NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-03-2025 8PM EST

Episode Date: March 4, 2025

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This message comes from Wondery. At 24 years old, Monica Lewinsky was in a scandal that defined who she was for the entire world. And now she's ready to draw from her own experience on what it means to redefine yourself on her new podcast, Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President Trump was joined at the White House today by the CEO of TSMC, the world's biggest semiconductor manufacturer. NPR's Asma Khalid reports the two men announced the Taiwanese chipmaker plans to spend $100 billion in the U.S.

The president said this new investment will go toward creating five new fabrication facilities in Arizona, which has become a hub for American chipmaking. It's a matter of economic security. It's also a matter of national security for us. Semiconductors are used in everything from cars to artificial intelligence. TSMC has now invested a total of roughly $165 billion in the United States. Trump's Commerce Secretary noted that the company had received a $6 billion grant from the CHIPS Act that spurred its plans to create factories under the Biden administration, whereas now the company is planning a larger investment with no U.S. financial assistance, just merely the president's

threat to put tariffs on semiconductor imports. Asma Khalid, NPR News, The White House. The Trump administration has raised tariffs on Chinese goods by another 10 percent and according to the president, will impose 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico tomorrow. All three countries are major U.S. trading partners, doing some $2.2 trillion in business with the U.S. All three are also considering retaliatory tariffs of their own. On the part of the US it marks the most aggressive use of tariffs by the country since the 1930s. The Trump administration is firing a team of more than 80

technologists who focus on making government digital services more user-friendly and efficient. As NPR's Frank Langford explains, the outgoing workers say they were focused on what the Department and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently

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and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and efficiently and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and it easier to get a passport. However, over the weekend, a government official who used to work for Tesla told the 18F team they had to go. The stated reasons? To reduce the workforce and as part of a quote, broader strategy to improve efficiency. One of the affected workers who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation said he thought Doge was purging the team because they

had the technical savvy to recognize and check bad decisions by the Trump administration. Frank Langford, NPR News, Washington. Information Commissioner's Office saying today there are increased worries around how social media platforms are using data generated by the online activities of children and teens. There are also concerns about inappropriate or harmful content online. Stocks went into free fall amid concerns about the Trump tariffs the Dow fell 649 points. This is NPR. With the fifth anniversary of the COVID shutdown approaching, a report from the Theatre Communications Group, a national organization representing nonprofit theaters across the country, is offering a snapshot of the industry's recovery from two years ago.

Jeff London reports. The report outlines both the recovery and the challenges facing nonprofit theaters in the U.S. Using a sample of 137 companies, the report finds that the industry contributed over $3.6 billion to the economy and attracted more than 27 million audience members. Earned income increased by 94% over 2022,

though that's still lower than 2019, the last year before the pandemic. Total expenses were up while staffing was down, and more than half of theaters reported a negative change in donations that can be used for general expenses. It's the lowest figure since 2009 and indicates financial strain across the field. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York. As countries around the world mark World Wildlife Day, conservationists in areas including Kenya are sounding the alarm about shrinking wildlife spaces in a country where tourism brings in substantial revenues.

Conservation efforts have led to some recovery for endangered species, but climate change and destructive human activity has cut into global reserves and habitats for animals. Critical futures prices fell 2 percent today to a 12-week low on tariff concerns coupled by an announcement OPEC Plus Russia intend to proceed with a planned oil output increase in April. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. This message comes from Wondery. Scam Factory, the explosive new podcast series, exposes a multi-billion dollar criminal empire Huntington.