NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-18-2025 12AM EDT

Episode Date: March 18, 2025

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On the Embedded Podcast. No, no. It's called denying a speech from a speech. It's misinformation. Like so many Americans, my dad has gotten swept up in conspiracy theories. These are not conspiracy theories. These are reality. I spent the year following him down the rabbit hole, trying to get him back. Listen to Alternate Realities on the Embedded Podcast from NPR, all episodes available now.

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. The Justice Department has until noon on Tuesday to submit a sworn declaration on its plan to return Venezuelan migrants flown out of the United States over the weekend. A federal judge issued the order after accusing DOJ of defying court orders to return the planes and the deportees. Government lawyers argue that the initial court order was issued verbally and should have been in writing. The Trump administration has fired most of the board at the Institute of Peace. Attorney George Foote says employees of Elon Musk's Doge team forced their way into the

organization's building in Washington Monday and seized it. We're very confident that what's happened here under the guise of a change of control is wrong and will be upheld in court. But we were having civil discussions about that and then suddenly muscle arise with guns and were kicked out of the building. But says the Doge workers deceived the Institute's security guards to gain access to the building and did not allow evicted workers to take their belongings with them. U.S. aircraft and ships attacked more than 30 Houthi targets in Yemen over the weekend.

NPR's Tom Bowman reports that Pentagon officials said the attacks will continue as long as the Houthis continue to attack U.S. warships and commercial vessels in the region. The targets included radar sites, training camps, drone storage and manufacturing locations, a broader set of targets than in previous years. Officials say there were dozens of military casualties, but none among civilians. The Houthis say 53 people have been killed, including five children and two women. One U.S. official tells NPR the strikes could continue for days, if not weeks.

The Houthis say they'll continue targeting ships in the Red Sea until Israel lifts its blockade of Gaza. Tom Bowman, NPR News. International donors are pledging $6.5 billion in aid for Syria to encourage that nation's new leaders to facilitate a peaceful transfer of power following the ousting of dictator Assad. Terri Schulz reports on Monday's European Union meeting in Brussels. Terri Schulz, U.S. Secretary of State for the United States of America This ninth EU-hosted Syria conference was the first since the toppling of the Assad regime in December, aimed at

raising additional funding to support the country's transition, economic recovery and reconstruction after 14 years of civil war. An outbreak of sectarian violence earlier this month between supporters of former President Bashar Assad and armed groups linked to the Sunni Islamist-led government has raised concerns about the stability of the transition. European Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Loeb-Beeb. This new chapter must be fair, inclusive and representative of the people's will. The EU has begun to lift some sanctions in a cautious approach to building a relationship with the new authorities. For NPR News, I'm Terri Schulz in Brussels.

U.S. futures are flat in after-hours trading on Wall Street. This is NPR. Israeli forces have launched a new wave of airstrikes on Hamas targets across Gaza. Palestinian health officials say Tuesday's attacks have killed at least 200 people and wounded dozens more. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he authorized the strikes after efforts to extend a ceasefire stalled. He says the attacks will continue until Hamas releases all Israeli hostages. U.S. regulators have updated the risk associated with the recall of two coffee creamer flavors. Details from NPR's Giles Snyder.

The Food and Drug Administration has now given the recall a Class II designation, meaning that use of the recalled products may carry a remote risk of serious health effects, a step up from being unlikely to cause problems. The recall was first initiated last month and involves some 75,000 bottles of International Delight coffee creamer sold across 31 states. The two flavors affected are Cinnamon Classic Cinnamon Roll and Hazelnut with best buy dates in early July. The number of customers who may have been sickened is not clear, but the FDA says there

have been complaints of spoilage and illness. Trial Snider, NPR News. A federal judge has dropped charges against a Minnesota man accused of hiding a pair of stolen Red Sea Quinn slippers that Judy Garland wore in the movie Wizard of Oz. The charge against 77-year-old Jerry Seligerman was dropped on Monday. He died on Sunday. The so-called ruby slippers were stolen from a museum in Minnesota in 2005. They were recovered in 2018 and sold at auction last December. This is NPR News.