NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-22-2025 4PM EDT

Episode Date: March 22, 2025

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When you take a shower or get ready in the morning, how many products are you using? Everything from your shampoo to your lotion. In our study, we found that the average woman used about 19 products every day and the average man used about seven. These products might come at a cost. The ingredients they contain can be harmful to our health. Listen to the Life Kit podcast from NPR to learn more about the risks of personal care products.

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Rahm. The Trump administration continues its efforts to cut the size and 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 on the Ombudsman for Immigration Detention, and the Ombudsman for Citizenship and Immigration Services. Peter Robinson 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. Danielle Pletka NPR's Ron Elving. A federal judge in San Antonio has struck down mail ballot ID requirements in Texas that they violated the rights of people with disabilities. Since they were enacted in 2021, many elderly and voters with disabilities reported having

their ballots rejected. Texas Public Radio's Dan Katz reports. Victor Jenison, an attorney with the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund, says there was no way to know which ID number the state had on file until the ballots were rejected. Even if they do know which number is in the election system and they put it in correctly, the election system may not have the number right. Jenison cited testimony at trial, where the Texas Secretary of State conceded that more than 650,000 registration records in their system were incorrect.

He added that expert testimony estimated that more than two million people were unable to vote due to the ID restrictions. The state of Texas is expected to appeal. I'm Dan Katz in San Antonio. Danielle Pletka After a relatively quiet 42 days in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resumed airstrikes there after a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas expired without an agreement for an extension. NPR's Hadil El-Shelchi reports from Tel Aviv.

Besides the deadly and daily airstrikes that have killed hundreds, including many children, the Israeli military is also expanding a ground operation, which means ordering the evacuation of thousands of Palestinians from their homes and neighborhoods. NPR's Gaza producer, Enes Baba, visited a library in the north where people were sheltering and burning books to keep warm. NPR's Sadil El-Shelchi. The Vatican says Pope Francis will be released from the hospital tomorrow. He had been admitted February 14th with respiratory problems that developed into pneumonia in

both lungs. The head of his medical team says the 88-year-old Pontiff will need at least two months of rest and rehabilitation at the Vatican before resuming his normal activities. He's to make his first public appearance tomorrow to offer a blessing from his hospital window. This is NPR News in Washington. In South Korea, hundreds of people have been forced from their homes by more than 20 wildfires. At least two firefighters were killed. The Korea Forest Service says hundreds of acres have burned across the nation. Former Massachusetts First Lady Kitty Dukakis has died at the age of 88.

She was an outspoken advocate for people with mental illness and addiction, drawing on her own experiences. Her son John Dukakis says she died peacefully overnight with her family at her side. Lisa Mullins of member station WBUR reports. People closest to Kitty Dukakis praise her for turning her experience with depression and addiction into positive change for others. Phil Johnston served under Governor Michael Dukakis. He saw the First Lady of Massachusetts use her position to raise awareness and help people who were struggling.

Whether it was the Holocaust or the homeless or whether it be people who have addiction problems, she was there for them. She was as caring a human being as I've ever met. Johnston says Kitty Dukakis personally reached out to people in state government who were dealing with addiction and got them help. For NPR News, I'm Lisa Mullins. Boxer George Foreman has died at the age of 76. His family said he died last night. No cause was given. The heavyweight began his boxing career as an Olympic gold medalist and became the champ by beating Joe Frazier in 1973.

A year later, he lost to Muhammad Ali in a match promoted as the Rumble in the Jungle. But 20 years after that, the 45-year-old foreman became the oldest man to win the championship. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News.