NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-17-2025 1AM EDT

Episode Date: March 17, 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. I'm Dale Willman President Trump and Elon Musk are continuing their efforts to shrink the federal workforce, and Piers Marleison reports. Seven more agencies were targeted in an executive order Friday night, including the Agency for Global Media, which funds Voice of America, often the only nonpartisan source of news for people living under authoritarian regimes.

The deep cuts continue despite pushback from federal judges and from Republicans, including Vice President Vance, who told NBC News that there are, quote, a lot of good people who work in the government. Vance also said that Musk had made mistakes with the mass firings, but Musk is sticking with his chainsaw approach. He disparages and even savages federal workers, calling them corrupt and incompetent. He recently posted on X, his social media platform, that quote, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, and Mao Tse Tung didn't murder millions of people,

their public sector employees did. That post was later deleted. Mara Liason, NPR News. Officials with the Houthi rebels in Yemen say US airstrikes against Houthi targets this weekend have killed at least 53 people. And US officials say the strikes will continue until against Houthi targets this weekend have killed at least 53 people, and U.S. officials say the strikes will continue until the Houthis agree to stop attacking

commercial ships in waters off their coast. President Trump's special Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff was on CNN on Sunday. Speaking about talks on Gaza with Hamas leaders, he said Hamas could learn from what's going on in Yemen right now. I think there's an opportunity for them, but the opportunity is closing fast. What happened with the Houthis yesterday, what happened with our strike, ought to inform as to where we stand with regard to terrorism and our tolerance level for terrorist actions.

And I would encourage Hamas to get much more sensible than how they have been. Thousands of demonstrators have turned out in Rio de Janeiro over this weekend in a rally to support Brazil's embattled ex-president. He's facing charges of plotting a coup. The rally comes a little more than a week from when the former far-right leader could be going on trial. NPR's Kary Kahn reports. Supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro crowded onto Rio's iconic Copacabana beach, sporting Brazil's national soccer teams green and yellow jerseys. Many held signs demanding amnesty for Bolsonaro and the hundreds of his followers who've been

convicted and many sentenced for rioting Brazil's capital in January 2023. Bolsonaro told the crowd that the charges against him are fiction and he was in the US at the time his supporters stormed the capital. He says the government is just trying to stifle free speech and dissent with the attempted coup charges. Brazil's Supreme Court will decide on March 25th whether Bolsonaro and his allies will stand trial if convicted he faces decades in prison. Kary Kahn, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News.

At least five military officers and two civilians were killed Sunday in Pakistan's Baluchistan province when a suicide bomber exploded a car near a convoy of buses. The buses were carrying security forces. The outlawed Baluch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the attack. Last week the same group attacked a train and took some 400 people hostage. March Madness has arrived and the Women's College Basketball Tournament tips off this week. South Carolina and head coach Dawn Staley are looking to defend last year's title, but they have tough competition this year. And Piers Becky Sullivan has more.

The Gamecocks went undefeated last season from start to finish, winning the championship. This year, they earned a one seed, but look a bit more vulnerable. The top overall seed went to UCLA, a school whose men's team is full of history. But the women have never reached the final four. With stars Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice, anything less than that will be a disappointment this time. Southern Cal and Texas are the other top seeds. The presumptive number one pick in the upcoming WNBA draft is Paige Becker's. Her UConn Huskies haven't won a championship since 2016. They're a two seed now. The women's tournament tips off Wednesday with a pair of play-in games, and the round of 64 begins Friday.

Becky Sullivan, NPR News. Auburn, meanwhile, has been picked as the top overall seed in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. They were the favorite of the selection committee, despite three losses in their last four games, along with a loss to Duke back in December. Houston, Florida, and Duke are also number one seeds. A record-setting 14 teams from the Southeastern Conference, meanwhile,

have made it into the tournaments. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things in other currencies. Sending or spending money abroad, hidden fees may be taking a cut. With WISE, you can convert between up to 40 currencies at the mid-market exchange rate. Visit WISE.com. TNCs apply.