NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-16-2025 11AM EDT

Episode Date: March 16, 2025

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Support for NPR and the following message come from American Jewish World Service committed to the fight for human rights supporting advocates and grassroots organizations worldwide working towards democracy equity and justice at ajws.org Live from NPR News in Washington I'm Nora Rahm at least 34 people were killed this weekend across several states as a huge storm swept from the Midwest to the Southeast, spotting tornadoes and widespread destruction. Arkansas, Alabama, Missouri, and Mississippi are all under states of emergency. NPR's Amy Held reports.

Across states, dozens of tornadoes, some described as violent, tossed trees, cars, and homes. I've got foundations with no houses attached to them. Mark Smith is coroner in Wayne County, MO where several died. In the community of Butler, Tiffany Boyles said the gas station where she worked is no more.

All of our pumps they were pulled out of the ground in Arkansas. The governor says recovery could take months all from a sprawling system with winds feeding wildfires in Oklahoma and Texas, and a deadly dust storm-driven 50-car pileup in Kansas. Forecasters say a slight risk remains Sunday for severe weather in the eastern U.S. Amy Held and PR News.

The Trump administration says it has deported hundreds of gang members under a 1798 law that allows swift deportations at a time of war or invasion. A federal judge yesterday blocked the deportations while he decides if the use of that law is legal. Now the administration says the plane has landed in El Salvador. It's not clear if that happened before the order was issued. The organization leading refugees resettlement in Texas could lay off more than 150 employees, a result of federal funding uncertainty. Becca Moore of Member Station KERA reports. News of the layoffs comes just a day after Catholic charities Fort Worth sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

They say the federal government has unlawfully withheld more than $42 million in refugee resettlement funds. The Trump administration's attempt to freeze federal funding earlier this year was struck down by a judge and ultimately rescinded. And while federal funding has resumed for many organizations, Catholic Charities Fort Worth says their grant remains paused. Nine Texas congressional Democrats also sent a letter to HHS leaders demanding they release the funding. The letter said, hundreds of thousands of refugees in Texas could permanently lose crucial medical services, basic shelter and legal support. I'm Becca Moore in Dallas. President Trump's special envoy was in Moscow this weekend meeting with Russian President

Vladimir Putin on ways to end the war in Ukraine. Steve Witkoff said the talks were positive and he expects Trump and Putin will speak this week. The president's special envoy is in Moscow this weekend meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ways to end the war in Ukraine. Steve Witkoff said the talks were positive and he expects Trump and Putin will speak this week. The president is getting updates in real time on everything that's happening and he's involved in every important decision here. I expect that there'll be a call with both presidents this week and we're also continuing to engage and have conversation

with the Ukrainians. We're advising them on everything we're thinking about. He was interviewed on CNN. This is NPR News. A fire broke out early this morning in a nightclub in North Macedonia. The interior minister says at least 59 people were killed and more than 100 were injured. The blaze began during a concert by a local pop group in the eastern town of Kuchachi. Officials say pyrotechnics used during the performance most likely set the roof on fire.

Health care providers in Los Angeles say they saw thousands more patients than normal in the two weeks following the wildfires in January. NPR's Elherando Burunda has more in the story. The number of patients seeking virtual or outpatient care skyrocketed after the fires started burning in Los Angeles. Normally in public health, we're looking at exposures that increase visits by one to two percent, you know, maybe up to 10 percent, but here we're talking about 30 to 40 percent. That's Joan Casey. She's a researcher at the University of

Washington and one of the authors of the new study. The researchers saw spikes in visits related to injuries. Cardiovascular and respiratory problems likely triggered by the smoke went way up too. They also saw big increases in visits for mental health issues. The numbers grew the most for people who lived within a few miles of the burns. Casey says climate-intensified disasters like these are putting more people at risk all the time. Alejandra Burunda, NPR News. Today is Selection Sunday.

When the NCAA announces the brackets for the men's and women's college basketball tournaments. The men's games will begin Tuesday while the women's play starts on Wednesday. I'm Noor Rahm, NPR News in Washington. Anas Baba is NPR's eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza. Wherever you put your eye to the horizon, it's the same. Destruction everywhere. On the Sunday story, what it's like to be a reporter covering the war in Gaza while also living through it. Listen now to the Sunday story on the Up First podcast from NPR.