NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-23-2025 7AM EDT

Episode Date: March 23, 2025

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Public media counts on your support to ensure that the reporting and programs you depend on thrive. Make a recurring donation today to get special access to more than 20 NPR podcasts, perks like sponsor-free listening, bonus episodes, early access, and more. So start supporting what you love today at plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. A huge crowd has gathered in Rome waiting for Pope Francis to appear after spending 38 days in the hospital battling pneumonia. The Vatican says he's about to be released.

NPR's Ruth Sherlock is in Rome. After two weeks of his condition remaining stable, doctors say he can return to the Vatican, but that he will need to continue his rest, rehabilitation and convalescence at the Vatican for a further two months. The Vatican says before being discharged, the Pope will appear to bless the faithful from his 10th floor suite at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.

Ukrainian officials say a massive Russian drone attack on Kiev has left at least three people dead, hospital. Ukrainian officials say a massive Russian drone attack on Kyiv has left at least three people dead including a young child and dozens injured. MPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports. Explosions filled the night sky over Kyiv for several hours as air defenses battled swarms of incoming drones. Ukrainian State Emergency Services say firefighters were kept busy overnight battling fires across the city. One fire on the upper floors of a nine story building spread to the roof.

27 people had to be evacuated and one woman died. Rescuers discovered the body of a child while clearing rubble from another site. Such nightly attacks terrorized the residents of Kiev. So far, Russian President Vladimir Putin has only agreed to stop targeting energy infrastructure in a possible ceasefire, but not Ukraine's cities. Eleanor Beardsley in Pure News, Kiev.

Britain has become the latest European country to warn its nationals about the risk of arrest if they visit the United States. Vicki Barker has more from London. A British backpacker crossing from Canada was recently stopped and held for three weeks in a detention facility after a visa mix-up. Members of a British punk band were detained after they landed in Los Angeles. The monitoring group Tourism Economics cites, quote, polarizing Trump administration policies and rhetoric as one reason it has revised downward its forecast of visits to the U.S. this year from a 9 percent rise to a 5 percent fall.

For NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London. To San Antonio now where a federal judge has struck down mail ballot ID requirements in Texas saying they violate the rights of people with disabilities and estimated two million people unable to vote due to the ID restrictions. Texas public radio's Dan Katz reports the state of Texas is expected to appeal. 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. I'm Dan Katz in San Antonio. This is NPR News. Police in Las Cruces, New Mexico have two suspects in custody linked to Friday night's mass shooting. Three people were killed and at least 15 injured. Both suspects are charged with murder.

Authorities say the shooting happened during an unsanctioned car show at a public park when an altercation between two groups escalated. Wildfires burning in the Carolinas. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has declared a state of emergency for the Table Rock Fire that started Friday in the Blue Ridge Mountains. A fire in western North Carolina led to mandatory evacuations last night. That's the area hit hard by Hurricane Helene in September. Conan O'Brien will be receiving one of the most

coveted awards in comedy tonight, the Mark Twain Prize for American humor. He'll be treated to a star-studied event at the Kennedy Center, which is going through some tough times, as NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports. When Adam Sandler won the Mark Twain Prize, Conan O'Brien had this to say. Good God in heaven, Kennedy Center! What have you done? Now it's O'Brien's turn. The Kennedy Center isn't revealing who's on the show to keep it a surprise. President Trump recently ousted the Kennedy Center's president, the board chair, and board

members who'd been appointed by Democrats. Trump's new board elected him as chair. In response, a number of artists have canceled gigs. It's anyone's guess whether comedians will address the upheaval. Either way, the nation's capital could use some laughs right now. The Mark Twain Prize will stream on Netflix. The date hasn't yet been announced. Elizabeth Blair, NPR News. And I'm Joel Snyder. This is NPR News from Washington. On the embedded podcast. No, no. It's called, did Nianus speak in the speech? This is NPR News from Washington.