Trump offers few answers on Iran and Artemis II's successful launch: Morning Rundown

Trump threatened more attacks on Iran but said the war would end “shortly.” NASA’s first crewed moon mission in more than 50 years is underway. And doctors fear the comeback of a vaccine-preventable deadly disease.

Here’s what to know today. Trump says Iran war will end ‘shortly’ but that more strikes are ahead President Donald Trump hailed the U.S. military’s “unstoppable” prowess in the war with Iran, telling Americans in a prime-time address last night that the conflict will end “shortly” without offering a definite timeline. Delivered as the war extends into a second month and framed as an operational update, Trump’s speech offered the clearest public case yet for the conflict, arguing it is necessary for the security of the free world and laying out a framework that he said would measure American success.

Trump, in trying to explain why the U.S. entered the war in the first place, accused Iran’s theocratic regime of having destabilized the global order for decades and claiming the country was building its nuclear program at a new location. He celebrated the U.S. military’s actions, proclaiming, “we are on track and the country has been eviscerated and is essentially no longer a threat.” Still, he said the conflict would continue until the military objectives were “fully achieved.”

“Shortly, we’re going to hit them extremely hard,” Trump said.

“Over the next two to three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages. In the meantime, discussions are ongoing.” He also said that if Iran does not make a deal with the U.S., “we are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants very hard and probably simultaneously.”

Here are the other key takeaways from Trump’s address. More Iran war news: Trump’s threat to Iran’s civilian infrastructure risks turning the U.S. into a “rogue state,” a former U.S. ambassador for war crimes said. In fact, the threats alone could represent a possible war crime.

Despite Trump’s claims that the U.S. has ousted the Iranian regime, there is no indication that its government has lost power. Fertilizer shortages linked to the war are hitting just as planting seasons begin across much of Africa and Asia, raising the risk of lower yields or even crop failures. Artemis II launches toward the moon.

Here’s what’s ahead for the astronauts “After a brief, 54-year intermission, NASA is back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon,” the agency’s Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a news briefing after the Artemis II’s successful liftoff off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The four-person crew of Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen are now on a 10-day journey to circle the Earth and moon — another step toward a planned moon landing in 2028. Before the launch, science reporter Denise Chow spoke to spectators who staked out prime viewing spots along Florida’s “Space Coast” about the significance of the moment.

“I remember sitting in front of the black-and-white TV when we were wee little lads, watching Apollo 11,” said Todd Seymour, 61, who made the trip from Columbus, Ohio, with his twin brother.

“To not have ever seen a launch before in person, that’s kind of a bucket list thing for us.” Now that they’ve reached space, the astronauts have little downtime. Here’s what’s in store for the mission.

Republicans announce two-track plan to end DHS shutdown House and Senate Republican leaders jointly announced a plan that they said would end the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security that caused major airport delays. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune were vague about the exact plan, but it appears to closely resemble the Senate’s preferred path from Friday. A White House official told NBC News that the Trump administration supports the plan.

Johnson and Thune heavily implied that the Senate would have to, once again, pass a bill it approved unanimously last week, which could happen as early as today. But GOP leadership did not comment on the timing of a vote, and both the House and Senate are scheduled to be on recess until April 13. More on what the two-track plan to fund DHS entails.

More politics news: As TSA workers start receiving backpay, civilian Coast Guard workers who also have been working without pay ask, “What about us?” The Supreme Court appeared skeptical of Trump’s attempt to limit birthright citizenship. Inside the court, Trump faced the justices he publicly criticized and sat impassively during arguments, senior Supreme Court reporter Lawrence Hurley wrote in an analysis.

Doctors fear the return of a deadly, vaccine-preventable disease A disease that once killed about 1,000 children a year and permanently disabled many more could be making a comeback, some doctors warn, as vaccination rates for the illness fall. The disease, commonly called Hib, is a bacterial infection that can sometimes cause problems that are easy to treat. But the highly contagious and fast-moving infection can also cause more serious infections in the lungs, blood stream and joints.

After vaccinations began in the 1980s, the number of Hib infections dropped to fewer than 50 a year. Many doctors who have trained in the past 40 years have never seen a case. Now, some said they’re hearing about more Hib cases, and the possibility that the disease could make a comeback is forcing them to think differently while treating young patients.

The CDC reported 77.5% of babies received the full series of Hib shots in 2021, a drop from 78.8% in 2019. But it’s not just Hib vaccines that are on the decline. Learn more about Hib and how it can spread, even among people who aren’t sick.

Read All About It The FDA approved Foundayo, a daily weight loss pill from Eli Lilly. It’s expected to cost about $149 for people paying out of pocket. The case of a Utah teen murdered more than 50 years ago is finally closed after DNA evidence confirmed she was a victim of serial killer Ted Bundy.

Hershey will resume using chocolate in most of its products after the grandson of the inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups publicly criticized the company. Being named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four used to indicate a big NBA future. Not anymore.

Staff Pick: Growing signs of discontent in Russia The war in Ukraine has effectively killed all remnants of protest in Russia. But the recent aggressive suppression of digital freedoms including a major internet blackout and the throttling of a popular messaging app has led to rare calls for public display of discontent. It’s happening in an atmosphere where, even before the war, mass gatherings had to be sanctioned by local authorities.

We spoke with people who, in the face of real risks to their safety, told NBC News why they thought an act of protest, even in the form of applying with authorities to hold one, was important to them. They told us not giving “silent approval” to the erosion of their digital rights by the Kremlin mattered, and that it also let others know they were not alone in their indignation.