

US forces are searching for an American service member who ejected Friday from an F-15 jet in southern Iran, highlighting risks to personnel in the escalating conflict. Separately, Oracle's office building in Dubai sustained damage from an apparent overnight drone attack, which NPR's Aba Batrawi reported occurred when offices were likely empty, resulting in no injuries. The US and Israel have coordinated most strikes on Iran, though it's unclear who conducted this particular attack on what was described as the Harazi site. In retaliation, Iran's Revolutionary Guard designated 18 US tech and defense companies—including Palantir, Meta, Google, and Microsoft—as targets for potential assassination attempts, signaling broader threats to American firms amid the proxy and direct confrontations.