Morning news brief

NPR | By Leila Fadel,

Michel Martin

Published July 21, 2026 at 4:44 AM EDT

Iran-backed Houthis say they will blockade another waterway, threatening Red Sea shipping, Pete Hegseth heads to the Hill looking for a nearly $90 billion funding boost, Arizona voters head to the polls.

Corrected: July 21, 2026 at 1:15 PM EDT

A previous version of this story incorrectly said President Trump would travel to Delaware on Tuesday to receive the bodies of two U.S. soldiers killed in Jordan. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Monday evening that the ceremony would be rescheduled. Also, a previous headline and description of this story incorrectly said the Trump administration was seeking a $350 billion increase in funding from Congress, mostly for military operations in Iran. In fact, the amount is nearly $90 billion.

Leila Fadel

Leila Fadel is a host of Morning Edition, as well as NPR's morning news podcast Up First.

See stories by Leila Fadel

Michel Martin

Michel Martin is a host of Morning Edition.

See stories by Michel Martin

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