NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-19-2025 7PM EDT

Episode Date: March 19, 2025

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Neuroscientist Ethan Cross says you may think it's healthy to vent about what's bothering you, but... The problem is you often leave that conversation feeling really good about the person you just communicated with, but all the negative feelings are still there. Sometimes they're even more activated. Tools for managing our emotions. That's on the TED Radio Hour podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack

Spear. The Social Security Administration says it will soon require people seeking some services to prove their identities in person. The changes come at a time the agency is making cuts to its staff and closing local offices. More from NPR's Ashley Lopez. Ashley Lopez Agency officials say over the next two weeks they're going to transition to a process that quote strengthens the identity proofing procedures for people seeking social security benefit claims and direct deposit changes. Instead of doing this on the agency's website which has an online

identity proving system people will have to go in person to a local social security office. Agency officials say this is an effort to prevent fraud, but advocates say these changes will make it harder for Americans to collect their earned benefits and force seniors and people with disabilities to travel in person at a time when the Social Security Administration is closing local offices across the country and reducing staff. Ashley Lopez, NPR News. The Justice Department is opening an investigation into a series of violent attacks targeting Tesla properties. NPR's Windsor Johnston reports authorities believe the incidents are tied to Tesla's CEO Elon Musk and his efforts to slash the federal workforce.

Authorities say the recent attacks have taken place at Tesla locations in Nevada, Missouri, Massachusetts, Maryland, Colorado, and Oregon. In Las Vegas, security footage shows a suspect throwing Molotov cocktails at a Tesla collision center with the word RESIST spray-painted at the facility. Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations, and privately owned cars have also been targeted. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has labeled the incidents as domestic terrorism, says the DOJ has already arrested and charged several people in connection with the attacks. Elon Musk has condemned the violence, describing it as, quote, insane.

Windsor-Johnston, NPR News, Washington. A federal judge is temporarily blocking the Environmental Protection Agency from terminating billions of dollars in grants for clean energy projects. More from NPR's Michael Copley. The EPA last year awarded nonprofits about $14 billion in grants to help pay for things

like solar projects in low-income communities. Congress provided the money under the Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed by former President Biden. Under President Trump, the EPA said it was canceling the agreements, based in part on concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse. However, Judge Tanya Chutkin said the EPA hasn't provided evidence of wrongdoing. As for comment, the EPA pointed to a social media post by administrator Lee Zeldin saying he won't rest until the money is returned to the U.S. Treasury.

Michael Copley, NPR News. Stocks had an uptick on Wall Street today after the interest rates setting Federal Reserve basically set the U.S. economy, despite Trump administration tariffs as doing well enough to leave things alone for now, the Dow up 383 points. This is NPR. A federal judge has ruled a Columbia University activist's legal challenge to his arrest and threaten deportation by the U.S. government should be heard in New Jersey. Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student in green card holders, being held at a detention facility. The Trump

administration says his pro-Palestinian activism is quote adversarial to U.S. interests, which it says is grounds for deportation. Khalil initially was being held in New Jersey but then moved to Louisiana. The judge called it an exceptional case that is in need of careful judicial review. Lady Gaga's Mayhem is the number one album in the U.S. NPR's Stephen Thompson has this report. For months, Lady Gaga has been readying the world for Mayhem, her new album of brash, catchy pop music.

She's released three singles in the past few months, including a chart-topping duet with Bruno Mars called Die With a Smile. This week, Mayhem finally enters the Billboard Albums Chart at number one. It's Lady Gaga's eleventh Top Ten album and seventh to top the chart outright. She's also got two songs in the top 20, Die With a Smile and Abracadabra. Stephen Thompson, NPR News. The European Union's outline steps it wants device maker Apple to make towards making its operating systems work better with competing technologies.

It's the first time the EU has moved to compel a tech company to comply with the bloc's digital rule book known as the Digital Markets Act. 27 member bloc's executive commission last year laid out some steps it wants Apple to take to comply. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.