NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-09-2025 8PM EDT

Episode Date: March 10, 2025

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Bella DiPaolo is glad if you're happily married, but she is perfectly happy being single. I would love to have someone who took care of my car or someone who cleaned up the dishes after dinner, but then I'd want them to leave. From yourself to your dog to your spouse are significant others. That's on the TED Radio Hour from NPR. Live from Herbst Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of Canada, has become the new leader of the Liberal Party and is now prime minister-designate. As Dan Karpenchuk reports, Carney hinted strongly that a general election is on the way.

Mark Carney Carney has flirted with politics several times, but never actually taken the plunge until Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced early last month that he would be resigning. During the Liberal Party gathering in Toronto, Carney said he would stand shoulder to shoulder with his fellow candidates in fighting the next election, with the focus on the challenge from the White House. Carney won handily with 85% of the members voting for him.

Former Finance Minister, Christopher Freeland, came in second with 8%. Carney has not been tested politically. He has repeatedly pledged to call an election soon so he can win a seat in Parliament and fight the conservatives who are leading in the polls. Parliament resumes on March 24th. For NPR News, I'm Dan Carpinchuk in Toronto. Danielle Pletka Those Republicans are trying another stopgap

extension to avoid a partial government shutdown this week. They released a bill yesterday that would pay for the government through September 30th. And Piers Tamer-Keith has more. It basically punts the big decisions, the deep cuts the conservatives want until later this year. It keeps the top line budget number the same as the last fiscal year but shifts around some funding. It increases defense spending and decreases non-defense spending. It boosts funding for immigration

enforcement but doesn't include additional disaster assistance for the California wildfires or the hurricanes last year. In short, it's meant to keep congressional Republicans content and buy time for them to work on what President Trump really wants, which is big tax cuts and a significant boost in immigration spending. And here's Tamara Keith reporting. Israel says it will send a delegation to Qatar tomorrow to further ceasefire talks. Phase one of a fragile ceasefire deal ended last month and talks for the next phase, which would see a permanent end to the war, were supposed to have

started weeks ago. And Piers Hadil El-Shalchi has more. In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said its delegation is going to Doha to try to quote, advance ceasefire negotiations. Israel has been pressuring Hamas to accept an extension of the first phase of a ceasefire negotiations. Israel has been pressuring Hamas to accept an extension of the first phase of a ceasefire deal that would retain its right to go back to war and see half the hostages held in Gaza freed. Hamas says it wants to begin second phase talks that

would see a permanent end to the war and a total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The militant group said it had ended a round of ceasefire talks with Egypt this week. This all comes after the White House confirmed it had held direct talks with Hamas about the ceasefire deal. Hadil Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Jerusalem. U.S. futures contracts are trading lower at this hour.

Dow futures down more than a half percent. NASDAQ futures are down one percent. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. In Selma, Alabama this weekend, ceremonies were held today marking the 60th anniversary of a key event in the civil rights movement when voting rights marchers were attacked. The violence on the Edmund Pettus Bridge shocked the nation, galvanizing support for the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This annual commemoration

pays homage to those who fought to secure voting rights for black Americans. The Vatican says Pope Francis is showing signs of mild improvement as he continues to receive treatment at a Rome hospital. In Pierce Joe Hernandez' reports, Francis hasn't appeared publicly for weeks. Francis was admitted to the hospital nearly a month ago for a case of bronchitis. Since then, the 88-year-old has also suffered a polymicrobial infection as well as pneumonia in both lungs. According to the Holy See press office, doctors say he's responded well to his treatment, but his prognosis is guarded, which means the

outcome of his illness is still uncertain. In the text of his Sunday Angelus prayer released by the Vatican, Francis thanked health care workers across the globe, including his own care team. He said, quote, during my prolonged hospitalization here, I too experienced the thoughtfulness of service and the tenderness of care, in particular from the doctors and health healthcare workers whom I thank from the bottom of my heart. Joe Hernandez, NPR News. At the weekend, Box Office Mickey 17 debuted in the top spot with an estimated $19 million in ticket sales. In second place, Captain America, Brave New World with $8 million.

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