Senate confirms Sen. Mullin as DHS secretary. And, Iran denies U.S. talks to end war

Special Series Up First Newsletter All Up First Stories Up First Podcast Morning Edition LISTEN & FOLLOW NPR App Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music iHeart Radio YouTube Music RSS link Sign up for the [TITLE] Newsletter Get perks with [Podcast Title]+ Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. After nearly a month of the U.S. and Israel bombing Iran, President Trump said yesterday that in-depth conversations are currently underway with Iran. Trump's comments on the talks came as he backed away from threats of attacking Iran's energy infrastructure if Iran didn't open the Strait of Hormuz by yesterday. The president has delayed his deadline for attacking Iran until the end of the week. However, Iran's Foreign Ministry said, "There is no dialogue between Tehran and Washington." Commercial vessels are seen in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, in northern Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, on Sunday. Getty Images hide caption Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrived at around a dozen airports across the U.S. yesterday. The agents were deployed to the airports amid many Transportation Security agents calling in sick or resigning after going over a month without pay due to a partial government shutdown. Despite ICE agents' presence, the first day of their placement still found many travelers dealing with long security lines. The Senate confirmed Sen. Markwayne Mullin yesterday as the new secretary of Homeland Security. The 54-45 confirmation vote puts the Oklahoma Republican in charge of immigration enforcement, which is a major priority for Trump's second term. Mullin will be replacing Kristi Noem, making him the second secretary to lead the agency during this Trump administration. He assumes leadership in the midst of a shutdown that has forced 100,000 of the department's more than a quarter-million employees to work without pay. A bite from a Healthy Choice Chicken Fried Rice frozen meal, which includes chicken, rice, carrots and edamame in a sesame sauce. Healthy Choice, a Conagra brand, has a line of frozen meals labeled "On Track," geared toward GLP-1 users. Beck Harlan for NPR hide caption Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America. Some big food companies like Nestle are beginning to market to people using popular GLP-1 obesity and diabetes drugs by labeling some products as "GLP-1 Friendly." The labels target individuals taking medicine like Zepbound and Wegovy, who are looking for healthier, ready-made meals that can help minimize the drugs' side effects. But what does it truly mean to follow a GLP-1-friendly diet? Nutritionists help us decode that concept. Fans of K-pop boy band BTS cheer during the BTS' comeback concert near the Gwanghwamun Square on March 21, 2026 in Seoul, South Korea. The free concert is the band's first performance in nearly four years. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images hide caption South Korea's most famous band, BTS, celebrated their reunion with a massive free concert in front of the former royal palace, Gyeongbokgung, over the weekend. The group's seven members took to the stage, greeting fans after a more than three-year hiatus to conduct their mandatory military service and launch their solo music projects. The day before the concert, BTS dropped a new album, Arirang, which shares its name with a beloved Korean folk song. NPR's Anthony Kuhn caught up with BTS fans in Seoul to discuss the group's growth over the years and their new music. Listen to snippets of their new music and what fans have to say about the K-pop group's influence. A statue of the explorer Christopher Columbus stands on White House grounds at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) in Washington, D.C., on March 23, 2026. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images hide caption This newsletter was edited by Treye Green. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor