NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-20-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: March 20, 2025

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Making time for the news is important, but when you need a break, we've got you covered on All Songs Considered, NPR's music podcast. Think of it like a music discovery show, a well-deserved escape with friends, and yeah, some serious music insight. I'm going to keep it real. I have no idea what this story is about. Hear new episodes of All Songs Considered every Tuesday, wherever you get podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. The Social Security Administration will soon require proof of identity for some recipients.

As NPR's Ashley Lopez reports, the changes coincide with cuts to agency staff and field offices. 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 White House says President Trump is preparing to deliver on his promise to close the Department of Education. Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday to begin returning education authority to the states.

Several states are under wind advisories or warnings that threaten to spark wildfires in areas experiencing dry conditions. National Weather Service meteorologist Jacob Asherman says spring storms caused blizzard conditions in parts of the nation's Midwest and Central Plains on Wednesday. Even in those states that aren't getting those blizzard conditions on the warm side of the system where they're not seeing snow, I mean this high wind is still leading to pretty substantial impacts to infrastructure, including power outages and downed trees.

And Nebraska state police reported near zero visibility in the south central part of the state and closed more than 160 miles of roadway. Transportation officials in Kansas temporarily shut down more than 25 miles of Interstate 70 from the Colorado border to the city of Salina. The European Union has unveiled a new plan to reduce its reliance on U.S. security while beefing up its own defenses against Russian aggression. Terri Schulz reports from Brussels. This strategy outlines four priorities for EU defense, reducing dependency on U.S. military

capabilities, buying more weapons from European manufacturers, strengthening assistance to Ukraine, and simplifying regulations in defense markets. The plan also includes ways the EU will help countries pay for new military purchases with loans and a loosening of restrictions on national debt levels. EU foreign policy chief Kaya Kalas says the EU has no choice. The international order is undergoing changes of a magnitude not seen since 1945. This is a pivotal moment for European security. EU leaders will discuss the strategy at a summit Thursday and Friday.

For NPR News, I'm Terri Schulz in Brussels. This is NPR. A second night of Israeli airstrikes has killed dozens of Palestinians across Gaza. Meanwhile, the Israeli military says it has sent ground forces back to areas they left before a recent two-month-long ceasefire. Ramadan can be a lonely experience for Muslim youth in non-Muslim homes. The Muslim Foster Care Association in Michigan has held an iftar to bring some of those youth together to break their fast. Nargis Rahman of member station WDET reports. Organizers and volunteers of the Muslim Foster Care Association put the final touches to the

buffet style iftar, a roll of savory Thai food and sweet pastries. a roll of savory Thai food and sweet pastries. Director of Operations for the Association, Shireen Abunada, says resettlement agencies recently brought in more refugee Muslim minors in anticipation of changing immigration policies. They expedited a lot of travel of refugee Muslim foster youth from West African countries, so we've had an influx of about 50 to 70 youth that have just recently arrived in the past couple months. The association says there are 250 Muslim children in foster care in Michigan, but less than a dozen Muslim foster homes. For NPR News, I'm Nargis Rahman in Detroit.

For the eighth year in a row, Finland has been named the happiest nation in the world. That's according to the World Happiness Report, which ranks the top countries with the most satisfied populations. Criteria include trust, nature, work-life balance, and social safety systems. The United States did not make the list. Its happiness ranking fell from 23 last year to 24 this year. This is NPR News. There's a lot of news happening. You want to understand it better, but let's be honest, This is NPR News.