NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-25-2025 3AM EDT

Episode Date: March 25, 2025

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This message comes from the Kresge Foundation. Established 100 years ago, the Kresge Foundation works to expand equity and opportunity in cities across America. A century of impact, a future of opportunity. More at kresge.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. The Trump administration is reacting to reports that national security officials shared military plans in a messaging group that included a journalist. The text messages reportedly included details on a plan to attack Houthi rebels in Yemen.

In Hawaii Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked about claims that he leaked the plans. Nobody was texting war plans, and that's all I have to say about that. Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg says he received a March 13th invitation to join an encrypted chat group working on U.S. action against the Houthis. Goldberg says Secretary Hagsteth

posted operational details on the plans two days later, and only hours before U.S. airstrikes hit Houthi targets. A group of union school district and educators is suing to block Trump administration plans to shut down the Department of Education. As NPR's Alyssa Nadwerny reports, the plaintiffs argue that the effort would overrule 46 years of congressional decision-making.

The lawsuit comes just a few days after President Trump signed an executive order directing the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to quote, take all steps necessary to facilitate the closure of the department. Trump later announced that the Health and Human Services Department would oversee nutrition programs and special education services, and that the Small Business Administration would take over the federal student loan portfolio, which amounts to about $1.6 trillion in debt.

The Education Department was formally created by Congress in 1979, and it cannot be closed without Congress's consent. Alyson Adwani, NPR News. President Trump is asking the Supreme Court to block a lower court order to reinstate fired federal probationary workers. U.S. District Judge William Alsop says the terminations were improper, while government attorneys argue that Alsop cannot force the executive branch to rehire employees. The United Nations is pulling some international staff from Gaza after an Israeli tank hit

one of its compounds, killing one UN staffer and wounding several others. NPR's Michelle Kellerman has details. According to spokesman Stefan De Jaric, the UN will be pulling out about a third of its 100 international staffers currently in Gaza. He says this is because of devastating Israeli airstrikes that have claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians in Gaza, including U.N. personnel. As a result, the secretary-general has taken the difficult decision to reduce the United

Nations footprint in Gaza, even as humanitarian needs soar and our concern over the protection of civilians intensifies. He says the U.N. is not leaving Gaza and is determined to continue to help Palestinians there, but Israel has cut off aid for more than three weeks now. Michelle Kelliman, NPR News, Washington. This is NPR. The UN Supreme Court is weighing arguments over Louisiana's new congressional voting map.

At issue is whether or not Louisiana had the right to create a second district representing black voters. The new map was used in the 2024 election that sent two black Democrats to Congress. The Supreme Court is refusing to hear arguments in a decade-long case brought by a group of young people claiming the government's climate laws violated their rights. Rachel McDonald of Member Station KLCC reports from Eugene, Oregon. Rachel McDonald, Member Station KLCC reports from Eugene, Oregon. Julianna V. United States was filed in federal court in Eugene nearly a decade ago. It said the federal government's fossil fuel policies helped create the climate crisis. Attorney

Julia Olson represents the youth plaintiffs. She says they're going to try again. You know, just because the Juliana case never got its fair hearing on the merits and on the evidence doesn't mean that the federal government won't be brought to trial. The lawsuit argued climate change violates the young plaintiff's constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property. For NPR News, I'm Rachel McDonald in Eugene, Oregon. President Trump says he will impose 25 percent tariffs on all imports from Venezuela beginning April 2nd. Meanwhile, the Treasury Department has extended U.S.-based Chevron's oil lease with Venezuela

until May 27. Last month, the Trump administration revoked Chevron's permit to pump and export oil from Venezuela. U.S. futures are flat in after-hours trading on Wall Street. This is NPR News.