Meridian Morning Brief — Mar 23
Editor’s note: This morning’s file is heavy on geopolitics and market nerves, with a few domestic and science stories cutting through the gloom. In other words: the world remains committed to making coffee feel necessary.
NPR News • Other • With more older drivers on the road, states try to balance safety and mobility
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/23/nx-s1-5672445/older-drivers-licensing-safety
NPR centers the debate on a fatal 2025 crash in Green Lake, Wisconsin, where a 12-year-old boy was killed after an 85-year-old driver told police she had confused the brake and accelerator. His family is now pushing for tougher license-renewal rules in Wisconsin, where older drivers can go eight years without renewing. The report notes that there is no national standard for retesting older drivers, with each state setting its own rules. Researchers cited by NPR say crash rates among older drivers have generally declined over the past 25 years even as more older Americans remain on the road, making the policy tradeoff one of safety versus independence.
NPR News • Health • What does a 'GLP-1 Friendly' diet look like? We asked nutritionists
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/23/nx-s1-5699407/glp-1-ozempic-zepbound-wegovy-nutrition
NPR reports that food companies including Nestlé and Conagra are increasingly marketing meals as “GLP-1 Friendly” to people taking weight-loss and diabetes drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound. Nutritionists interviewed for the piece say the most important priorities are protein, fiber, hydration, and avoiding patterns that lead to skipped meals followed by richer foods that can worsen side effects. The story says many patients receive little direct nutritional counseling despite the growing use of these medications. It also notes that experts see diet changes as important because many users discontinue GLP-1 drugs within a year and can regain weight quickly afterward.
NPR News • Stocks • Worried about a shaky stock market? This is what financial advisers suggest you do
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/23/nx-s1-5742568/iran-war-investments-retirement-529-stock-market
NPR says financial advisers are urging most long-term investors not to make emotional moves during the recent market decline tied to the U.S.-Iran conflict. The report notes the Dow is down about 9% from its February high, which is painful but still short of bear-market territory. Advisers quoted in the story recommend leaving retirement and college accounts alone if withdrawals are still years away, while those nearing retirement should review diversification and shift more toward safer assets such as bonds. For people who need cash immediately, the guidance is to sell more resilient holdings first rather than locking in the largest losses from the worst-performing funds.
Al Jazeera • World • Israeli settlers rampage through West Bank towns for second night in a row
Al Jazeera reports that at least nine Palestinians were injured as Israeli settlers attacked towns and villages in the occupied West Bank for a second consecutive night. The outlet says a 45-year-old man was shot in the foot near Nablus, while others were beaten in separate incidents. Wafa and the Palestine Red Crescent Society said homes and cars were set on fire, property was vandalized, and several communities near Jenin, Nablus, Masafer Yatta, and the Jordan Valley were affected. The story places the violence against the backdrop of continued settlement expansion and notes that the UN says 25 Palestinians have been killed by settlers and soldiers so far this year.
NPR News • World • Pilot and copilot killed in collision between jet and fire truck at LaGuardia
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/23/g-s1-114773/new-york-laguardia-jet-collides-with-vehicle
NPR reports that two crew members were killed when an Air Canada regional jet collided with a Port Authority fire truck while landing late Sunday at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Officials said the pilot and copilot died, while 39 passengers and crew members were taken to hospitals and two Port Authority employees in the truck were also injured. The airport is expected to remain closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday as the National Transportation Safety Board investigates. According to officials cited by NPR, the fire truck had been crossing the runway to respond to a separate odor report aboard a United Airlines flight.
Al Jazeera • World • ‘Unprecedented’: Israel, US carry out extensive strikes across Iran
Al Jazeera says Israel and the United States launched a new wave of strikes across Iran on Monday, with reported attacks in Tehran, Qom province, Khorramabad, Tabriz, Bandar Abbas, Isfahan, Karaj, and Ahvaz. Iranian state-linked reporting cited civilian deaths and damage to residential buildings, while Al Jazeera’s correspondents described the explosions in Tehran as especially large in scale. The report also says Iran continued missile strikes overnight toward Israel and warned it would retaliate against regional power infrastructure if its own plants were targeted. Iran’s health ministry, as cited by the outlet, says the war’s death toll in Iran has passed 1,500, while 15 people have been killed in Israel.
The Guardian World • World • Long-awaited trial into Greece’s deadliest train crash begins
The Guardian reports that the long-delayed trial over Greece’s 2023 Tempe rail disaster has opened in Larissa, with 36 people facing charges and more than 350 witnesses expected to testify. The collision between a freight train and a passenger train killed 57 people, many of them students returning from a holiday weekend. According to the report, the case has renewed scrutiny of railway safety failures, including signaling systems that had not been modernized despite EU funding and repeated union warnings. The trial is expected to last years and has intensified public anger because no political officials are currently among those in the dock.
BBC World • Politics • Hong Kong police can now demand phone passwords under national security law
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8j9yj52lro?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
The BBC reports that Hong Kong has amended a bylaw under its national security law to let police demand passwords for phones and computers from suspects. Refusing to comply can now bring up to a year in jail and a fine of HK$100,000, while providing false or misleading information can carry a sentence of up to three years. The amendments also give customs officials power to seize items they believe have “seditious intention.” Authorities say the changes are needed to protect national security, while critics argue the law’s broad and vague definitions continue to be used to suppress dissent.
The Guardian World • Science • Predatory feral ferrets removed from an island for the first time ever
The Guardian reports that Rathlin Island off Northern Ireland has become ferret-free after a five-year eradication effort aimed at protecting one of the region’s largest seabird colonies. The invasive ferrets, introduced in the 1980s, had bred on the island and preyed on birds, hares, and domestic chickens. The project used cameras, thermal drones, trained volunteers, and a detector dog named Woody to locate the animals. Early signs are already encouraging: the island recorded six calling male corncrakes and Manx shearwaters breeding there for the first time in 40 years.
Al Jazeera • Business • World in energy crisis worse than 1970s’ oil shocks combined, IEA head says
Al Jazeera reports that International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warned the current energy crunch tied to the Iran war is worse than the oil shocks of 1973 and 1979 plus the gas disruption that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Birol said the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on energy facilities have cut global oil supplies by about 11 million barrels per day and sharply reduced LNG availability. He said at least 40 energy facilities across nine countries have been severely damaged in the conflict. The IEA has already proposed measures such as more remote work, carpooling, and lower motorway speed limits while governments consider additional emergency oil releases.
