NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-22-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: March 22, 2025

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Noor Rahm Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Rahm. The Trump administration continues its efforts to cut the size and the scope of the federal workforce. The Department of Homeland Security announced more cutbacks yesterday. NPR's Ron Elving reports these include jobs at its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the offices of the Ombudsman for Immigration Detention, and the Ombudsman for Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The DHS spokesman told NPR Friday that these offices, quote, obstructed immigration enforcement by adding bureaucratic hurdles and undermining DHS's mission, unquote. Well, their job was to provide in-house oversight and restraint on this powerful agency and make sure it stays within the law and follows its own mandates. That's what watchdogs do. That's what ombudsman offices are for. NPR's Ron Elving, a state Supreme Court election in Wisconsin is attracting national attention. It will determine whether liberals or conservatives control the court. Chuck Kornbach of Member Station WUWM reports. Republicans are backing suburban Milwaukee circuit judge Brad Schimel in the state Supreme

Court race against Madison area circuit judge Susan Crawford, who is supported by Democrats. President Trump endorsed Schimel on social media Friday night, and the GOP-backed judge says there was a phone call with the president, too. Schimel was asked what he promised Trump in return. Absolutely nothing. He called me and he knows about the race and he knows that it's important that we have the rule of law in Wisconsin. Crawford's campaign says Schimel has, quote, spent his entire career on bent knee to right wing special interests.

Early voting has started in the Wisconsin contest his entire career on bent knee to right wing special interests. Early voting has started in the Wisconsin contest ahead of Election Day, April 1st. For NPR News, I'm Chuck Quirmbach in Milwaukee. New York City officials are warning that road salt is endangering the drinking water supply for more than 9 million city and area residents. Higher levels of salt cannot easily be filtered out or treated and could damage pipes and pumps bringing the water into homes. NPR's Ava Puchacz reports. The high salt levels in the drinking water could be

harmful to people on low sodium diets and pose an environmental threat. Rohit Agrawala is New York City's Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner. We've protected the environment by reducing and stopping the use of harmful chemicals, whether it was DDT or PCBs, or as we look forward, things like PFAS and the forever chemicals. We now need to focus on road salt as something that is harming our environment. If salt level trends continue, city officials say the reservoirs that supply 10% of the city's drinking water may eventually need to be abandoned.

Eva Pukac, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News in Washington. Police in Las Cruces, New Mexico are investigating a shooting at a park last night. They say two men and a 62-year-old boy were killed. At least 14 others were wounded. Officials say they are following multiple leads but have made no arrests at this time. Investigators are asking for the public to provide any relevant information or video

taken of the incident. With egg prices soaring, some people are investigating whether to develop their own source by raising their own chickens. Northwest Public Broadcasting's Susan Shane reports from southeast Washington State. This tractor supply store just opened, but there's already more than a dozen people huddled around silver tubs of baby chicks. Tina Doar, the store manager, says the crowds are double what they've been in years past. Hundreds of chicks are selling out in under 30 minutes.

It has been craziness. We have lines at the door. On average, the American Farm Bureau Federation says that avian flu has wiped out more than 10% of the country's laying flock each year since 2022. That includes breeder hens and chicks. That's helped lead to a surge in egg prices and a shortage of chicks. Some online hatcheries say they're sold out until fall. For NPR News, I'm Susan Shane in Walla Walla, Washington. The Vatican says Pope Francis will make his first public appearance tomorrow. Since he was hospitalized on February 14th with respiratory problems, He's to offer a blessing and a greeting from the window

of his hospital room around noon. The 88-year-old pontiff usually offers a noontime prayer in St. Peter's Square on Sundays. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington.