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Episode Date: March 16, 2025

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This message comes from Wondery. Kiki Palmer is that girl, and she's diving into the brains of entertainment's best and brightest to have real conversations on her podcast, Baby, This is Kiki Palmer. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. The Trump administration says it has deported hundreds of alleged members of a Venezuelan prison gang using wartime authority under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a move that's been temporarily blocked by a federal judge. The State Department says they've been sent to El Salvador, where President Bukele says 238 were brought to what he called a terrorism confinement center. President Trump has identified seven agencies that he wants significantly shrunk on what he's calling a reduction of the federal

bureaucracy. Among them is the agency that houses Voice of America and funds Radio Free Europe where the effects are already being felt. MPR's Danielle Kurtzlaven reports. Trump announced he had signed the executive order late Friday. It called for the agencies to reduce their functions and personnel quote to the minimum presence and function required by law. The US Agency for Global Media, which runs Voice of America, is among the agencies being slashed. Saturday when employees showed up to work, many were told they had been locked out.

And independent broadcasters funded by the agency, like Radio Free Europe, have seen their contracts canceled. The agency's goal has been to deliver news coverage and cultural programming to places where a free press is threatened or doesn't exist. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News. A massive weekend storm has left more than 30 people dead from the Midwest to the Deep South. Officials are blaming dust storms and tornadoes for the fatalities. Pat Duggan of Alabama Public Radio reports that residents in Alabama are cleaning up from significant damage. Alabama declared an emergency ahead of the storm's arrival, but appears to have been spared some of the worst.

Nevertheless, tornado sightings were reported northwest of Tuscaloosa and southeast of the state capital of Montgomery, and damage was widespread. Near Birmingham, a school bus was tossed onto a local high school. Elsewhere, a gas station was flipped onto its roof. Roads remained impassable Sunday due to downed trees and power lines, and thousands of outages were reported. Investigators with the National Weather Service are working to establish the intensity of tornadoes reported across the southern U.S. For NPR News, I'm Pat Duggan in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Interior Ministry in North Macedonia says a fire in a nightclub has killed more than 50 people and injured more than 100 in the eastern town of Kocani.

The Macedonian state news agency says a band performing at the club was using fireworks, which started the blaze. The BBC's Guy Delaunay has details. Kocani's Pulse nightclub was hosting around 1 around 1500 people for a concert when the fire started. Video footage from inside the venue shows flames spreading across the ceiling. People using fire extinguishers attempt to put them out, but to no avail. A later video from outside the building shows the fire burning fiercely engulfing the venue. Multiple facilities have been treating the injured.

Police say they'll detain all the organizers of the event for questioning. The BBC's Guy Delaney reporting on that nightclub fire in North Macedonia. This is NPR News. Hundreds of people in Baltimore joined a nationwide demonstration against Elon Musk on Saturday. Juan Boy Camau from member station WYPR has more. Viva NPR! Hundreds of people gathered along both sides of a busy road Boy Kamau from member station WYPR has more.

Hundreds of people gathered along both sides of a busy road, just feet away from a Tesla dealership. Protesters waved signs that say things like, Musk is stealing from you, and deport Musk. Musk has been central to the Trump administration's Doge initiative to shrink the size and scope of government. An organizer who declines to give her name out of fear of retaliation is urging others to join their peaceful protest. Every dollar that consumers give to Tesla is funding the hostile takeover government,

the defunding of Medicaid, Social Security and the services that we all depend on. She says they'll keep showing up until their message is heard. For NPR News, I'm Wambui Kamau in Baltimore. Those two NASA astronauts who've been stuck aboard the International Space Station since last summer are on track to return home later this week. That SpaceX capsule carrying their replacements docked at the orbiting outpost overnight. Dragon, SpaceX on the big loop docking sequence complete ground will be enabling hardline power and comm connections shortly.

You are go to dock suits per procedure four decimal zero one two crew ten welcome aboard the international space station. Which Wilmore and Sunny Williams have been at the station since June for what was supposed to be a week-long mission. It was extended for nine months after the Boeing Starliner capsule they were testing malfunctioned. This is NPR News. 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.