NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-23-2025 12PM EDT

Episode Date: March 23, 2025

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Making time for the news is important, but when you need a break, we've got you covered on All Songs Considered, NPR's music podcast. Think of it like a music discovery show, a well-deserved escape with friends, and yeah, some serious music insight. I'm going to keep it real. I have no idea what this story is about. Hear new episodes of All Songs Considered every Tuesday, wherever you get podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor

Rahm. A U.S. delegation is to hold talks in Saudi Arabia today with Ukrainian officials on a possible partial ceasefire with Russia. Tomorrow, the U.S. holds similar talks with Russia. Special Envoy Steve Witkov sounded optimistic when he spoke with Fox News today. Steve Witkov I think that you're going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries. And from that, you'll naturally gravitate into a full-on shooting ceasefire.

For now, the war in Ukraine continues. The mayor of the capital, Kyiv, says at least three people were killed, including a young child in Russian drone attacks overnight. Health officials in Gaza say the Palestinian death toll has now climbed past 50,000 since the war with Maas started more than 17 months ago with the October 7th attack on Israel. The latest toll includes more than 600 killed since Israel resumed its bombardment of Gaza last week. Today, the U.S. military is ordering mass evacuations of Palestinians from southern

Gaza. NPR's Daniel Estrin reports from Tel Aviv. The Israeli military says it has launched an offensive near Rafa in southern Gaza. Medics report heavy fighting from Israeli ground troops. Palestinians only recently returned to live in that area during a ceasefire. Now Israel is ordering them to leave to a zone along the coast. Hamas says among those killed in Israel's latest strikes was one of the last Hamas political leaders based in Gaza.

All of this is part of Israel's return to war, to pressure Hamas to release hostages under more favorable terms to Israel. Israel says its security cabinet reviewed plans for continuing an aid blockade on Gaza and increasing the military campaign. Israel's military also intercepted a missile from Yemen. Danielle Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Investors are bracing for a key inflation report this week, just as President Trump gears up to unveil a new round of tariffs. But as NPR's Rafael Nam reports, tariffs

are hitting not only Wall Street, but consumer confidence as well. Trump is convinced that tariffs will be good for the US, but investors don't believe a trade war is good for anybody. Nonetheless, President Trump is planning a new round of tariffs in April. The fear here is that tariffs will drive prices a lot higher. This week we'll get a new inflation report, the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index. It matters because it's the Federal Reserve's favorite inflation gauge. And it's not just Wall Street. Consumers are also getting concerned about the economy.

So investors this week will pay close attention to two consumer confidence reports from the University of Michigan and the Conference Board. Rafael Nam, NPR News. This is NPR News in Washington. Police in Las Cruces, New Mexico say they've arrested two suspects in a shooting Friday night that killed three people and wounded 15 others. The gunfire erupted at a park during an unsanctioned car show. The suspects are a 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy.

They'll be charged with murder. In the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments, the number one seeds advanced to the next round. But as Greg Eklund reports, one of the men's top seeds looked shaky down the stretch. Number eight seed Gonzaga pushed the University of Houston to the brink of an upset before the number one seeded Cougars held on in the final seconds to win 81176. It snapped Gonzaga's streak of reaching the Sweet 16 for nine straight seasons. As Bulldogs coach Mark Few knew his team had its hands full.

Yeah, we just came, we had one possession short there at the end, but telling you man, Houston, tell you experience them live and in person, I mean, they are something. The Houston Cougars are in the Sweet 16 for the sixth straight time. Number two seed, St. John's University and in person. I mean, they are something. The Houston Cougars are in the Sweet 16 for the sixth straight time. Number two seed St. John's University became the highest seed in either tournament to fall. His number 10 Arkansas busted the men's bracket with a 75-66

upset win. For NPR News, I'm Greg Eklund in Wichita. Hockey fans are watching the Washington Capitol, specifically its star Alex Ovechkin. He needs only seven more goals in the cap's final 12 games to pass Wayne Gretzky in scoring the most goals in a career. Gretzky retired in 1999, having scored 894 goals, 93 more than any player before him. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News. On the Embedded Podcast. No, no.

It's called denying a speech from a speech. It's misinformation. Like so many Americans, my dad has gotten swept up in conspiracy theories. These are not conspiracy theories. These are reality. I spent the year following him down the rabbit hole, trying to get him back. Listen to Alternate Realities on the Embedded Podcast from NPR, all episodes available now.