NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-07-2025 10PM EST

Episode Date: March 8, 2025

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These days, there's so much news, it can be hard to keep up with what it all means for you, your family, and your community. The Consider This podcast from NPR features our award-winning journalism. Six days a week, we bring you a deep dive on a news story and provide the context and analysis that helps you make sense of the news. We get behind the headlines. We get to the truth. Listen to the Consider This podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President Trump says he wants Congress to pass legislation regarding cryptocurrency by August. It's part of a recent push to focus on the digital asset, which Trump and his family members have considerable financial stakes in. More from NPR's Deepa Sivaram.

President Trump hosted crypto business leaders at the White House for the first ever summit on digital assets. This is a tremendous opportunity for economic growth and innovation in our financial sector and will really go a long way. I think it's going to be a tremendous, a tremendous, we feel like pioneers in a way. The event was held the day after Trump signed an executive order that established a strategic Bitcoin reserve, which is seeded by 200,000 Bitcoin forfeited to the government in various court proceedings.

It also directs the Treasury, among others, to come up with plans to acquire more digital currency. Deepa Sivaram, NPR News. The state of South Carolina has executed Brad Sigmund by firing squad, becoming the first state to carry out the death penalty with that method in 15 years. South Carolina Public Radio's Mayon Schechter reports. At 6.05 p.m. Eastern Time, a three-person firing squad fired their weapons through a hole at a small aim shot on the chest of 67-year-old Brad Sigmund.

The man convicted in 2002 of killing his ex-girlfriend's parents was pronounced dead three minutes later. In Sigman's final words, read by his attorney, prison spokeswoman Kristi Shane said Sigman wanted his statement to be one of love. And a calling to my fellow Christians to help us end the death penalty. A small number of journalists were allowed to witness the execution. One described the sound of the shooting as very loud and very jarring. For NPR News, I'm Mayon Schechter in Columbia, South Carolina. The federal judge in Washington is refusing to

block employees of Elon Musk Doge's group from accessing treasury systems containing sensitive personal data for millions of Americans. The judge, however, did acknowledge privacy concerns about the group's work. Doge remains limited by a court order in New Americans. The judge, however, did acknowledge privacy concerns about the group's work. Doge remains limited by a court order in New York. In Washington, the judge had previously restricted Doge's work at Treasury to read-only access, but declined to date a grant a longer-term block. The Labor Department is reporting modest jobs growth in the U.S. during the month of February. More from MPR Scott Horsley.

Scott Horsley, MPR, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York.S. employers added 151,000 jobs in February, slightly more than the month before. Job gains were tallied in health care, construction and manufacturing. Bars and restaurants cut workers during the month, and so did the federal government. The unemployment rate inched up in February to 4.1 percent, even as the overall workforce shrank. Average wages last month were up 4% from a year ago,

which is likely more than enough to outpace inflation. Wages have been climbing faster than prices for nearly two years now. That boosts workers' real buying power and helps to support consumer spending, which is the biggest driver of the U.S. economy. Scott Horsley in Pair News, Washington. The Dow is up 222 points.

This is NPR. Frustrated over lack of progress in getting Russia and Ukraine to come up with a peace deal to end the fighting that's been going on for more than three years, President Trump today said he is strongly considering levying new sanctions and tariffs against Russia. Trump's saying on social media he's looking at possible action because in his words, quote, Russia is absolutely pounding Ukraine on the battlefield right now. Trump has faced criticism for recent efforts

to pressure Ukraine to end the war sparked by Russia's invasion of the country. Call him DJ Royal Chuck, King Charles III, launching an Apple Music playlist of his favorite songs. It drops Monday to mark Commonwealth Day. That's a 56-member group of countries that includes many former British colonies. And Bure's Lauren Freyre reports from London.

In a video posted to social media, King Charles sits at a big wooden desk at Buckingham Palace with a vintage radio on-air sign lit up talking about his love of disco, reggae, and afro beats. It has that remarkable ability to bring happy memories. The video then cuts to a military marching band outside playing Bob Marley. This playlist, fit for a king, is called The King's Music Room. The Palace says it's the soundtrack of King Charles' life, from 1930s standards to Kylie

Minogue. Thank you for listening. I wish you all every possible blessing. Lauren Freyer, NPR News, London. Critical futures prices gained ground, though were traded slightly from session highs amid threatened US sanctions against producer Russia for failure to end its war with Ukraine.

Oil was up 68 cents a barrel to 6704 barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. NPR informs in Washington.