NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-23-2025 8AM 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 Joel Snyder. The crowd gathered outside Rome's Gemelli Hospital cheered when Pope Francis appeared on a hospital balcony a short time ago. Pope Francis made his first public appearance in five weeks ahead of his release from the

hospital after surviving a life-threatening bout of pneumonia. Here he is speaking through an interpreter. Good if you would be jelding. 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 bless the crowd from his wheelchair and is returning to the Vatican. Doctors say he should be able to resume normal activities, but they want him to rest for another two months to fully recover.

Health officials in Gaza say the Palestinian death toll has now climbed past 50,000 since a war with Hamas started more than 17 months ago with the October 7 attack. The latest toll includes more than 600 killed since Israel resumed its bombardment of Gaza last week. Today, the Israeli military ordering mass evacuations of Palestinians from southern Gaza and Piers Daniel Estrin reports from Tel Aviv. The Israeli military says it has launched an offensive near Rafah 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. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Members of Congress are returning to Washington this week after a series of contentious town halls. This weekend in Lexington, Kentucky, hundreds packed what was billed as a people's town hall to express their frustrations at their congressmen and the Trump administration.

From member station WEKU, John McGarry reports. More than 900 people filled the historic Kentucky theater, with dozens voicing their anger at Congressman Andy Barr, a staunch ally of Elon Musk and President Trump. Cancer survivor Kim Edwards said she's concerned about the Trump administration's actions towards the type of research funding that saved her life. His freeze, the court interventions, the drastic cuts to any IH grants, all of these have thrown

our nation's research on cancer into chaos. The town hall was organized by a group called Gathering for Democracy, which bills itself as cross-partisan. Earlier in the week, Barr announced to tell a town hall for Monday night he said could reach up to 75,000 people. For NPR News, I'm John McGarry in Lexington, Kentucky. And you're listening to NPR News. In Turkey, a court formally arrested the mayor of Istanbul today and jailed him pending trial on corruption charges. Mayor Ekrem Emamalou was detained last week, sparking a wave of street demonstrations. His party is expected to endorse him for president, voting today in a primary election.

The next presidential race is scheduled for 2028. Imamalu has emerged as a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His jailing is widely regarded as a political move. The trade war between Canada and the U.S. will overshadow most other issues as Canadians prepare for a general election. And Dan Karpenchuk reports the election call is expected from Prime Minister Mark Carney today. The election call won't come as a

surprise. Prime Minister Mark Carney needs to win a seat personally and a mandate for his Liberal Party. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had parliamentary procedures suspended while the Liberals chose their new leader and that suspension expires on Sunday. An election call will mean members of Parliament will hit the campaign trails across the country. A top issue will be how to counter US President Donald Trump's tariffs and his rhetoric about annexing Canada. Carney's Liberals are in a dead heat with the opposition Conservatives and the choice for most Canadians will be which leader they feel can best deal with Trump. For NPR News

I'm Dan Carpinchuk in Toronto. Today is believed to be the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry's Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death speech, an address aimed at persuading Virginians to prepare for the American Revolution. One of his descendants is planning to reenact the speech today in the same Virginia church where Henry delivered it. I'm Trial Snyder. This is NPR News. Hey, it's A. Martinez. I'm Triale Snyder. This is NPR News.