NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-20-2025 6PM 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 in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President Trump has signed an executive order he says will start to eliminate the Department of Education. More from NPR's Deepa Sivaram. Trump's order vastly scales down the education department, but it can't be entirely eliminated because that would require an act of Congress.

The president cited reading and math test scores that declined during the pandemic as one of the reasons to close down the department, which has already laid off hundreds of staff. We're not doing well with the world of education in this country and we haven't for a long time. Trump said things like Pell grants, Title I resources, and funding for students with disabilities and special needs will remain intact but will be managed by other departments and agencies. Deepa Sivaram, NPR News, The White House. The federal judge is temporarily blocking a long bus doge group from accessing certain social security records, calling it a phishing expedition. It's part of an effort by President Trump to root out what he has called fraud and waste

at the agency. The order from the U.S. District Court judge notes that the Social Security Administration holds personally identifiable information of millions of Americans. European leaders meeting in Brussels have underscored continued support for Ukraine regardless of future Trump administration actions. Terry Schultz reports the statement's been adopted by all EU countries except Hungary, which often aligns with Moscow. With Washington pulling back support for the investigation of war crimes committed by Russia

and future U.S. military and financial backing for Kyiv Uncertain, the EU is restating it will increase its commitment on those counts to strengthen Ukraine. Leaders except for Hungary's Viktor Orban, agreed on the new declaration, at the top of a summit also aimed at boosting investment in Europe's own defenses, as Lithuanian President Gitanis Nausadat advocated on arrival. We should increase the pressure on Russia. We have to rearm ourselves because otherwise we will be the next victim of Russian aggression. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says intelligence on the Russian threat indicates

Europe must be ready to completely defend itself within three to five years. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels. Home sales rose last month, NPR's Laura Wamslee reports. Analysts had expected home sales to drop in February as they had the month before. But instead, sales of existing homes rose more than 4% over January at a seasonally adjusted rate, and prices kept climbing. The median home price reached $398,000, the highest ever for the month of February.

As the spring buying season warms up, more homes are coming on the market. Inventory is up 17% from a year ago, but affordability remains a big challenge, as mortgage rates stay well above 6%. The housing market has been strongest at the top recently, but with the stock market taking a hit in recent weeks, the demand for luxury homes could soften. Laurel Wamsley, NPR News, Washington. And looking at Wall Street, the Dow was down 11 points today, the Nasdaq fell 59 points.

You're listening to NPR. It was announced today the Glenn Gould Prize for Impact on the Arts and Humanity has been awarded to Sir Elton John, the songwriter, one of a small group of people who are EGOTs, having won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. Jeff London reports. Glenn Gould was a brilliant, eccentric pianist whose performances and recordings were prized. After Gould passed away in 1982, a foundation was established in his memory, and this year Elton John was named Laureate of the Glenn Gould Prize. The pop legend is active in the fight against HIV AIDS and advocates for a variety of LGBTQ

plus causes. In winning what has been dubbed the Nobel Prize of the Arts, Elton John joins a prestigious company of previous winners, among them Yo-Yo Ma, Leonard Cohen, and Philip Glass. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York. Hawaii's most active volcano has resumed erupting. After a week-long pause, the U.S. Geological Survey says the Kiluao volcano inside Hawaii's Volcano National Park began erupting again this morning. The U.S. Geological Survey says fountains of lava reach 700 feet high, though they say

the molten rock is contained in the park. It is not currently posing a threat to residential areas. Since the eruption began last December, it stopped and started more than a dozen times. Crude oil futures move higher today. Oil up a dollar and 10 cents a barrel to settle at 68.26 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.