NPR News: 03-07-2025 12AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: March 7, 2025

Hosted by Doualisai Kowtow, this episode of NPR News Now delivers a comprehensive update on the latest developments in U.S. politics, legal battles, space exploration setbacks, international conflicts, and significant global figures.

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1. White House Considers Closing the Department of Education

In a controversial move, President Trump is reportedly contemplating an executive order to close the Department of Education. Although White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt asserted on social media that no such order would be signed, NPR obtained a draft of the proposed executive action. This draft directs the newly confirmed Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education" (Doualisai Kowtow, 00:17).

Reporter Cory Turner delves into the implications of this potential closure, highlighting that the executive order mandates all department funding to comply with the Trump administration's new guidelines on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Turner emphasized the significant impact on federal disability laws for children, stating:

"The problem is a huge focus of federal disability law for children is inclusion. You know, before those laws in the 1970s, kids with disabilities were regularly excluded. They were turned away from schools or they were warehoused or even institutionalized."
— Cory Turner, 00:43

This proposed closure has sparked debates over the future of educational policies and support systems for children with disabilities.

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2. Trump Targets Law Firms Representing Perceived Political Enemies

President Trump has intensified his campaign against law firms associated with his political adversaries. In the latest development, an executive order has been signed targeting Perkins Coie, the firm that represented Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. The order suspends any security clearances held by attorneys at Perkins Coie and restricts their access to government buildings and officials (Doualisai Kowtow, 01:11).

Ryan Lucas provides further insights into this action, noting that Perkins Coie has branded the order as "patently unlawful" and intends to challenge it legally. This directive marks the second instance where Trump has sought to penalize a law firm; previously, a similar order was issued against the firm representing former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith (Ryan Lucas, 01:28).

"The new executive order signed by Trump targets the law firm Perkins Coie. It suspends any security clearances held by attorneys at the firm."
— Ryan Lucas, 01:28

These actions have raised concerns about the politicization of legal services and the broader implications for the justice system.

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3. SpaceX Starship Suffers Second Failure in 2025 Test Flights

SpaceX's ambitious Starship program faces another setback as a test flight ended in failure, marking the second such incident this year. The rocket launched smoothly from Texas, flew over the Gulf, and successfully separated from its super heavy booster. The booster was recovered by a pair of giant mechanical arms, showcasing SpaceX's reusable rocket technology (Doualisai Kowtow, 02:13; Jeff Brumfield, 02:23).

However, the mission took a turn for the worse when several of Starship's engines abruptly shut down upon entering space, leading to a loss of attitude control:

"It looks like we are losing attitude control of the ship."
— Ryan Lucas, 02:51

Subsequently, Starship tumbled out of control before exploding over the Caribbean. Elon Musk remains optimistic, asserting that the rocket will eventually fulfill its goal of carrying humans to Mars (Jeff Brumfield, 02:54).

This failure underscores the challenges SpaceX faces in developing reliable spacecraft for interplanetary travel.

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4. Israel Imposes Comprehensive Blockade on Gaza

Amid escalating tensions, Israel has enforced a complete blockade on Gaza, halting all imports of food, fuel, and aid for the past five days. This blockade is intended to pressure Hamas into agreeing to a new ceasefire arrangement. With a population of 2 million, Gaza's residents are now entirely dependent on what Israel permits (Doualisai Kowtow, 03:06).

NPR's Aya Bachar reports on the dire humanitarian situation:

"Human Rights Watch says officials operating Gaza's water and waste services tell them there are only enough fuel reserves left to continue operating water facilities for one more week. Then nearly all water production from wells and one of Gaza's two functional desalination facilities will come to a halt."
— Aya Baltrawi, 03:33

Moreover, two main water plants in central Gaza, which serve 70% of the population, have ceased operations after Israel cut electricity supplies. Several Israeli rights groups have petitioned the Supreme Court to block the continuation of the blockade, arguing that using aid as a weapon of war violates international humanitarian laws (Aya Baltrawi, 03:33).

This blockade threatens to exacerbate the already precarious living conditions in Gaza, raising international concern and calls for humanitarian intervention.

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5. Pope Francis Releases First Audio Message from Hospital

In a heartfelt update, Pope Francis has released an audio message for the first time since being hospitalized three weeks ago at Rome's Gemali Hospital. Speaking softly in Spanish, the 88-year-old pontiff expressed his gratitude for the prayers supporting his health:

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health. From the square. I accompany you from here. May God bless you and the Virgin protect you."
— Pope Francis, 04:16

Despite his hospitalization, Pope Francis participated in Ash Wednesday celebrations and continues to undergo respiratory and other physical therapies. His message serves as a comforting gesture to the global Catholic community during his recovery (Doualisai Kowtow, 04:16).

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Conclusion

This episode of NPR News Now encapsulates a wide array of pressing issues, from significant political shifts within the U.S. administration and legal system to challenges in space exploration and humanitarian crises in the Middle East. Additionally, the personal well-being of a key global religious leader is highlighted, offering a moment of reflection amidst turbulent times. For those seeking a detailed understanding of these events, NPR's comprehensive reporting provides valuable insights and updates.

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Note: Advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections have been excluded to focus solely on the key news stories presented in this episode.

Transcript

[NPR Announcer]

This message comes from Pemco Mutual Insurance Company. Their mission is to help customers worry less and live more. So they're sharing prevention tips that empower you to prevent some of life's pitfalls before they happen. Visit pemco.com prevention live from NPR News.

[Doualisai Kowtow]

In New York City, I'm Doualisai Kowtow. White House press secretary Caroline Levitt said on social media that President Trump was not signing an executive order on the Department of Education Thursday. But NPR obtained a draft of an executive action that instructs the newly confirmed secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to, quote, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of education. Here's NPR's Cory Turner.

[Cory Turner]

The executive order mentions that all department funding should be subject to the Trump administration's new anti diversity, equity and inclusion rules. The problem is a huge focus of federal disability law for children is inclusion. You know, before those laws in the 1970s, kids with disabilities were regularly excluded. They were turned away from schools or they were warehoused or even institutionalized.

[Doualisai Kowtow]

NPR's Cory Turner. President Trump is taking punitive action against a second law firm that has represented his perceived political enemies. This time, his target is the firm that did legal work for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. More on this from NPR's Ryan Lucas.

[Ryan Lucas]

The new executive order signed by Trump targets the law firm Perkins Coie. It suspends any security clearances held by attorneys at the firm. The order also, among other things, limits the firm's lawyers access to government buildings and officials. A Perkins Coie spokesperson says the order is patently unlawful and that the firm intends to challenge it. Perkins Coie did legal work for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign and played a role in the infamous dossier of unsubstantiated allegations about possible Trump Russia ties. Trump's new executive order marks the second time that he has sought to punish a law firm. Last month, he issued a similar order targeting the law firm whose attorneys represent former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.

[Doualisai Kowtow]

SpaceX has lost another of its giant starship rockets during a test flight Thursday evening. As NPR's Jeff Brumfield reports, the failure is the second this year.

[Jeff Brumfield]

The flight test appeared to start smoothly. The rocket took off from its pad in Texas and flew out over the Gulf. Starship separated from its massive super heavy booster. The booster flew back to the launch pad where it was caught by a pair of giant mechanical arms.

[Ryan Lucas]

Stop the landing. Wow, that will never get old.

[Jeff Brumfield]

But moments later, several of the starship's engines abruptly cut out as it entered space.

[Ryan Lucas]

It looks like we are losing attitude control of the ship.

[Jeff Brumfield]

Starship then tumbled out of control before exploding over the Caribbean. This was the second failure in its many launches. Elon Musk hopes the rocket will one day carry people to Mars. Jeff Brumfiel, NPR News.

[Doualisai Kowtow]

The falling debris forced a number of airports in Florida to delay their departures. You're listening to NPR News. Israel has blocked all food, fuel and aid into Gaza for the past five days. Gaza's 2 million people depend entirely on whatever Israel allows. In NPR's Aya Bachar reports Israel imposed this blockade to pressure Hamas into a different ceasefire deal.

[Aya Baltrawi]

Human Rights Watch says officials operating Gaza's water and waste services tell them there are only enough fuel reserves left to continue operating water facilities for one more week. Then nearly all water production from wells and one of Gaza's two functional desalination facilities will come to a halt. And this week, two main water plants in central Gaza, serving 70% of people there, ceased operations. The municipality says the plants shut down in Deir Elbara after Israel cut electricity to them. Israeli officials did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment. Several Israeli rights groups have petitioned Israel's Supreme Court to prohibit the government from continuing the blockade, saying aid to civilians cannot be used as a weapon of war or a means of exerting pressure. Aya Baltrawi, NPR News, Dubai.

[Doualisai Kowtow]

For the first time since he was hospitalized three weeks ago at Rome's Gemali Hospital, Pope Francis released an audio message on Thursday, speaking softly in Spanish, saying, saying, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health. From the square. I accompany you from here. May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. The 88 year old pontiff participated in Ash Wednesday celebrations and continues his respiratory and other physical therapy. I'm Dwahli Sai Kowtow, NPR News, from New York City.

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