NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-15-2025 8PM EDT

Episode Date: March 16, 2025

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A lot happens in Washington every day, from the White House to Capitol Hill and everywhere in between. That's where we come in. On the NPR Politics Podcast, we keep you up to date on what happens inside Washington and what it means for you and your community. The NPR Politics Podcast. Listen wherever you listen. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. President Trump says the U.S. conducted aerial attacks on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The move comes 11 days after Trump reinstated their designation as a foreign terrorist organization. The Iran-backed group has attacked boats in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023.

Inpears Danielle Kurtzleben has more. Trump said in a social media post, quote, we will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective. He also wrote that Iran's support of the Houthis must end immediately, or the U.S., quote, will hold you fully accountable

and we won't be nice about it. Three days ago, the Houthis declared they would target Israeli vessels in the waterways around their country at a time when Israel has been blocking aid to Gaza. Houthis have also targeted merchant ships and U.S. military vessels in those waters. In November, the U.S. stopped an attempted attack on two warships. As a result of attacks on ships, former President Joe Biden also launched airstrikes on Houthis during his presidency. Danielle Kertzleib in NPR News,

West Palm Beach, Florida. The Trump administration is getting Voice of America and other international networks funded by the U.S. government. And here's David Falkenflick reports, it follows a decree by President Trump to eliminate all activity there not required by law. Journalists found themselves locked out of their studios Saturday morning. Within a few hours, more than a thousand journalists at Voice of America were told they were on immediate, indefinite paid leave. Similar moves would strip its sister networks of all federal funding, including Radio Free

Asia and Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty. These networks were set up first in the World War II and the Cold War to offer uncensored news that also modeled American democracy, including bad news and dissent from official positions. Trump officials took aim at Voice of America at the end of his first term. Some of their actions were later found to be abuses of power. It's unclear whether there will be legal challenges this time. David Folkenflick, NPR News. After tornadoes overnight left at least 18 people dead in Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas, several tornadoes touched down in parts of Arkansas, and Texas. Several tornadoes touched

down in parts of the deep south today. Matt Bloom with Member Station WWNO in New Orleans has more. Matt Bloom First responders say tornadoes have destroyed dozens of homes across the region. Power lines are down for thousands, and the search for survivors is underway. In the town of East Fork, Louisiana, a large tornado destroyed over two dozen homes. Sheriff Gerald Sticker says deputies rescued a woman from her house. There was an individual that they did remove from the residence. An individual as I understand it was not injured. However, they were stranded and we got them to a safe dry location.

we got them to a new law signed this week. As Troy Oppie of Boise State Public Radio reports, the law will take effect next year to allow the state to renovate its execution facility. State lawmakers approved the firing squad as a backup option in 2023 following the failure of several lethal injection execution attempts. Republican state Senator Brian Lenny says it's a more reliable way to carry out capital punishment. With a 30 cal rifle bullet traveling somewhere around 3,000 fps the death is instantaneous and in this case I think it's an act of mercy. For other states have death by firing squad as an option, none makes it the first choice. Idaho currently has nine inmates on death row and a capital trial scheduled this summer for the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students in late 2022. For NPR News, I'm Troy Oppie in Boise.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he's expelling the new ambassador from South Africa, accusing Ibrahim Rasool of being anti-white, anti-American, and hating President Trump. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement today that the decision to expel Rasool was regrettable. This follows a series of criticisms from Trump against the South African government, including an executive order last month denouncing new laws that created a program for the expropriation of unused agricultural land that white owners refuse to sell to black people. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington. Here on Shortwave, we believe that science is for everyone and that every question is

worth asking, no matter your age. My name is Willie and my question is, is magic real? Our podcast is for the curious at heart. Come embrace your inner child when you listen now to Shortwave from NPR.