NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-05-2025 12AM EST

Episode Date: March 5, 2025

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There's a lot of news happening. You want to understand it better, but let's be honest, you don't want it to be your entire life either. Well, that's sort of like our show, Here and Now Anytime. Every weekday on our podcast, we talk to people all over the country about everything from political analysis to climate resilience, video games. We even talk about dumpster diving on this show. Check out Here and Now Anytime, a daily podcast from NPR and WBUR. Gile Snyder Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Gile Snyder. President Trump marks six weeks into his second term in the White House with a more than one-hour, 40-minute speech to a joint session of Congress, taking credit for what he calls

swift and unrelenting action. President Trump We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years, and we are just getting started. Trump claimed his election win in November amounts to a mandate for sweeping change, but multiple Democrats walked out in protest, and one, Texas Congressman Al Green, was escorted from the chamber after standing and yelling his opposition to Medicaid cuts. First term Michigan Senator Alyssa Slotkin delivered the Democratic response to President Trump's address.

She questioned whether Americans will benefit from his policies. Do his plans actually help Americans get ahead? Not even close. President Trump is trying to deliver an unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends. He's on the hunt to find trillions of dollars to pass along to the wealthiest in America. And to do that, he's going to make you pay in every part of your life. Slotkin delivered the Democratic rebuttal from Wyandotte, Michigan, a working-class community south of Detroit. NPR's Domenico Montanaro kept tabs on Trump's address and says it was a very partisan speech. He didn't really attempt even to be a bridge builder in this speech, essentially dismissing

Democrats, whom he referred to as these people and radical left lunatics. He's saying that they'd never vote for anything he'd do anyway, but he also didn't pay attention to a lot of the things that independents are saying that they're concerned about, notably in our NPR PBS News Marist poll saying that they think he's moving too fast, that they have a negative opinion of Doge and the cuts that they're making, and have a pretty negative opinion of the job he's doing so far. And that wasn't something that he really thought about or talked much about. Instead, he went back to some of the greatest hits, talking very strongly about immigration while dismissing, in many

respects, the potential increase in prices that tariffs are likely to bring. And NPR's Domenico Montanaro there reporting. And to Texas now, where health officials say that measles outbreak is growing, Texas Public Radio's Gabriella Alcorta-Celorio reports. The number of confirmed cases has risen to 159 from last week's update of 146. The outbreak is still isolated to West Texas. Out of the total number of cases, five are vaccinated, the rest are not or their status is unknown. The majority of the cases are in Gaines County, where the outbreak is centered. So far, one death has resulted from the outbreak,

a school-aged, unvaccinated child who lived in the area of the outbreak. For NPR News, I'm Gabriela Alcorta Solorio in San Antonio. And you're listening to NPR News. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in San Antonio. And you're listening to NPR News. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is extending an olive branch to the Trump administration. In a social media post, Zelensky said the Oval Office blow up with President Trump was regrettable and that he's ready to work for peace. Zelensky's remarks came after the White House announced a pause in military aid to Ukraine.

During a speech to Congress, President Trump said he has received a letter from Zelensky, in which he said Zelensky expressed unwillingness to come to the negotiating table. The top FBI agent in the Bureau's New York field office has been forced to retire. James Dennehy, the latest senior FBI official to be pushed out under the Trump administration. Here's NPR's Ryan Lucas. In an email to colleagues, James Dennehy says he was told late Friday to submit his retirement papers, which he did this week. He says he was not given a reason for the decision. Dennehy

is a Marine Corps veteran who joined the FBI in 2002. He spent much of his career working counterintelligence cases, rising through the ranks before being tapped last year to lead the New York field office. His forced departure is the latest to hit senior leaders at the bureau since President Trump returned to office. The FBI workforce also is still rattled by the Justice Department's demand for a list of all personnel who worked Capitol riot cases, a move that agents fear could be a prelude to mass firings. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.

The Bron James made NBA history during tonight's Los Angeles Lakers game against the New Orleans Pelicans. He's now the first player to score 50,000 combined points in the regular and postseason. James is already the NBA's top scorer. This is NPR News. At this year's Oscars, Anorah took home the award for Best Picture, Zoe Saldana and Kieran Culkin also picked up wins, and Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo delivered a show-stopping opening number.

For a recap of all the highlights, listen to the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR.