NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-25-2025 7PM EDT

Episode Date: March 25, 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 Jack Spear. to learn more about the risks of personal care products. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Even as Trump administration officials seek to downplay an incident where a journalist was apparently inadvertently added to a discussion of a U.S. military operation against Houthi rebels in Yemen, Senate Majority Leader John Thunes says he expects the Armed Services Committee to look into the matter. NPR's Ryan Lucas says Senate Intelligence Committee members are also concerned. The administration is very much trying to say that this is all much ado about nothing.

But I will say the information discussed in the chat is exactly the sort of intelligence a sophisticated adversary like Russia or China would want on the US and the officials in the chat are all top of the target list of foreign intelligence services. Now, as for what's next, Democrats on the Intelligence Committee made this clear today that they want to get to the bottom of it. During a scheduled hearing today,

top intelligence officials denied any classified material was shared. A federal appeals court is allowing the Trump administration to temporarily stop approving new refugees for entry into the U.S. NPR's Jasmine Garz reports the Trump administration has argued the refugee program, which allows people displaced by armed conflict, natural disaster or persecution, places an undue burden on U.S. cities and states. After taking office, President Trump immediately paused refugee resettlement, saying that the

U.S. lacks the ability to absorb large numbers, that taxpayers' money should not be spent on this program, and that there need to be assurances that refugees can assimilate into the country. In late February, a federal judge temporarily blocked that freeze, saying that while a president does have the power to suspend refugee admissions, that power is not limitless. Refugees who were approved before President Trump took office on January 20th will still be processed, but no new applications as the case makes its way through the courts. Jasmine Garz, NPR News, New York. Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads to a regional gathering in Jamaica tomorrow where

migration and drug trafficking will be high on the list. The trip also takes him to South America, as we hear from MPR's Michelle Kellerman. Secretary Rubio is a former Florida senator, a Cuban-American, and his aides point out that he has deep ties to the Caribbean and Latin America. Special envoy for Latin America, Mauricio Claver-Carron, says the Secretary of State wants to focus on energy security in a region that was once, in his words, extorted by Venezuela. Rubio will also be talking about how the US can help develop energy industries in Suriname and Guyana during stops there. As for Haiti, Rubio's aides say he will be hearing from Haitian

officials and regional partners in Jamaica on how they can help Haitian police prevent gangs from retaking the capital of Port-au-Prince. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department. Modest gains on Wall Street today. The Dow was up four points. The S&P 500 gained nine points. This is NPR. Russia has apparently agreed to a proposed partial ceasefire in its war with Ukraine. The meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, came after a separate meeting with Ukrainian leaders. Moscow and Kiev have accused each other of undermining efforts to reach a pause in the

now three-year-old war. Both countries have agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea. Russia said the deal is contingent on lifting of sanctions on major Russian banks. Cannabis has a distinct, skunky smell. But as the drug grows in popularity, new strains have cropped up with notes of lavender, cloves and cognac. Pierce Peng Wong went to a grow farm in Maryland to check it out. Andras Kershner is the founder and head grower of District Cannabis, which sells weed in Washington D.C. and Maryland. He says weed strains these days have a wide variety of smells. From berry to citrus, lemon, lime, cherry, a lot of the popular strains are kind of a combination between the gas and another flavor. This trend is related to a better understanding of the science behind the gassy, skunky smell

of weed, which has been traced to a sulfur compound, and to consumer demand. As recreational use grows, cannabis brewers and growers are developing new strains that are more pleasant smelling to more people. Ping Huang, NPR News. Kroger is defending itself from claims by rival Albertson that it did not do enough to push a proposed merger agreement across the finish line by ensuring proper regulatory approvals. In court papers filed today, Kroger also claims Albertson was secretly planning to sue Kroger if the deal did not go through before the merger fell apart in December.

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