NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-05-2025 1AM EST

Episode Date: March 5, 2025

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March is Women's History Month, so on NPR's Book of the Day podcast, we're kicking it off with a week of women writers, including one novel about a woman who ditches society and heads to a secluded religious community. It's something that has really preoccupied me as a writer, that the question of how much should I be in the world, how much should I be out of the world. That's this week on NPR's Book of the Day podcast. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. President Trump says his administration

is just getting started. Speaking to a joint session of Congress, Trump touted his successes during his first six weeks in office. But he was greeted by boos from Democrats when he claimed his election win in November amounts to a mandate for sweeping change. We won the popular vote by big numbers and won counties in our country.

Republicans began chanting USA to drown out the Democratic objections. Trump's speech was his first to Congress since regaining the White House, and it followed market turmoil after he imposed new tariffs on products from Mexico, Canada, and China. Here's him, Piers Oss McCullough. There are additional tariffs on steel and aluminum that are coming into place later this month, and then these big reciprocal tariffs on any country, he says, that puts a tariff on us, he'll put a tariff back on them at an equal rate. He believes that this is a way to essentially increase revenue, balance the budget. There are many sort of multipurpose uses, he feels, for tariffs.

And that is really the central economic vision. In his speech, Trump said that new tariffs on agricultural products would start in early April and he asked American farmers to bear with him. During his first term, he made $20 billion available to American farmers to help offset their losses. The U.S.'s three biggest trading partners have answered the 25 percent tariffs that took effect last night with tariffs of their own on U.S. products. Trump's new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China have been in effect for about 24 hours. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls the tariffs very dumb. Trump

administration proposing terminating leases for properties housing vital weather services, according to current and former employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NPR's Julia Simon has more on that. One of the potential lease terminations includes a key weather forecasting center in Maryland, according to sources contacted by NPR. A current NOAA contractor who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of concern for their job told NPR that the potential closure in Maryland is a quote terrible idea. They say the loss of the facility would quote hamper our ability to do our jobs, predict the weather properly, help protect people

and property. The agency is also terminating at least four expert advisory committees, including a marine fisheries expert committee. Julia Simon, NPR News. The White House is rejecting a Gaza reconstruction plan developed by Egypt and endorsed by other Arab states. The administration says in a statement that the plan does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and that President Trump stand by his vision to rebuild Gaza. Trump's plan calls for depopulating Gaza and redeveloping it as a beach destination. This is NPR News. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he

wants to work with President Trump on ending Russia's war on Ukraine and forging a peace deal that will last. NPR's Joanna Kikis's reports from Kyiv, his remarks come as the Trump administration suspends military aid to Ukraine. In his nightly video address, Zelensky said he understands that Ukrainians are wondering what will happen to U.S. support. He said that American partnership is important for Ukraine. We want constructive cooperation and partnerships. And what happened in the White House instead of our negotiations is regrettable. But we need to find the strength to move on, to respect each other, as we always respect America,

Europe and all our partners and do everything together to bring peace closer." Zelensky said he still wants to sign a minerals and security agreement with the United States and said he wants to move quickly through peace negotiations for a strong final deal that will ensure lasting peace. Joanna Kekesis, NPR News, CAVE. Toward the end of his address to Congress, President Trump read from a letter he said he received from Zelensky on Tuesday. He said Zelensky expressed a willingness to come to the negotiating table.

In New Orleans, Mardi Gras parades and street dances. They had to be held earlier than usual on Fat Tuesday to beat approaching storms. Two tornadoes were reported Tuesday in Louisiana and at least five in eastern Oklahoma and Texas. More than 180,000 customers are without power. I'm Trial Snyder. This is NPR News.