NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-08-2025 9PM EST

Episode Date: March 9, 2025

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There's a lot of news happening. You want to understand it better, but let's be honest, you don't want it to be your entire life either. Well, that's sort of like our show, Here and Now Anytime. Every weekday on our podcast, we talk to people all over the country about everything from political analysis to climate resilience, video games. We even talk about dumpster diving on this show. Check out Here and Now Anytime, a daily podcast from NPR and WBUR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. House Republicans are proposing 99 pages of federal government funding extensions as a deadline for action closes in. The plan released today would fund the government through the end of the fiscal year, September 30th. It envisions

a slight increase in defense spending while at the same time reducing non-defense programs below 2024 levels. NPR's Eric McDaniel looks at some of the highlights of the proposed GOP continuing resolution. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would see some more money going their way. Also some more money for WIC, which provides food support for families with low incomes. There are cuts to fundings for the nation's big health care research hub, the National Institutes of Health, and programs in the education department. But the big thing to understand about all the fiddling with the numbers here is that it's an indication that House Republicans don't

think they'll need House Democrats' help on this. And PR's Eric McDaniel Democrats say they will not support a plan where defense and non-defense spending are not going in the same direction. President Trump's latest tariff threat targets Canadian dairy and lumber. Dan Carpinchuk has more. Trump says reciprocal tariffs on Canadian dairy and lumber could be coming in the next few days. That's in addition to the levies that are set to be slapped on steel and aluminum. Canada's industry minister, François-Philippe Champagne, says the Canadian government is having difficulty understanding what needs to

be done to avoid the tariffs, and he wants both countries to get back to a place of normalcy. Champagne also says Ottawa is willing to open talks with Trump on renegotiating the USMCA, free trade deal, but there is a process that needs to be followed. Champagne says what's needed right now is stability and predictability on both sides of the border. For NPR News, I'm Dan Carpinchuk. a process that needs to be followed. Champagne says what's needed right now is stability and predictability on both sides of the border. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpanchuk in Toronto. In Syria, international human rights observers say hundreds of people, many of them civilians, have been killed in revenge attacks in recent days. The new Syrian government has flooded

the region with fighters to try to restore order. NPR's Jane Araf has more from Damascus. The killings targeted Alawite communities, the same religious minority to which deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad belonged. The new government has been fighting loyalists of the old regime on the Mediterranean coast, and the killings began there after government forces were killed in clashes. Syria has no army or even police force since the fall of the regime. And other fighters that the government now blames for the killings rushed in after the ambush. Syrian President Ahmad Ashara has tried to reassure

minorities that government will protect them. This is the biggest challenge to central government rule since he took power. Jane Araf, NPR News, Damascus. JANE ARAF, NPR News, Damascus. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said this weekend that he rejects efforts to open talks between his country and what he called a bullying government. He warned that the United States would attempt to impose restrictions on Iranians' missile range and influence. This is NPR.

For two nights, Russia has launched heavy aerial attacks on Ukraine with multiple Ukrainian fatalities. This says the U.S. has stopped sharing satellite images with Ukraine. The National Endowment for the Arts has agreed to remove a requirement forcing artists to certify they will not, quote, promote gender ideology in their funding applications while the outcome of a legal case is pending. NPR's Chloe Veltman reports arts groups sued the NEA earlier this week over that requirement. The NEA issued a declaration attesting to the removal of the new language by March 11th. It comes after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of four arts

groups with the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island on Thursday. The suit seeks to revoke an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, preventing the use of federal funds for art that can be seen as promoting gender ideology. However, the NEA has not yet agreed to remove its eligibility criteria so applicants still won't get funding if the government thinks their project contradicts the executive order. Vera Adelman is the lead counsel on the case. This is a huge step towards initial relief. We won't stop fighting until these new requirements are struck down for good.

A hearing date is scheduled for March 18th. Chloe Valtman, NPR News. In New York, the governor has declared a state of emergency for part of Long Island as brushfires fueled by heavy winds race through West Hampton. The heavy gray smoke spread by the fires severely reduced visibility and led authorities to close a major highway. Homes are not in the line of the blaze. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things and other currencies. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.