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

Episode Date: March 23, 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 Windsor Johnston.

Israel has approved a proposal by the defense minister to create a body to help move Palestinians out of Gaza. NPR's Hadil Al-Shouty reports the death toll in Gaza surpassed 50,000 Palestinians since the start of the war in October of 2023. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said his plan is the start of implementing the quote, vision of the US president. President Trump has proposed the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and rebuilding the

strip under US ownership. Katz said that the new body would be under the scope of the Israeli Ministry of Defense and will help Palestinians in Gaza who want to leave to other countries in coordination with those countries' governments. He said this will include establishing pedestrian routes and coordinating travel infrastructure, including by land, sea and air. Katz also said last week that the military was getting ready to seize more territory in Gaza if Hamas did not release all the hostages. Hadeel Alshalchi, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Wildfires have burned more than 4,000 acres across parts of western North Carolina,

prompting mandatory evacuations this weekend. Gerard Albert III from Blue Ridge Public Radio reports the region is still recovering from Hurricane Haleen that devastated the state last year. Blue Ridge Public Radio reports the region is still recovering from Hurricane Helene that devastated the state last year. The fires in Polk County are some of the biggest the area has seen in decades. Officials say low humidity, high winds, and lots of downed trees from Hurricane Helene are making fighting the fire unusually challenging. Bobby Arledge is the county's fire marshal.

People are still trying to recover. So this fire now, on top of that, it's been a nightmare. All the debris and the blowdowns and stuff from the hurricane is doing nothing but fueling these fires. The North Carolina Forest Service is leading the firefighting efforts and plans to receive help from crews throughout the South and as far west as California. For NPR News, I'm Gerard Albert III in Asheville. Trump administration border czar Tom Homan says the White House will not defy a judge's order, blocking the use of an 18th century law to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members.

But he's pledging to continue deportations based on laws currently on the books. I understand this case is in litigation through the Alien Enemies Act and will abide by the court order as litigated. But my quote was, despite what he thinks, we're going to keep targeting the worst of the worst, which we've been doing since day one, in deporting from the United States. Home and speaking on ABC's This Week, the Trump administration has been accused of defying a federal judge's temporary ban on deportation flights using the law. A court hearing in the case is scheduled for Monday. This is NPR News in Washington. Cheers went up as Pope Francis made his first public appearance in more than a month before being discharged from a hospital in Rome today.

The 88-year-old pontiff appeared on a hospital balcony where he offered a blessing to the crowd. Good if you would be jolly. I see a lady there with yellow flowers. Very nice. Pope Francis greeting a lady in particular who has these bright yellow flowers there. Francis was admitted to a hospital five weeks ago

to undergo treatment for a severe respiratory infection. Late night talk show host Conan O'Brien will receive one of the most coveted awards in comedy tonight, the Mark Twain Prize for American humor. NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports O'Brien will be honored at the Kennedy Center, which is going through some tough times.

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.

I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News in Washington. These days, there's so much news, it can be hard to keep up with what it all means Sir Johnston, NPR News in Washington.