NPR News: 03-17-2025 2PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: March 17, 2025, 2PM EDT

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Release Date: March 17, 2025
Duration: Approximately 5 minutes

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Immigration Policy Controversy

Timestamp: [00:17]

NPR’s Lakshmi Singh opens the episode by addressing a significant dispute between the White House and the judiciary regarding immigration enforcement. The White House has denied allegations that it ignored a court order to halt deportations. Specifically, the Trump Administration has utilized an 18th-century Wartime law to transfer hundreds of immigrants, purported to be Venezuelan gang members, to El Salvador.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is sharply criticizing the administration, asserting that it is bypassing due process. Lee Glernt, the deputy director of the ACLU's Immigrants Rights Project, spoke to MSNBC about these concerns:

Quote:
"Overnight whether any flights left after the court's order, whether any flights landed after the court's order, and then whether anybody was handed over to the Salvadoran government after the court's order. If any of that happened, it's a violation of the court's order and a very, very serious matter."
— Lee Glernt, ACLU, [00:49]

Furthermore, legal experts like Lawrence emphasize that this situation is fundamentally about the separation of powers. He criticized the administration for "thumbing their nose at Congress and the courts," highlighting the tension between different branches of government over immigration policy.

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Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Negotiations

Timestamp: [01:08]

The podcast delves into the ongoing efforts by mediators from Egypt and Qatar to broker a new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The primary goal of these negotiations is to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza. However, several disputes remain unresolved, particularly concerning the number of hostages to be released and the framework for a permanent resolution to the conflict.

Quote:
"Israel is demanding the immediate release of 11 out of the 24 living hostages still held in Gaza. The US is calling for an exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners and an extension of the ceasefire for many weeks to try to reach a permanent end of the war."
— Daniel Estrin, NPR, [01:34]

Israel insists on the immediate release of a specific number of hostages, while the United States advocates for a broader exchange that includes Palestinian prisoners and seeks to prolong the ceasefire to facilitate a long-term peace agreement. Hamas has offered to release one American-Israeli hostage but demands instant talks on ending the war permanently. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated his intention to dismiss his domestic intelligence chief, citing a loss of trust. This security chief has been instrumental in pushing for a hostage release deal with Hamas, adding another layer of complexity to the negotiations.

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Cuts to Homelessness Policy Agency

Timestamp: [02:18]

A controversial decision by President Trump to dismantle a federal agency overseeing homelessness policy has sparked significant concern. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), established in 1987, coordinates policies across 19 government agencies to address homelessness. Despite homelessness reaching record highs, the administration views the agency as redundant.

Quote:
"It's doing a lot with very little. And any cuts will make it impossible for the agency to fulfill its statutory mandates."
— Jeff Olivet, Former Leader of USICH, [02:53]

Jeff Olivet, who previously led USICH, criticized the proposed reductions, highlighting the agency’s effectiveness despite its minimal staffing. He pointed out that USICH has been instrumental in significantly reducing veteran homelessness and aiding cities in managing the increase in individuals sleeping outdoors. Jennifer Lund from NPR notes that the memo aims to minimize the agency to the bare essentials as defined by law, but stakeholders argue that such cuts would cripple its ability to make meaningful impacts.

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St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

Timestamp: [03:13]

The episode shifts to lighter news with coverage of St. Patrick’s Day festivities. New York City’s annual parade is highlighted, expected to attract millions to Fifth Avenue and other locales. Celebrations are not limited to the U.S.; tens of thousands gathered in London, where the Princess of Wales participated.

Quote:
"Catherine sipped half a pint of Guinness as she celebrated St Patrick's Day with the Irish Guards. She missed last year's festivities after she was diagnosed with cancer."
— BBC Report, [03:13]

Princess Catherine’s appearance brought notable attention, symbolizing both royal support for the cultural event and her personal triumph over health challenges.

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March Madness: Women’s College Basketball Tournament

Timestamp: [03:36]

March Madness kicks off with the women’s college basketball tournament, featuring fierce competition and high stakes. The South Carolina Gamecocks, led by their head coach, aim to defend their title after an undefeated season last year. However, this year’s competition is stiffer, with South Carolina earning a one-seed but appearing more vulnerable.

Quote:
"The women's tournament tips off Wednesday with a pair of play-in games, and the round of 64 begins Friday."
— Becky Sullivan, NPR, [04:06]

Top seeds include UCLA, whose men’s team boasts a storied history, while the women’s team is striving to reach the Final Four for the first time. Key players like Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice for UCLA, and Paige Beckers from UConn, the presumptive number one pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, are highlighted. Southern California and Texas are also among the top contenders, setting the stage for an exciting tournament.

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U.S. Stock Market Update

Timestamp: [04:43]

Concluding the episode, Lakshmi Singh provides a brief update on the U.S. stock market, noting a significant uptick.

Quote:
"The Dow is up more than 400 points now, or more than 1%, at 41,912."
— Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, [04:43]

This surge reflects investor confidence and positive market movements, contributing to the overall economic narrative of the day.

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Note: This summary excludes all advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections to focus solely on the substantive news covered in the episode.

Transcript

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[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The White House denies that it ignored a judge's order to temporarily halt deportations. The Trump Administration invoked an 18th century Wartime law to transfer hundreds of immigrants alleged to be Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador. But the American Civil Liberties Union accuses the administration of flouting due process. The deputy director of the ACLU's Immigrants Rights Project, Lee Glernt, tells MSNBC the plaintiffs raised several questions in a filing.

[Lee Glernt]

Overnight whether any flights left after the court's order, whether any flights landed after the court's order, and then whether anybody was handed over to the Salvadoran government after the court's order. If any of that happened, it's a violation of the court's order and a very, very serious matter.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Lawrence says fundamentally the case is about the separation of powers and as he sees it, the administration, quote, thumbing their nose at Congress and the courts, end quote. Mediators from Egypt and Qatar are working to negotiate a new ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas designed to win the release of hostages in Gaza. NPR's Daniel Estrin reports. Disputes remain on the numbers of hostages to be released and how to reach a permanent end to the conflict.

[Daniel Estrin]

Israel is demanding the immediate release of 11 out of the 24 living hostages still held in Gaza. The US is calling for an exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners and an extension of the ceasefire for many weeks to try to reach a permanent end of the war. Hamas says it will release one living American Israeli hostage, but is demanding immediate talks on permanently ending the war. Israel is not yet ready to commit to an end of the war, with Hamas still ruling Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants to fire his domestic intelligence chief because he has lost trust in him. The security chief has been a main proponent of a hostage release deal with Hamas. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

[Lakshmi Singh]

President Trump's gutting a federal agency that oversees homelessness policy. A White House memo says the agency is no longer needed, even though homelessness in the U.S. hit a record high last year. Here's NPR's Jennifer Lund.

[Jennifer Lund]

The move targets the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, which coordinates policy among 19 agencies. It was created in 1987 precisely to make government more efficient, says Jeff Olivet, who led it most recently. The memo calls for reducing the agency to the minimum required by law. But with just 20 people, he says, it's already bare bones.

[Jeff Olivet]

It's doing a lot with very little. And any cuts will make it impossible for the agency to fulfill its statutory mandates.

[Jennifer Lund]

All of it credits the agency with helping dramatically reduce veteran homelessness and helping certain cities stem the rise in people sleeping outside. Jennifer Lutton, NPR News, Washington.

[Lakshmi Singh]

This is npr. It's a very green day across the country, the annual St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City, many people decked out in green. The event expected to draw millions of spectators to New York City's Fifth Avenue and other cities. Today, tens of thousands turned out for celebrations in London. The Princess of Wales got in on the fun, as the BBC describes it. Catherine sipped half a pint of Guinness as she celebrated St Patrick's Day with the Irish Guards. She missed last year's festivities after she was diagnosed with cancer. March Madness is here. The women's college basketball tournament tips off this week. South Carolina and its head coach are looking to defend last year's title, but NPR's Becky Sullivan reports they have tough competition this year.

[Becky Sullivan]

The Gamecocks went undefeated last season from start to finish, winning the championship. This year. They earned a one seed but look a bit more vulnerable. The top overall seed went to ucla, a school whose men's team is full of history. But the women have never reached the Final Four with stars Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice. Anything less than that will be a disappointment this time. Southern Cal and Texas are the other top seeds. The presumptive number one pick in the upcoming WNBA draft is Paige Beckers. Her UConn Huskies haven't won a championship since 2016. They're a 2 seed now. The women's tournament tips off Wednesday with a pair of play in games, and the round of 64 begins Friday. Becky Sullivan, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

U.S. stocks higher this hour. The Dow up more than 400 points now, or more than 1% at 41,912. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.

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