NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-20-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: March 20, 2025

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Oh, hey there. I'm Brittany Luce. And I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pocket to say, but I think you should listen to my podcast. It's called It's Been A Minute and I love it. And I think you will too. Over the past couple months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why.

Listen to the It's Been A Minute podcast from NPR today. Lyle from NPR News. I'm Lakshmi Singh. One of the largest unions representing employees of the U.S. Postal Service is holding rallies across the U.S. today. NPR's Hunzi Lo Wang reports workers are protesting efforts by the Trump administration to reshape the postal service. Members of the American Postal Workers Union are demonstrating in more than a hundred locations against President Trump's comments last month. They confirmed his administration is considering having the Commerce Department take control of what Congress set up to be an independent postal service.

Legal experts say that will likely spark a lawsuit. Trump has also said privatizing the country's mail service is, quote, not the worst idea he's ever heard. APWU President Mark Dimonson says he's worried that could lead to higher shipping rates and the closing of local post offices. We say over and over, the U.S. mail is not for sale, hands off for public postal service. The head of USPS recently signed an agreement to work with Elon Musk's Doge team to find efficiencies.

Hansi Luang in Pure News, Washington. The Postal Service is a financial supporter of NPR. The Pentagon has restored some of the pages on its websites that highlighted the contributions of African American veterans such as Jackie Robinson, the Tuskegee Airmen and Vietnam Era Medal of Honor recipient Major General Charles Calvin Rogers, as well as the Navajo Kotakus from World War II and the Japanese American 442nd Combat Regiment. Two defense officials not authorized to speak publicly told NPR that these and others were taken down

through a review of thousands of stories, photos, and videos meant to remove DEI material in line with the Trump administration's policy guidance. Dozens of Palestinians were killed overnight in Gaza in Israeli airstrikes. Israel has broken the ceasefire with Hamas in the enclave and resume military action. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf reports Israel has also partially limited movements for Gaza residents who want to travel from the northern part of the enclave to the southern part. Israel has sent troops back to the Netzerim Corridor, a large strip of land that divides

Gaza's north and south. Early in the war, Israel had blocked that corridor, closing passage for Palestinians. But recently, passage reopened and troops left as part of the ceasefire. Now, once again, Israel has partially limited movement. Israeli airstrikes are also ongoing, killing at least 70 Palestinians yesterday and dozens more overnight, according to health officials there. Israel says this new offensive is meant to pressure Hamas into agreeing to a new ceasefire deal, different from the one both parties agreed to in January. The militant group says it is committed to

the previous deal and that talks with mediators are ongoing. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv. US stocks are mixed this hour. The Dow Jones Industrial Average now up 58 points at 42,026. The Nasdaq is down 41 points and the S&P off six. From Washington, this is NPR News. This is NPR News. The Boston Celtics may be switching owners this morning. Boston Basketball Partners LLC announced plans to sell the team to an investor group led by William Chisholm for historic $6.1 billion. The NBA Board of Governors still has to sign off on the sale before the deal's finalized. Stonehenge at sunrise in southeast England, crowd celebrating today's arrival of the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. The first day of spring with longer days and warmer temperatures. Meanwhile, the Southern

Hemisphere is marking the first day of autumn. Various celebrations marking this day are also being held in Iran, Japan, Mexico, and many other countries. A new study out today concludes that most art museums should be free to the public. NPR's Chloe Veltman reports the study analyzes the operating costs and visitor numbers of more than 150 US museums. High entry fees are a major reason why people don't go to art museums. The study's findings show that making museums free actually lowers the cost per visitor, especially for small and mid-size museums.

Stephen Reilly is the founding director of ReMuseum, the think tank behind the report. Museums are not businesses. They're philanthropic institutions providing a public good for people. Riley says choosing to get rid of entry fees doesn't make sense for every museum and the study does not address how art institutions might recoup the lost revenue if they choose to go free. Chloe Valtman, NPR News. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.