NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-17-2025 7AM EDT

Episode Date: March 17, 2025

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Support for NPR and the following message come from the Kauffman Foundation, providing access to opportunities that help people achieve financial stability, upward mobility, and economic prosperity, regardless of race, gender, or geography. Kauffman.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, on Korova Coleman, deadly storms killed at least 39 people over the weekend across the Midwest and South. Sudden dust storms in the Plains killed motorists with hurricane-strength winds. And Bears Rylan Barton reports there was more volatile weather in the southeastern

U.S. In the east side, on Friday and Saturday, the system dropped base-mile-sized hail in some places, produced dozens of deadly tornadoes. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said that six people were killed in tornadoes there. Also, 12 people died in Missouri, where Governor Mike Cahoe said yesterday that hundreds of homes, schools and businesses were destroyed or severely damaged. In Arkansas, the National Weather Service said that damage from two of the tornadoes there showed they were likely F4s. That's the second strongest class of tornadoes, with one of them estimated to have a peak wind of 170 miles an hour.

And Piers Ryland Barton reporting. The Trump administration has deported more than 200 alleged criminals to El Salvador. That came after President Trump invoked a rarely used wartime law that's supposed to be used to stop another country from invading the U.S. A federal judge verbally ordered the Trump administration to stop the deportation flights, but the administration did not comply. And Piers Eder-Perolto reports El Salvador

has sent the people to prison. The government of El Salvador released videos showing U.S. Border Patrol handing over dozens of men. Then the videos show the men in chains being escorted by armed guards. The videos show the men in chains being escorted by armed guards. The videos show the men being shaved and then taken to El Salvador's maximum security prison. Salvadoran President Aibukele said 238 of them were members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and another 23 were Salvadoran gang members.

The US, he said, would pay a quote, very low fee to keep them in prison for a year. A spokeswoman for the presidency told NPR they did not yet know whether these detainees had been convicted in the United States. Ada Peralta, NPR News, Mexico City. Egyptian and Qatari mediators are trying to negotiate a new Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal to release more hostages in Gaza. But NPR's Daniel Estrom reports there are outstanding disputes. Israel is demanding the immediate release of 11 out of the 24 living hostages still held in Gaza.

The U.S. is calling for an exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners and an extension of the ceasefire for many weeks to try to reach a permanent end of the war. Hamas says it will release one living American Israeli hostage, but is demanding immediate talks on permanently ending the war. Israel is not yet ready to commit to an end of the war with Hamas still ruling Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants to fire his domestic intelligence chief because he has lost trust in him. The security chief has been a main proponent of a hostage release deal with Hamas.

Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Officials in North Macedonia are investigating a deadly nightclub fire that killed at least 59 people and left scores of others injured. Teenagers are among the dead. Initial reports suggest the club may have been overcrowded at twice its capacity and that performers may have used pyrotechnics as part of their show.

Four newly arrived astronauts are getting used to the International Space Station. They docked yesterday morning. They're part of a crew who will replace two NASA astronauts. And Piers Joe Hernandez reports that pair of astronauts has been on the station for nine months, a lot longer than was planned. Sunny Williams and Butch Wilmore were only supposed to be in space around a week when they launched into orbit last June. But after issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft, NASA decided to keep them at the International Space Station, where they've remained for more than nine months.

Now they can go home. Crew 10, welcome aboard the International Space Station. The replacement crew arrived at the ISS early Sunday morning and were greeted with hugs and smiles by Williams, Wilmore, and the other astronauts aboard the space station. Williams, Wilmore, another NASA astronaut, and a Russian cosmonaut are set to begin their journey back to Earth as soon as Wednesday. Joe Hernandez, NPR News. Former New York Democratic Congresswoman Nita Loewy has died at the age of 87.

Her family says she died at home in Harrison, New York of breast cancer. Loewy rose to chair one of the most powerful committees in the House, the Appropriations Committee. She was the first woman to do so. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News, from Washington.