NPR News: 03-17-2025 9AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now – March 17, 2025, 9 AM EDT

NPR News Now delivers the latest national and international news updates in concise five-minute segments. This episode, released on March 17, 2025, covers a range of topics from severe weather impacts in the United States to significant political developments and cultural celebrations.

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Severe Storms and Tragic Losses in the Southern United States

Korva Coleman opens the broadcast with a report on the devastating storms that swept through the central and southeastern United States over the weekend, resulting in at least 39 fatalities across seven states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama.

Emily Mosher provides an in-depth look into the aftermath in Troy, Alabama, where residents, once accustomed to a serene woodland environment, are grappling with extensive destruction caused by tornadoes. In her report from Troy Public Radio, Don Wambles of the Alabama Disaster Relief Association shares the emotional toll:

"You see that the damage, the destruction to people's lives and the fact that they're just absolutely overwhelmed by the damage." (00:59)

Governor Kay Ivey has extended her condolences to those affected, highlighting the state's ongoing efforts to support the survivors.

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U.S.-Russia Relations and the Ukraine Ceasefire Negotiations

In international news, President Donald Trump announced his intention to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin the following day, as the Trump administration seeks to broker a ceasefire in the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Charles Mainz reports on the complexities of this diplomatic endeavor:

"President Putin is on record saying he supports Trump's ceasefire proposal in principle. But the Kremlin leader also laid out a laundry list of issues that he insists require further discussions." (01:37)

Key concerns from Putin include:

• Preventing Ukraine from rearming during the ceasefire
• Establishing monitoring mechanisms for the agreement
• Defining penalties for any breaches of the ceasefire terms

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticizes Russia for allegedly stalling negotiations to bolster its battlefield position. Additionally, Moscow demands stringent security guarantees, explicitly excluding Ukraine from NATO membership and rejecting NATO-aligned European peacekeepers for monitoring the ceasefire.

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Legal Controversy Over Doctor’s Deportation from Lebanon

A significant legal development unfolds in Boston, where a federal judge has scheduled a hearing to review the potential deportation of Dr. Rasha Allaway, a kidney transplant specialist from Lebanon. Tovia Smith reports on the allegations against the Trump administration:

"Officials, quote, willfully disobeyed the judge's order and sent her back anyway." (02:36)

Dr. Allaway, who held an H1B visa for highly specialized workers, was detained upon returning from a family visit in Lebanon. Despite legal efforts to halt her deportation, including an urgent call from her lawyers to the airport control tower, the Trump administration proceeded with the deportation, raising serious concerns about adherence to judicial orders.

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Political and Economic Updates

Korva Coleman touches on Wall Street's pre-market trends, noting that Dow futures are down by approximately 160 points, signaling potential turbulence in the financial markets.

In a contentious political statement, President Trump alleges that former President Joe Biden's pardons are "void," attributing this determination to Biden allegedly using an automatic pen to sign them. Trump specifically criticizes pardons granted to members of the House committee investigating the January 6 attacks. However, legal experts clarify that the Constitution grants the president the authority to pardon offenses without provision for subsequent presidents to revoke these pardons.

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Pope Francis’ Health Update

Joe Hernandez reports on Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized in Rome for over a month. The Vatican released a poignant image of the 88-year-old pontiff praying in a hospital chapel. Despite battling bronchitis, a polymicrobial infection, and pneumonia in both lungs, Pope Francis is now reported to be stable and responding well to treatment.

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St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations Across the United States

On this St. Patrick's Day, numerous cities nationwide are celebrating Irish heritage with parades and public events. Korva Coleman highlights that New York City is hosting its parade today, following Boston's festivities on Sunday. Originally a religious holiday, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into a broader celebration, with March now recognized as Irish American Heritage Month in the United States.

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This episode of NPR News Now encapsulates the pressing issues of the day, from natural disasters and international diplomacy to significant legal battles and cultural festivities, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of current events.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. Strong storms in the central and southeastern US are blamed for at least 39 deaths over the weekend. People were killed in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama. From Troy Public Radio, Emily Mosher reports on what people in southern Alabama experienced.

[Emily Mosher]

People in Troy, Alabama, who once considered themselves living in the woods say that has changed after a tornado toppled hundreds of trees around their homes. Don Wambles with the Alabama Disaster Relief association has rushed to many scenes of destruction to provide aid, but he breaks down when talking about the tornado in his own neighborhood.

[Don Wambles]

You see that the damage, the destruction to people's lives and the fact that they're just absolutely overwhelmed by the damage.

[Emily Mosher]

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has expressed condolences to those across the state who have experienced property damage and loss of life. For NPR News, I'm Emily Mosher in Troy, Alabama.

[Korva Coleman]

President Trump says he will speak with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, tomorrow. The Trump administration continues to pursue a ceasefire deal in Ukraine. Trump has said he's cautiously optimistic about a peace deal. NPR's Charles Mainz reports. That's despite a list of concerns that Putin raised about the ceasefire plan.

[Charles Mainz]

President Putin is on record saying he supports Trump's ceasefire proposal in principle. But the Kremlin leader also laid out a laundry list of issues that he insists require further discussions. That includes how to keep Ukraine from using the ceasefire to rearm, who would monitor the agreement and what penalties might exist for violating its terms. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accuses Russia of stalling for time to improve its battlefield position. Meanwhile, Moscow continue to demand what a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official called ironclad security guarantees excluding Ukraine from NATO membership and ruled out NATO aligned European peacekeepers monitoring any ceasefire if and when it comes. Charles Mainz, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

A federal judge in Boston has set a hearing this morning to review the deportation of a doctor from Lebanon. NPR's Tovia Smith reports. The judge says he has received serious allegations that the Trump administration disobeyed his court order not to deport the doctor who was legally working in the U.S.

[Tovia Smith]

Rasha Allaway, a kidney transplant doctor at a Brown University affiliated medical group, was here on an H1B visa. That's the one meant for highly specialized workers, and she went to visit family in Lebanon. And when she returned, she was detained for 36 hours at Boston's Logan Airport. Apparently, even her lawyers made a frantic call to the airport control tower trying to stop the plane she was on. But they say officials, quote, willfully disobeyed the judge's order and sent her back anyway.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Tovia Smith reporting on Wall street and pre market trading, Dow futures are down by about 160 points. You're listening to NPR News. President Trump claims that pardons given by former President Joe Biden are, quote, void. Writing online, Trump claims that's because Biden used an auto pen to sign the pardons. There is no evidence of that. Trump singled out members of the House committee that investigated the January 6 attacks who received preemptive pardons. The Constitution specifically says the president has pardon power, and it does not say that subsequent presidents have the power to revoke these. The Vatican has released a photo of Pope Francis praying in a Hospital Chapel. NPR's Joe Hernandez reports. The 88 year old pontiff has been hospitalized in Rome for more than a month.

[Joe Hernandez]

The image published online by the Holy See Press office, shows Francis sitting in a wheelchair inside the hospital's private chapel. The Vatican says Francis, who was wearing a white robe and purple vestment, was praying after having just finished con celebrating Mass Sunday morning. The 88 year old Pope entered the hospital on February 14th for a case of bronchitis. While there, he developed several other medical issues, including a polymicrobial infection and pneumonia in both lungs. But doctors now say Francis is stable and responding well to his ongoing treatments. Joe Hernandez, NPR news.

[Korva Coleman]

On this St. Patrick's Day. Numerous cities around the country are holding events and parades to celebrate Irish heritage. New York City is holding its parade today. Boston celebrated on Sunday. St Patrick's Day was originally observed as a religious holiday. The US Observes March as Irish American Heritage Month. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.

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