NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-07-2025 12AM EST

Episode Date: March 7, 2025

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Public media counts on your support to ensure that the reporting and programs you depend on thrive. Make a recurring donation today to get special access to more than 20 NPR podcasts, perks like sponsor-free listening, bonus episodes, early access, and more. So start supporting what you love today at plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Dwahleesah Kautau. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt said on social media that President Trump was not signing an executive order on the Department of Education Thursday, but NPR obtained a draft of an executive action that instructs the newly confirmed Secretary of

Education, Lyndon McMahon, to quote, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education. Here's then Piers Corey Turner. The executive order mentions that all department funding should be subject to the Trump administration's new anti-diversity, equity and inclusion rules. The problem is a huge focus of federal disability law for children is inclusion. You know, before those laws in the 1970s, kids with disabilities were regularly excluded. They were turned away from schools or they were warehoused or even institutionalized.

And Piers Corey Turner, President Trump is taking punitive action against a second law firm that has represented his perceived political enemies This time his target is the firm that did legal work for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign More on this from and peers Ryan Lucas the new executive order signed by Trump targets the law firm Perkins Cooey It suspends any security clearances held by attorneys at the firm. The order also, among other things, limits the firm's lawyers' access to government buildings and officials. A Perkins-Cooey spokesperson says the order is patently unlawful and that the firm intends to challenge it.

Perkins-Cooey did legal work for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign and played a role in the infamous dossier of unsubstantiated allegations about possible Trump-Russia ties. Trump's new executive order marks the second time that he has sought to punish a law firm. Last month, he issued a similar order targeting the law firm whose attorneys represent former Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. SpaceX has lost another of its giant Starship rockets during a test flight Thursday evening.

As NPR's Jeff Brumfield reports, the failure is the second this year. The flight test appeared to start smoothly. The rocket took off from its pad in Texas and flew out over the Gulf. Starship separated from its massive super-heavy booster. The booster flew back to the launch pad where it was caught by a pair of giant mechanical arms Duck the landing Wow That will never get old but moments later several of the Starship's engines abruptly cut out as it entered space

It looks like we are losing attitude control of the ship Starship then tumbled out of control before exploding over the Caribbean. This was the second failure in its many launches. Elon Musk hopes the rocket will one day carry people to Mars. Jeff Brumfield, NPR News. The falling debris forced a number of airports in Florida to delay their departures. You're listening to NPR News. Israel has blocked all food, fuel and aid into Gaza for the past five days. Gaza's two million people depend entirely on whatever Israel allows in.

NPR's Ayah Batra reports Israel imposed this blockade to pressure Hamas into a different ceasefire deal. Human Rights Watch says officials operating Gaza's water and waste services tell them there are only enough fuel reserves left to continue operating water facilities for one more week. Then, nearly all water production from wells and one of Gaza's two functional desalination facilities will come to a halt. And this week, two main water plants in central Gaza serving 70% of people there ceased operations.

The municipality says the plants shut down in Diyar al-Balagh after Israel cut electricity to them. Israeli officials did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment. Several Israeli rights groups have petitioned Israel's Supreme Court to prohibit the government from continuing the blockade, saying aid to civilians cannot be used as a weapon of war or a means of exerting pressure. Ayah Batraoui, and Pure News, Dubai. For the first time since he was hospitalized three weeks ago at Rome's Gemelli Hospital,

Pope Francis released an audio message on Thursday speaking softly in Spanish, saying, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers, for my health from the square. I accompany you from here. May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. The 88-year-old pontiff participated in Ash Wednesday celebrations and continues his respiratory and other physical therapy. I'm Dwali Sykoutel, NPR News from New York City. Support on the embedded podcast. No, it's called denying a sweet and mispeach. 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.