NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-05-2025 7PM EST

Episode Date: March 6, 2025

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This message comes from Wondery. Scam Factory, the explosive new podcast series, exposes a multi-billion dollar criminal empire where thousands are being forced to scam others under the threat of death. Follow Scam Factory wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. A sharply divided Supreme Court today limited some of the Trump administration's efforts to get rid of foreign aid already authorized by Congress. The vote was 5-4 with Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, both conservatives, joining the court's three liberals in the majority.

NPR's Nina Totenberg reports. The Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court, asking the justices to block a lower court order that require the government to essentially pay its bills, in this case pay foreign aid contractors for their already completed work. But today the court majority refused to interfere, telling the lower court only to clarify the government's obligations and to ensure compliance with due regard for the feasibility of complying with timelines.

In dissent, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that he was quote, stunned at the court's rewarding what he called an active judicial hubris. Nina Totenberg, NPR News, Washington. A federal judge in Boston has blocked a controversial plan by the Trump administration to cap an important kind of medical research funding from the National Institutes of Health. MPR's Rob Stein has more. US District Court Judge Angel Kelly issued a preliminary injunction blocking the NIH from capping the rate at which the agency pays

for so-called indirect costs of medical research at 15%. That's far lower than what many institutions currently receive for electricity, building maintenance, and other overhead costs of medical research. Researchers say the cap would cripple the search for new cures for diseases, and three lawsuits challenge the legality of the cap. The federal judge in Massachusetts agreed, extending what had been a temporary restraining order on implementing the cap nationwide.

Rob Stein, NPR News. President Trump's new tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico are expected to affect a wide range of goods, including fresh produce. NPR's Windsor Johnston reports the taxes could put a greater strain on families already struggling to put food on their tables. The rise in fresh produce prices is expected to disproportionately affect low-income families who need a larger share of their income to cover essential goods like food. Increased grocery bills may force these households to adjust their spending habits, pushing them toward cheaper processed foods.

The new 25 percent tariffs are expected to drive up the cost of fruits like avocados, tomatoes and strawberries. Carrots and lettuce are also expected to get more expensive. More than 40 million people in the U.S. rely on government food assistance programs like SNAP and WIC. According to the USDA, several states have high participation rates in SNAP, including Louisiana, Oregon and New Mexico. Windsor-Johnston, NPR News, Washington. Stonks gained ground on Wall Street today after President Trump pulled back

slightly on some of the administration's tariffs. The Dow is up 485 points. This is NPR. Amid recent reports showing some cooling in terms of consumer sentiment, major retailers are taking a more cautious approach. Among those firms ramping down their growth predictions for this year. Abercrombie and Fitch, which is forecasting 3 to 5 percent sales growth in 2025 instead of the 16 percent it saw last year. Some analysts also cite more challenging marketing conditions in general though. A rising pop star has the new number one album in the US on this week's Billboard charts.

As NPR's Stephen Thompson reports, she knocked out a couple of famously competing megastars. Last week, Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rivalry played out one more time. This time in the race to claim the number one album in the country. Drake won that battle. A week later, they're both looking up at a new number one album, So Close to What, by the Canadian pop singer and dancer Tate McCray. It debuts at the top of this week's albums chart.

Tate McCray also landed 11 songs on this week's Hot 100 singles chart, but there Kendrick Lamar is still on top. Luther, featuring SZA, is the number one song in the country for a second straight week. Stephen Thompson, NPR News. New private sector job numbers out today are showing some worrying signs. ADP says private sector employment was up by just 77,000 jobs last month, weaker than expected. Some of the biggest losses were in the trade, transportation and utilities sectors.

Jobs rose in the northeast and midwest but fell in the trade, transportation, and utility sectors. Jobs rose in the Northeast and Midwest but fell in the South and West. Broader base government employment numbers are due out on Friday. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. On the Embedded Podcast. No, no. It's called denying a speech and mis-speech. It's misinformation. Like so many Americans, my dad has gotten swept up in conspiracy theories.

These are not conspiracy theories. These are reality. I spent the year following him down the rabbit hole, trying to get him back. Listen to Alternate Realities on the Embedded Podcast from NPR, all episodes available now.