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

Episode Date: March 5, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump says voters elected him to enact sweeping change in the U.S. and that's exactly what he's done since he took office in January. And Piers Tamer-Keith reports on Trump's speech last night to a joint session of Congress and protests he drew from some Democratic lawmakers in the chamber. Trump boasted about his first month accomplishments and he repeatedly referred derisively to former President Joe Biden, at one point calling him the worst president in American history. This is my fifth such speech to Congress.

And once again, I look at the Democrats in front of me, and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud. Nothing I can do. Democratic Congressman Al Green from Texas was escorted out of the chamber after standing and yelling his opposition to Medicaid cuts. Several other Democrats walked out in protest. Tamara Keith, NPR News. The administration is hinting at possible changes to its new tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico.

NPR's Scott Horsley reports that has investors in a kind of holding pattern. Stocks tumbled earlier this week as President Trump launched his trade war. The decision to impose steep taxes on imports is expected to raise prices in the U.S. and invite retaliation from trading partners. But Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox Business News there could be some speedy modification of those tariffs, so investors are in wait-and-see mode. The IRS is reportedly considering deeper staffing cuts. The tax collection agency has already eliminated more than 6,000 jobs, and the Associated Press reports tens of thousands more could be on

the chopping block. Scaling back tax enforcement actually costs the government money by making it easier for wealthy people to avoid paying what they owe. Scott Horsley in Peer News, Washington. The U.S. is imposing more visa restrictions. Today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a new policy targets foreign immigration customs airport and port authority officials who the Trump administration believes facilitate illegal immigration to the US. Egypt's plan to rebuild Gaza following more than a year of wars encountering US and Israeli opposition but NPR's Ayah Batra reports from Dubai, Arab leaders gathering Cairo yesterday

say they're in favor of rebuilding without displacing Palestinians, something President Trump has suggested. Egypt's detailed reconstruction plan for Gaza runs 91 pages long and is focused on keeping EGYPT'S DETAILED RECONSTRUCTION PLAN FOR GAZA RUNS 91 PAGES LONG AND IS FOCUSED ON KEEPING PALESTINIANS ON THE LAND. IT ENCOURAGES ESTABLISHING A PALESTINIAN COMMITTEE TO TEMPORARILY OVERSEE GAZA WITHOUT HAMAS. THE PLAN OFFERS AN ALTERNATIVE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP'S IDEA THAT ALL 2 MILLION PALESTINIANS IN GAZA SHOULD BE PERMANENTLY DISPLACED TO NEIGHBORING ARAB STATES.

BUT A WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SPOKESMAN SAYS EGYPT'S PROPOSAL DOESN'T ADDRESS THE REALITY THAT GAZA IS UNINHABITABLE NOW. displaced to neighboring Arab states. But a White House National Security Council spokesman says Egypt's proposal doesn't address the reality that Gaza is uninhabitable now. Israel said the Arab position on Gaza is rooted in outdated perspectives and that Trump's relocation plan should be encouraged. Ayah Batraoui, MPR News, Dubai. It's NPR. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is calling in the National Guard to assist in emergency storm operations.

Free Boring County officials are asking for help following reports of multiple collisions and stranded motorists. Minnesota is no stranger to severe winter conditions, but Governor Walz says he activated the National Guard to help provide life-saving support. There's heavy snowfall as much as a foot reported in some areas across the state. Blizzard and winter storm warnings continue into midday. Southern California is facing a long recovery from wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes and other structures in January. LAist Evan Jacoby brings us the story of a group of volunteers racing to save treasures that might

have otherwise been overlooked. Historic handmade tiles on chimneys left behind in the carnage. Phase two of Altadena's cleanup process is underway, where lots will be bulldozed. Eric Garland co-founded the volunteer group Save the Tiles. What will be lost is not only the very last of old Altadena, but for that homeowner, beautiful handmade art from over a century ago. Many tiles were made by Ernest Batchelder, whose pieces are collected in architecture museums throughout the country.

But Stanley Zucker, another co-founder of Save the Tiles, says their value isn't just in art history. Everything on this lot that was important to them has been channeled into the tiles. The group hopes to rescue tile for over 200 homeowners. For NPR News, I'm Evan Chikobi in Altadena. US stockster trading mix, the Dow is up. This is NPR News.