NPR is reporting that Lebanese and Israeli military officials are scheduled to meet today in Washington. Iran has stated it will not sign a deal with the United States unless the war in Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Hezbollah, concludes. Vice President Vance said last night that a U.S.-Iran agreement was not yet finalized but officials were very close, with discussions over the past week including potential agreements to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and postpone nuclear talks. A sticking point in these negotiations has been Iran's stockpiles of enriched uranium. NPR's Jane Arraf tells Up First that the Lebanese government has limited leverage, noting Hezbollah's integral role in the Lebanese state and its considerable power. Hezbollah spokesman Youssef al-Zein told Arraf the group would not disarm while Lebanon is under attack, despite a supposed ceasefire. Israeli strikes have persisted, endangering Roman sites and a crusader castle, according to Lebanese culture minister Ghassan Salameh. Separately, people in Iran can now access the internet again after a three-month government-imposed blackout.

NPR is also reporting that the Justice Department has launched an investigation related to writer E. Jean Carroll, a perceived political adversary of President Donald J Trump. Investigators are examining whether Carroll committed perjury during her deposition concerning civil lawsuits she brought against the president for sexual abuse and defamation. The investigation's focal point is the nonprofit American Future Republic, backed by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and its funding of some of Carroll's legal expenses. NPR's Ryan Lucas said investigators are looking into potential money laundering and obstruction, noting Carroll's 2022 deposition where she stated no outside parties were helping with legal bills, a claim later contradicted by Hoffman's nonprofit involvement. An appeals court found no evidence Carroll personally secured the outside funding. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago issued a statement denying reports it had opened an investigation into Carroll herself. Lucas noted that while President Trump vowed vengeance on perceived enemies, Justice Department investigations in such cases have often "flamed out," though they impose real costs on those targeted.

CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is working to revamp the network's "60 Minutes" program, NPR said. Weiss dismissed the veteran executive producer, two correspondents, and a pair of senior news leaders from the show, appointing Nick Bilton, who lacks broadcast news experience, as the new executive producer. The new owners of CBS brought Weiss in last fall to shift coverage away from what they believe to be a "woke" and anti-Trump bias. NPR's David Folkenflik said Bilton aims to reinvent "60 Minutes" for the digital age, with support from the Ellison family, which owns CBS, Oracle, and TikTok U.S. Folkenflik added that Weiss's success would benefit her long-term, but failure would draw blame and validate critics.

A federal judge has decided not to block President Trump's executive order restricting voting by mail, NPR reported. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump nominee, issued the ruling yesterday, allowing the order to remain in effect for now. The order, released March 31, directs the Department of Homeland Security to collaborate with the Social Security Administration to compile lists of adult U.S. citizens for state election officials. It also calls for the U.S. Postal Service to create lists of eligible voters and deliver mail-in ballots only to those individuals. Judge Nichols found it too early for an emergency ruling to halt key aspects, as the directives have not yet been implemented. Another federal judge in Boston is expected to issue a decision in similar lawsuits as early as June.

NPR is also exploring the increased intermixing of God and government in its new series, "Church and State." Ohio state Rep. Gary Click is working to pass the Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act, which would permit teaching the positive impact of "Judeo-Christian" values in U.S. history. Opponents argue the bill is unnecessary, could offer a skewed historical perspective, and raises concerns about blending Christianity with lawmaking.

In environmental news, NPR's "Here & Now" series "Reverse Course" found artificial intelligence is helping fight wildfires in Western states, with a growing network of cameras alerting fire managers to danger. Alert California's cameras caught 915 fires last year before any human called 911. Additionally, in Illinois, agrivoltaics, a system where solar farms and agriculture share land, is expanding due to state incentives for community solar.

In other news, 14-year-old Shrey Parikh won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Orthodox Jewish women in Israel can now take official rabbinic exams, potentially opening doors to other leadership roles. Fatal subway surfing incidents in New York City persist due to easily accessible subway keys, MTA radios, and an underground social media community, Gothamist reported.