Iran War, TSA Funding, No Kings Marches

What It Covers

NPR's Up First covers three major stories on March 28, 2026: the one-month mark of the US-Iran war with 12 troops injured, a TSA funding crisis causing airport chaos, and nationwide No Kings protests across all 50 states.

Key Questions Answered

• •Iran War Public Opinion: A Reuters-Ipsos poll shows 61% of Americans actively disapprove of the Iran war, up 18 points from early March. Trump's approval rating has dropped to 36%, his lowest of the second term, driven by rising fuel costs and no clear exit strategy.
• •Iran Defense Breach: Iran has shifted to cluster bomb munitions, which release multiple detonations upon interception, overwhelming Israel's multilayered defense system. Despite Israel's claimed 90% interception rate, Iranian missiles have penetrated defenses in Tel Aviv and near Israel's nuclear facility within one week.
• •TSA Funding Workaround: After six weeks of government shutdown left TSA workers unpaid and airports experiencing historically long lines, Trump issued an executive order directing TSA salaries be paid from DHS reserve funds. Senate recess delays any permanent resolution for at least two weeks.
• •No Kings Protest Tactics: Organizers coordinating 3,000+ protests across all 50 states and multiple countries advise participants to use encrypted messaging apps, strip metadata from photos before posting, and avoid photographing other protesters' faces to reduce exposure to federal targeting.