NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-20-2025 6AM EDT

Episode Date: March 20, 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 Krova Coleman. President Trump is expected to sign an executive order today. NPR's Janaki Mehta reports it will direct the Secretary of Education to start shutting down the U.S. Education Department.

A senior White House official confirmed to NPR that President Trump plans to sign an executive action that will tell Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education. The move has been expected since early February when the White House shared its intentions, but held off on issuing the action until McMahon was confirmed in her position. The Education Department has already notified nearly half of its staff that they will be laid off. Many of those employees will have their last day of work this Friday before being placed on administrative leave. The order also says any programs will not be funded by the department if they quote, advanced DEI or gender ideology. Janaki Mehta, NPR News.

A federal judge is giving the Trump administration one more day to answer all of his questions about deportation flights last weekend. NPR's Joel Rose reports the Justice Department is fighting the judge's order to submit details about the flights that deported hundreds of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from using wartime powers to quickly deport migrants from Venezuela that it accuses of being gang members. Now Boasberg is demanding answers from the Justice Department about whether it deliberately flouted his orders when it allowed two deportation flights to continue.

But the Justice Department is pushing back. In an emergency filing, lawyers accused Boasberg of, quote, continuing to beat a dead horse. Boasberg agreed to extend his deadline for 24 hours to allow the Justice Department to consider invoking the state secret's privilege. The Justice Department has also appealed Boasberg's orders. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. Policymakers for the Federal Reserve have opted

to keep their benchmark short-term interest rates where they are. Fed Chair Jerome Powell says he and his colleagues are trying to trace how President Trump's new tariffs have affected the U.S. economy over the past couple of months. Trying to track that back to actual tariff increases given what was tariffed and what was not, very, very challenging. So some of it, the answer is clearly some of it, a good part of it is coming from tariffs. There will be fresh data on the U.S. economy later this morning.

The National Association of Realtors will release its report for existing U.S. home sales during February. The Israeli military continued to strike Gaza overnight. The Associated Press reports at least 58 Palestinians were, according to hospitals in Gaza. The Israeli military says it has launched a new ground defensive into the Palestinian enclave. Israel's defense minister says Israel is giving Gaza residents their final warning to return all Israeli hostages

and to remove Hamas from power. You're listening to NPR. The mayor of Miami Beach, Florida, has dropped an effort to evict and terminate funding for a local arts theater. The theater refused to cancel screenings of this year's Oscar-winning documentary film. NPR's Greg Allen reports the mayor relented after hearing strong opposition from the community and elected officials. Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen,

NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, NPR's Greg Allen, from the community and elected officials. The film No Other Land tells the story of a Palestinian town in the West Bank that was bulldozed by the Israeli government for use as a military training zone. Miami Beach's mayor objected to its screening at an arts theater that leased space in a city-owned building. At a meeting in Miami Beach, City Commissioner Alex Fernandez was one of many who said he supported the cinema.

The First Amendment is clear. Government must never censor artistic expression, even when it is controversial or deeply offensive. Miami Beach's mayor said he believes the film contains anti-Semitic propaganda, but agreed to withdraw the eviction and defunding measure. Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami. The International Olympic Committee

is selecting its next president today. There are seven candidates. One will succeed outgoing IOC leader Thomas Bach. The winner will lead the Olympic organization for the next eight years. The new leader will address issues from transgender athletic competition to the ban on official Russian participation from the Games.

The head of the passenger railroad Amtrak is resigning. Stephen Gardner has led Amtrak for three years. He's leaving after billionaire Elon Musk called to privatize Amtrak. Musk, who also oversees the government cost-cutting effort Doge, says the national rail system needs to be fixed. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.