NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-19-2025 5AM EDT

Episode Date: March 19, 2025

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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. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. Russian President Vladimir Putin says he's agreed to stop attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure for the next 30 days. NPR's Azazmahallid reports on yesterday's two-hour phone call between Putin and President Trump. Trump says he wants an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, though his conversation with Putin did not

result in that. Putin has been insisting on a stop to military aid and foreign intelligence sharing with Ukraine. In an interview with Fox News' Laura Ingram, Trump was asked whether Putin had demanded a stop to all aid in order to reach a ceasefire deal. Trump said it didn't come up during their call. No, we didn't talk about aid, actually. We didn't talk about aid at all. We talked about a lot of things, but aid was never discussed. Ukraine's president says Russia doesn't

seem ready to end the war. He said his country remains open to a peace deal but needs to be a part of the negotiations. Asma Khalid, NPR News. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says this week's airstrikes in Gaza targeting Hamas are only the beginning. The Gaza Health Ministry says more than 400 Palestinians were killed in yesterday's Israeli attacks and hundreds more were wounded.

Hamas says five of its senior leaders were among those killed. Hospitals in Gaza report many children are among the dead. Israel renewed its attacks in Gaza after talks to extend a ceasefire with Hamas reached an impasse. A federal judge says the Trump administration's dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development is likely unconstitutional. He's blocking the administration from making additional cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development is likely unconstitutional. He's blocking the administration from making additional cuts to the agency. The judge is also ordering that email and computer access be restored to all USAID employees. Another federal judge is blocking President Trump's executive order that bans transgender people from serving in the U.S. military,

describing it also as likely unconstitutional. No changes in interest rates are expected today when the Federal Reserve wraps up its latest policy meeting. Here's NPR's Scott Horsley. The Federal Reserve would like to see a little more progress on inflation before it cuts interest rates any further, But President Trump's tariffs could make it harder to bring prices under control. Trump is already taxing all steel and aluminum imports and everything the U.S. buys from China. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said earlier

this month Trump's tariffs will likely push prices higher, but it's not yet clear how much. Everybody's forecasting some inflation effect from tariffs. We're at a stage where we're still very uncertain about what will be tariffed, for how long, at what level. We're going to have to wait to see all of that. The Fed is also keeping a close eye on Trump's actions on immigration, regulation, tax cuts, and government spending. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

This is NPR News from Washington. Tens of thousands of unredacted documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Texas have been released. They're now posted on the website of the National Archives and Records Administration, as ordered by President Trump. In Florida, officials in Miami Beach are considering whether to end funding for an art house theater and evict those running it. As NPR's Greg Allen reports, the theater has been showing a documentary that depicts the Israeli destruction of a Palestinian community in the West Bank. The film No Other Land won an Oscar for best documentary but has been criticized by Israeli officials as one-sided and as a quote carefully crafted piece of

demagoguery. In Miami Beach Mayor Stephen Miner asked an arts theater that leased space in a city-owned building to cancel its plans to screen it. After the theater refused he drew up a proposal to cancel their lease and withdraw $40,000 in grant funding. He says the documentary is anti-semitic. Miami Beach's City Commission is set to vote on the issue later today Greg Allen NPR News Miami Beach Hollywood writer and director Carl Eric Rinch is facing charges of wire fraud and money laundering in California He's accused of swindling 11 million dollars from Netflix for a science fiction project that never aired million dollars from Netflix for a science fiction project that never aired. Rinsh did not enter a plea at yesterday's court hearing in Los Angeles.

He appeared in court wearing arm and leg shackles. Wall Street futures are higher this morning following yesterday's down day for stocks. The Dow is up 12 points. Dave Mattingly, NPR News in Washington.