NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-23-2025 9AM EDT

Episode Date: March 23, 2025

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A lot happens in Washington every day, from the White House to Capitol Hill and everywhere in between. That's where we come in. On the NPR Politics Podcast, we keep you up to date on what happens inside Washington and what it means for you and your community. The NPR Politics Podcast, listen wherever you listen. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Joel Snyder. The Health Ministry in Gaza says a number of Palestinians killed since the start of Israel's war with Hamas has topped 50,000. The latest toll comes after Israel resumed the war in Gaza following about two months of relative quiet during a ceasefire that ended this month. NPR's Hadil Al-Shalchi reports.

The new death toll in Gaza includes hundreds of Palestinians killed by Israeli strikes since the war started up again last week. This comes as the Israeli military said it launched an offensive near Rafah in southern Gaza where the military has also ordered mass evacuations of Palestinians. Hamas says among those killed in Israel's latest strikes was one of the group's last political leaders based in Gaza. The Israeli defense minister said last week that the military was getting ready to seize more territory in Gaza. It's been more than three weeks that Israel blocked all aid, including food and medical supplies, into the Strip. Hadil Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Tel Aviv. In Turkey, a judge today

ordered the mayor of Istanbul to remain jailed until trial on corruption charges. His detention last week has sparked large protests. Dari Baskarin reports that Ekrem Emamoglu has emerged as a prominent rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After hours of interrogation, Ememoglu and dozens of other defendants were transferred to a criminal court around 3 a.m. local time early Sunday morning. Based largely on the testimony of secret witnesses, prosecutors accused Imamoglu of heading up an elaborate conspiracy involving bribery, corruption, and fraud and linked him to a terror group. In his testimony, Imamoglu denied all of the charges. Referring to pro-democracy protests that have swept the country in recent days, he said quote, I feel the power of the nation behind me. I cannot even describe my courage.

Immanuel's opposition party, the CHP, goes to the polls today for a primary to nominate him for a bid for president. For NPR News, I'm Dari Buskarin, Istanbul. Turkey's government says more than 300 people have been detained during the protests. Yesterday, police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse thousands who had gathered outside Istanbul's municipal building and the main courthouse. Members of Congress returning to Washington this week after a series of contentious town halls have put a spotlight on frustrations with the Trump administration. And PRS Deepak Shivram says Congress has a busy week ahead of it, including a confirmation hearing for President Trump's choice to lead the Social Security Administration, which

has been at the center of constituent concern. This is a program that's been around since the 1930s that supports millions of retired people, disabled people, and making any changes to it is politically risky. Democrats have been responding to the comments from Secretary Lutnick. They've also been quick to center any comments on Social Security from Elon Musk, for example, who has made comments inflating how much fraud takes place with Social Security benefits and who recently called the benefit a Ponzi scheme. This is NPR. Pope Francis is back at the Vatican after spending the past five weeks in a hospital in Rome.

He was released today after appearing for the first time in public on a hospital balcony overlooking a crowd who gathered to wish him well. Doctors say he will require at least two more months to fully recover from a life-threatening case of pneumonia. Police in Las Cruces, New Mexico have two suspects in custody linked to Friday night's mass shooting. Three people were killed, at least 15 others 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. In the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments, the number one seed's advanced to the next round but as Greg Eklund reports from Wichita, one of the men's top seeds looks 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 81-76. 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 became the highest seed in either tournament to fall, as number 10 Arkansas busted the men's bracket with a 75-66 upset win. For NPR News, I'm Greg Eklund in Wichita. And I'm Giles Snyder in Washington.

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