NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-21-2025 6PM EDT

Episode Date: March 21, 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 Janine Hurst. President Trump says his administration will pass responsibility for the student loans from the Department of Education to the Small Business Administration. As NPR's Franco Ordonez reports, Trump says the change will take effect immediately.

Joe Harkness President Trump made the announcement in an Oval Office meeting saying that student loans will be better managed by Kelly Lafler, the administrator of the Small Business Administration and her team. We have a portfolio that's very large, lots of loans, tens of thousands of loans, pretty complicated deal. The announcement comes a day after Trump signed an executive order to begin dismantling the Education Department. Trump has argued the department is poorly run and that much of the work can be done more efficiently by the states. Trump says programs involving special

needs and nutrition would be handled by the Department of Health and Human Services. Franco, Ordonez, NPR News, The White House. Danielle Pletka President Trump has invoked emergency powers to boost production of critical minerals. As NPR's Julia Simon reports, minerals like lithium and nickel are used to make electric vehicle batteries and weapons. Julia Simon The new executive order says that the U.S. relies too much on mineral production from quote hostile foreign powers. China is a leading producer and processor of many critical minerals.

The order instructs government agencies to make a list of federal lands that have critical mineral deposits and prioritize mining as an activity on those public lands. It also calls for making a list of U.S. mines that can be quickly approved. Climate researchers say many climate solutions like batteries, solar panels, depend on critical minerals. But environmental groups worry that without proper reviews, expediting mining could endanger water, biodiversity, and public land. Julia Simon, NPR News. Britain's Heathrow Airport partially reopened today with some flights landing about 18 hours

after a fire. An electrical substation nearby led to a power failure, closing Europe's busiest airport. Nearly 1,400 flights in and out of the airport were affected today. Heathrow Airport CEO Thomas Wilby says this was an unprecedented situation and that they don't shut down the airport unless they have severe safety concerns. The disruptions are expected to last for days as airlines work to get their planes back in place. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze, but the UK's energy secretary, Ed Miliband, says there's no suggestion of foul play. All Street higher by the closing bell, the Dow up 32 points, the Nasdaq up 92. This is NPR. Israeli forces destroyed Gaza's only

specialized cancer hospital as ground forces advanced deeper into the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military says it targeted the hospital in a strike today because it was being used by Hamas militants. Defense Minister Israel Katz says operations will continue with increasing intensity until Hamas releases its remaining hostages. The Turkish government, which helped build the hospital, accused Israel of targeting medical facilities in an effort to render Gaza uninhabitable. During their first year of college, students often experience a decline in their mental

health. From Northwest Public Broadcasting, Lauren Patterson explains how new research shows spending time with therapy dogs might help. Rather than petting a dog right before a test, students at Washington State University spent time with therapy dogs for longer sessions over their first semester. New research showed students who spent time with therapy dogs were less stressed and depressed than students who didn't. Patricia Pandry is a WSU professor who worked on the study.

We find that giving them the opportunity to engage with registered therapy animals is actually a wonderful way to help them adjust to that first semester. Students who met and spent time with dogs over their first semester also had marked improvements in self-compassion, she says. It's also a relatively inexpensive way to offer students who might be missing their pets from home more support, Pendry says. For NPR News, I'm Lauren Patterson in Pullman, Washington. And I'm Janene Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.