NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-20-2025 4PM EDT

Episode Date: March 20, 2025

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These days, there's so much news, it can be hard to keep up with what it all means for you, your family, and your community. The Consider This podcast from NPR features our award-winning journalism. Six days a week, we bring you a deep dive on a news story and provide the context and analysis that helps you make sense of the news. We get behind the headlines. We get to the truth. Listen to the Consider This podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump is expected to sign an executive action to start dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. NPR's Corey Turner reports the White House has been moving toward this moment since it publicly disclosed its intentions last month. Between early retirement buyouts,

the firing of newer hires, and last week's big reduction in force, the department will soon be down to roughly half the size it was when Trump took office. The White House insisted in a fact sheet to NPR that the executive action would not cut key federal funding streams that help schools serve low-income students,

kids with disabilities, and rural communities. But last week's purge included the entire legal staff at the department responsible for making sure that funding is spent according to law and reaches the children who needed most. Kori Turner, NPR News. An investigation is underway to torch cyber trucks at a Tesla service center in Las Vegas this week, one of a number of attacks in the U.S. and overseas aimed at the company owned by Elon Musk, the man spearheading fast-moving funding cuts, layoffs, and closures across the federal government. In another setback for Tesla, thousands of cyber trucks are being recalled for the eighth time since 2023 because reported exterior panel defect.

The Pentagon's now trying to figure out which of the web pages it took down because of the Trump administration's anti-DEI order should be put back up. NPR's Tom Bowman reports some pages have been restored following public outcry over the removal of pages that highlight the military stories of American heroes, including those who broke racial and gender barriers. They have key words to search, let's say gender or African-American or Hispanic. So some of

this was taken down to review it and then they decided it took a while to do because it's you know labor-intensive. So many people were noticing, well where's Jackie Robinson or Tuskegee Airmen? What have you done with Navajo Code Talkers? And then the explanation was we're not going to completely eliminate those or take those down. We're going to put them back after we review it. NPR's Tom Bowman reporting. March madness is in full swing. So is sports gambling. People in the U.S. are expected to wager $3 billion this year on the NCAA tournament. And Piers, Katie Riddle has more.

The entire industry of gambling has undergone a tectonic shift in recent years. As gambling is now legal in 38 states. More people are struggling with problem gambling. Experts warn it triggers the same pathways in the brain as substances can. Ben Yu struggled for years with problem gambling. I wanted to chase it no matter what, even if it meant my death, even if it meant like everybody hated me. But I also was really good at lying and hiding it. Yu is in recovery now. He says some parts of his life are damaged permanently.

Katie O'Riddle, NPR News. From Washington, this is NPR. Spring has sprung, though depending on where you are, it may not feel like From Washington, this is NPR. Spring has sprung, though depending on where you are, it may not feel like it yet. Today's arrival of the Vernal Equinox marks a season of longer days and warmer temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere, while the Southern Hemisphere marks the first day of autumn.

Various celebrations are being held around the world today in India. They're observing Holi, the Hindu festival of colors. In Mexico, many visit the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan. In Japan, it's a public holiday. And it's the Persian New Year or Nowruz in Iran and other countries. Finland is once again named the happiest country on the planet, making it the eighth time in a row for the Nordic nation. Terryri Schulz reports European countries keep the top spots in the annual survey of well-being while the United States has dropped precipitously.

The World Happiness Report tracks how people in more than 140 countries feel about their lives. This year, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands round out the top five, with Costa Rica, Israel, and Mexico, the only non-European countries out the top five, with Costa Rica, Israel and Mexico, the only non-European countries in the top ten. The survey is done by Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Gallup CEO John Clifton says data proves happiness is not based on wealth. One of the greatest correlates to seeing what makes life great is whether or not you live

in a society that has community and where people feel safe. Afghanistan ranks last. The U.S. dropped one spot to its lowest ever position at 24. For NPR News, I'm Terri Schultz in Brussels. U.S. stocks have ended the day lower. The NASDAQ closed down 59. S&P was down 12. And the Dow is down 11 points.

This is NPR News.