NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-02-2025 4AM EST

Episode Date: March 2, 2025

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Here on Shortwave, we believe that science is for everyone and that every question is worth asking, no matter your age. My name is Willie and my question is, is magic real? Our podcast is for the curious at heart. Come embrace your inner child when you listen now to ShoreWave from NPR. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Just in, Israel is stopping the entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip and so doing it citing what it described as Hamas's refusal to extend the first phase of the six-week-old

ceasefire. Ever since President Trump and Vice President Vance publicly berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi Friday in Washington, D.C., there's been anger and dread in Ukraine. Ukrainians are praising Zelenskyi for standing up for himself and their country, but they're also wondering whether the Trump administration will now retaliate. NPR's Joanna Kikissis. The U.S. is so important to Ukrainians, and Ukrainians say to me whenever I meet them, they're very grateful for American support.

And Zelenskyi himself says that repeatedly in public speeches thank you for the support and They've always admired Ukrainians have always admired the US for its for its democratic values But what I'm hearing from them is that they feel hostility Specifically from the Trump administration and from President Trump's hardcore supporters Ukrainians don't know how to convince this administration that Ukraine is the victim here, not Russia. Solensky is now in London for meetings with European leaders. A group of US citizens and immigrants is suing to challenge a Trump administration effort

to end humanitarian parole programs that allow people from certain war-torn or unstable countries to temporarily work and stay in the US. For Member Station KJZZ, a list of Resznik has more. Humanitarian parole was the basis of a Biden-era program for Afghans escaping their country after the U.S. withdrawal. Two other declarations allowed Ukrainian, Haitian, Nicaraguan, Cuban, and Venezuelan migrants

to apply to come to the U.S. with a sponsor. Attorney Karen Tumlin, with the Justice Action Center, says the Trump administration's revocation of the program is unfounded. The only reason that was stated in the day one executive order and the memo to follow was that was the belief of the Trump administration that the catacombs for use of parole is always unlawful. The lawsuit argues humanitarian parole programs are legal and have been used

for more than 70 years by both Republican and Democratic presidents. For NPR News, I'm Elisa Resnick in Tucson. A group of immigrant rights and legal aid organizations are suing the Trump administration to try to stop the transfer of migrants from the U.S. to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, NPR's Sasha Pfeiffer reports. The lawsuit does not challenge the U.S. government's authority to detain migrants on U.S. soil or deport them directly to their home country or another country allowed under immigration law. Instead, the American

Civil Liberties Union and its partner civil rights groups argue it is illegal for the U.S. to first send those migrants to Guantanamo. The suit says there's no legitimate reason to do that because the government has ample detention capacity inside the United States. And it says holding migrants in the U.S. makes far more sense logistically and financially. The lawsuit alleges the reason the Trump administration is first sending migrants to Guantanamo is to instill fear in the immigrant community. Sasha Pfeiffer, NPR News.

And you're listening to NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled Saturday that the Trump administration's firing if the leader of an independent federal ethics agency is unlawful. She said the statute establishing the Office of Special Counsel says the special counsel can only be removed by the president for inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office. Lawyers for the administration had argued that the statute was unconstitutional. The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the next test launch of a giant rocket built by Elon Musk.

As NPR's Jeff Brumfield reports, it comes about a month after the last test of Starship ended with an explosion over the Caribbean. The FAA said that SpaceX had met all safety and environmental requirements for this next launch even as it continues to investigate what went wrong with the last one. That previous launch, which took place on January 16th, resulted in an explosion that sent debris arcing across the Caribbean islands of Turks and Caicos. Well over a dozen commercial flights were diverted to avoid pieces of the falling rocket.

SpaceX says the failure was caused by a propellant leak and that it's fixed the problem. Starship's next test launch could come as soon as Monday. Jeff Brumfield, NPR News. Singer David Johansson has died. The last remaining member of the band, the New York Dolls, was 75 years old. The New York Dolls were forerunners of both punk and glam rock and influenced many bands,

including Motley Crue, with their style of teased hair, women's clothes, and makeup. Johansson had recently been diagnosed with stage four cancer. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News. NPR informs and connects communities around the country, providing reliable information in times of crisis. Federal funding helps us fulfill our mission to create a more informed public

and ensures that public radio remains available to everyone. Learn more about safeguarding the future of public media. Visit protectmypublicmedia.org.