NPR News Now: March 11, 2025, 6 PM EDT

Host: Jack Speier
Release Date: March 11, 2025
Description: The latest news in five minutes. Updated hourly.

1. U.S. Diplomatic Efforts Toward Ukraine Ceasefire

In today's international news, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced significant diplomatic progress regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Speaking after intensive talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Rubio emphasized Ukraine's readiness for a ceasefire.

"What we leave here with today is a commitment that the Ukrainians are ready to stop fighting. They're ready to stop the shooting so that they can get to the table and bring about peace for their country and for the world," Rubio stated at [00:39].

He further addressed the recent state of U.S.-Ukraine relations, particularly following a contentious White House meeting.

"This is not Mean Girls or some television show. This is about stopping the fighting and starting negotiations," Rubio remarked at [00:50].

Additionally, the United States is resuming military and intelligence aid to Ukraine, reinforcing its support amidst ongoing tensions.

2. U.S. Government Budget and Cybersecurity Concerns

House Republicans successfully voted to prevent a partial government shutdown by passing a measure to keep the government funded through September. However, this measure now requires support from at least eight Democrats in the Senate to become law.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, a former Trump advisor and tech billionaire, made headlines by accusing Ukrainian hackers of orchestrating a cyberattack against his social media platform, X.com.

"Tracing the attack and found it was coming from what I described as the Ukraine area," Musk claimed at [01:13].

NPR's Jenna McLaughlin reported that cybersecurity experts have found no evidence supporting Musk's allegations. She explained that the outage was likely due to a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack launched by a group named Dark Storm Team, identified as a pro-Palestinian hacking group by Israeli firm Check Point.

3. Trump Administration's Stance on Campus Protests

The Trump administration has intensified its crackdown on campus protests, threatening more arrests following the recent detention of a prominent pro-Palestinian protester at Columbia University.

White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt stated that the Department of Homeland Security is actively identifying individuals involved in "anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro Hamas protest activities" on college campuses.

Regarding the legal case of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student arrested by ICE over the weekend, Levitt asserted:

"The secretary of state has the legal authority to revoke the green card of anyone who is adversarial to the foreign policy and national security interests of the U.S," [02:30].

A lawyer representing Khalil criticized the administration's actions as punitive measures against constitutionally protected speech, labeling them as "chilling."

4. Cultural Highlight: Broadway’s Record-Breaking "Othello"

In the realm of entertainment, a new production of Shakespeare's "Othello", starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, has shattered Broadway records by grossing approximately $2.8 million last week.

Jeff London reported that the Barrymore Theater has seen packed audiences eager to witness the star-studded performances, with single tickets for premium seats reaching prices as high as $900. On average, each customer spends over $360 on tickets, surpassing the previous Broadway box office record set by "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" during the Christmas week of 2023.

"Othello" is scheduled for a 15-week limited run, marking a significant achievement in Broadway history.

5. Economic and Historical News

• Wall Street experienced a notable downturn today, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 478 points.

• In historical news, the wreckage of the Western Reserve, one of the first steel cargo ships on the Great Lakes, was discovered approximately 60 miles northwest of Whitefish Point on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The ship, which sank during a gale on Lake Superior in August 1892 with 28 people aboard, was located at a depth of 600 feet using sonar and an underwater drone by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society.

• Crude oil futures saw a modest increase, settling at $66.25 per barrel. However, gains remained subdued amid concerns over a potential U.S. economic slowdown.

Notable Quotes

• Marco Rubio ([00:39]): "What we leave here with today is a commitment that the Ukrainians are ready to stop fighting. They're ready to stop the shooting so that they can get to the table and bring about peace for their country and for the world."

• Marco Rubio ([00:50]): "This is not Mean Girls or some television show. This is about stopping the fighting and starting negotiations."

• Elon Musk ([01:13]): "Tracing the attack and found it was coming from what I described as the Ukraine area."

• Caroline Levitt ([02:30]): "The secretary of state has the legal authority to revoke the green card of anyone who is adversarial to the foreign policy and national security interests of the U.S."

Conclusion

Today's episode of NPR News Now provided a comprehensive overview of significant developments in international diplomacy, U.S. politics, cybersecurity, cultural achievements, and economic indicators. From efforts to broker peace in Ukraine and government budget negotiations to the latest in Broadway success and historical discoveries, listeners were kept informed on a broad spectrum of current events.

This summary was prepared based on the transcript of the NPR News Now episode released on March 11, 2025, at 6 PM EDT.