NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-26-2025 12AM EDT

Episode Date: March 26, 2025

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Talking about race can get messy, we know. Yeah, whether it's who you date, where you live, what you eat, or who you call your friends. On Code Switch, we try to make sense of it with you. We're talking to new voices and bringing you new stories every week. About some of the biggest. Or just the chewiest questions of our time. So, come rock with us. Listen to Code Switch from the NPR Network. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens.

President Trump is downplaying an incident in which a journalist was added to a group chat on plans for a military attack in Yemen. Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg says the group chat was carried out earlier this month over the encrypted messaging app Signal. The president is defending his national security adviser, Mike Walz, who Goldberg says invited him to the chat. President Trump said he wants national security adviser Mike Walz to look into Signal, whether it can be used.

But just last week, the Pentagon said Signal should not be used for classified information. And going back to October 2023, Pentagon officials said at that time it should not be used for classified information. And going back to October 2023, Pentagon officials said at that time, it should not be used for any kind of classified information. Tom Bowman reporting. NPR's CEO, Catherine Maher, chairs the board of the Signal Foundation, which supports the Signal app.

Voters will need to show proof of citizenship in order to cast ballots in U.S. elections under an executive order that President Trump signed on Tuesday. Voters will need to show proof of citizenship in order to cast ballots in U.S. elections under an executive order that President Trump signed on Tuesday. As NPR's Jude Jaffe-Bloch reports, voting rights advocates worry that the new provisions could prevent millions of Americans from voting. The executive order would require showing proof of citizenship, like a passport, to register to vote when using the federal registration form.

It also grants federal agencies and the head of the Doge cost-cutting team access to state voter rolls and give states access to federal data. It would also block states from counting mailed ballots received after election day. Last year, Trump and his allies made baseless claims about the threat of non-citizens voting in large numbers. In fact, such cases are extremely rare. But almost one in ten American adults lack a proof of citizenship document or easy access to one. Opponents say Trump does not have the legal authority

to make this change through executive order, and legal challenges are likely. Jude Jaffe Block, NPR News. Ukraine and Russia have agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea under a deal negotiated by the United States. As NPR's Eleanor Beersley reports, the deal calls for safe navigation in the Black Sea and preventing the use of commercial ships for military purposes there. The development comes after days of talks in Saudi Arabia between the U.S. and the two adversaries. Ukraine successfully used air and sea drones early on in the war to drive Russia from the Black Sea and block Moscow's access to world markets for agricultural and fertilizer exports.

Speaking after the agreement, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is doing everything to end the war. We now need results from Russia, he said. The agreement did not involve any direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials. Ukraine had previously agreed to a full ceasefire, but so far Russia has rejected it. Moscow has continued to attack Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Kyiv. This is NPR. The Kennedy Center has dissolved its Social Impact Division,

which partnered with Washington, D.C. area organizations to diversify performances. Seven staff members, including the program's artistic director, were laid off Tuesday. On its website, the Social Impact Division said that it showcased artists who used their talent to highlight social issues. In February, President Trump overhauled the Kennedy Center's leadership and named an all-new board which appointed him as its chair. A Supreme Court panel in Brazil has begun hearings on whether to try former President Jair Bolsonaro on criminal charges. Bolsonaro is accused of plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election to Brazil's current leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He's also accused of taking part in a plan to poison Lula and kill a Supreme Court justice. The hearings continue Wednesday. A mob has vandalized a comedy club in Mumbai after a stand-up comics act ridiculed prominent Indian politicians.

NPR's Amkar Kandahar reports police have charged the comedian with defamation. Attackers disrupted a live show, flung chairs and blackened walls of the Habitat Club in Mumbai. This, after comedian Kunal Kamra posted a YouTube video lampooning prominent Indian politicians that was filmed at the club. The violence did not end with the mob. City authorities a day later demolished part of the club's basement, saying it was built illegally.

The vandals were arrested, but released on bail. The club where the comic performed announced it was shutting down. Omkar Khandekar, NPR News, Mumbai. This is NPR News. There's a lot of news happening. You want to understand it better, but let's be honest, you don't want it to be your entire Omkar Khan dekhar, NPR News, Mumbai.