Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hurst.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have entered the U.S. Israeli war in Iran, firing a missile at Israel, which Israel says was intercepted.

It's the first time Israel faced fire from that country since the war began, and it opens a new front in the two-month-old conflict.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon says around 3,500 sailors and Marines have arrived in the Middle East.

Empire Shandalee's Duster has more.

U.S. Central Command said Saturday in a social media post that about 3,500 sailors and Marines

arrived in the Middle East aboard the USS Tripoli.

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, based in Okinawa, Japan, arrived in the Middle East on Friday,

the Post said.

The unit also has transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets.

U.S. Central Command did not say what mission the unit will be carrying out.

At least 2,000

additional soldiers have been ordered to deploy to the Middle East, where the U.S. already has

40,000 to 50,000 troops. Shandalee Duster and PR News. The Department of Homeland Security

is on track to mark the longest partial government shutdown in history amid a budget standoff.

And here's Claudia Grisselis reports.

The DHS budget measure stalled in the Senate for weeks as Democrats demanded immigration

enforcement reforms in exchange for their votes to approve funding.

The chamber finally broke the impasse after Republicans agreed to approve funding for most of the agency

aside from some component that included ICE and border patrol. House Speaker Mike Johnson

dismissed the Senate measure as a quote joke. Instead, the House passed a measure to temporarily

extend funding in full for the Department of Homeland Security through late May.

...