NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-25-2025 1AM EDT

Episode Date: March 25, 2025

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Scott Detro Following the news out of Washington, D.C. can be overwhelming. I'm Scott Detro and NPR has a podcast that can help. It's called Trump's Terms, stories about big changes the 47th president is pursuing on his own terms. Each episode is short, usually around five minutes or so. We keep it calm and factual. We help you follow what matters and we leave out what doesn't. Listen to Trump's terms from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. Social Security advocates and recipients are expressing concern over efforts to reshape the agency. NPR's Wynter Johnston reports. Social Security recipients say they're worried about the Trump administration's decision

to grant Elon Musk and his government efficiency team extensive access to the agency's databases. The White House says the move is part of an effort to identify and eliminate fraud within the agency. In the meantime, Frank Bisignano, the CEO of a private tech firm, will go before the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday. He was tapped by President Trump to be the next commissioner of Social Security. Opponents of his nomination cite his lack of prior government experience. Supporters argue that his business, Acumen, could be beneficial in addressing Social Security's

financial challenges. Windsor-Johnston, NPR News, Washington. U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy stepped down on Monday. As NPR's Hans-Lieuwe Wong reports, his departure came weeks after Trump officials floated ideas on taking over the Postal Service. In his statement, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he was planning to retire when he asked the Postal Service's governing board last month to start looking for someone to replace him.

Since then, President Trump has confirmed his administration is considering having the Commerce Department take control of what Congress set up to be an independent postal service. Legal experts say that will likely violate federal law. DeJoy recently signed an agreement that allows Elon Musk's Doge team to find efficiencies at USPS. DeJoy was appointed to lead the postal service during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, he rolled out a 10-year reorganization plan in an attempt to bring financial stability to the postal system. Critics of the plan, however, say that consolidating mail processing centers and other changes have slowed service, especially in rural communities.

Anzila Wong, NPR News, Washington. U.S. and Russian negotiators met in Saudi Arabia Monday to discuss organizing a ceasefire in the Black Sea. As NPR's Charles Maynes reports, Russia has made few concessions so far in the effort to end its war in Ukraine. Charles Mains, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR

News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, N needed to work out a range of technicalities towards an eventual ceasefire. In the meantime, Russia doesn't seem to be offering much of anything in the way of concessions, and maybe the question is, why should they?

The Trump administration appears to agree with them on many of Russia's core demands. We've already heard Trump say no to NATO membership for Ukraine and talk about Ukraine making territorial concessions to Russia. This weekend, the White House's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in an interview with the former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, went further. Witkoff endorsed Russia's seizure of four Ukrainian territories based on referendum votes. The U.S. and indeed the entire West had regarded as complete sham. Danielle Pletka Charles Maynes reporting from Moscow.

This is NPR. The National Security Council says that a text chain containing detailed military plans for an attack in Yemen appears to be authentic. The text messages from top national security officials, including the Secretary of Defense, were shared in a group chat that included a journalist at the Atlantic magazine. Two hours after the March 15th breach, the U.S. launched airstrikes against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen. It is unclear whether or not the leaked information had been classified.

Justices on Brazil's Supreme Court begin proceedings Tuesday to determine whether former President Jair Bolsonaro will stand trial. Bolsonaro is charged with trying to overturn his 2022 reelection loss. More from NPR's Carrie Kahn. Brazil's attorney general outlined coup plans, which he says were orchestrated with the former far-right president's full support, among them a plot to poison the current president, Luisa Nácio Lula da Silva, and kill one of the justices. If the justices accept the indictment, a criminal trial would begin.

If found guilty, Bolsonaro could face decades in prison. Bolsonaro told thousands of supporters at a rally earlier this month that he's innocent. Bolsonaro's congressional allies want to pass an amnesty bill for him and defendants convicted in the ransacking of the Brasilia capital in 2023, similar to the pardons President Trump gave to hundreds convicted in the January 6th DC capital attack. Carrie Khan, NPR News, Rio de Janeiro. U.S. futures are flat in after-hours trading on Wall Street.

When Asia-Pacific market shares are mixed, down 2 percent in Hong Kong. This is NPR News. There's a lot of news happening. You want to understand it better, but let's be honest. Next, down 2% in Hong Kong. This is NPR News.