NPR News: 03-20-2025 4AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: Detailed Summary of March 20, 2025, Episode

Host: Shea Stevens
Release Date: March 20, 2025
Duration: 5 Minutes

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1. President Trump's Executive Order to Shut Down the Department of Education

President Donald Trump is anticipated to sign an executive order aimed at dissolving the Department of Education. The directive, according to a draft, instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to revert educational authorities back to state control. Additionally, the order seeks the elimination of departmental funding for programs related to diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and gender ideology.

Key Points:

• State Control: The executive order emphasizes devolving education authorities to individual states.
• Funding Cuts: It targets the withdrawal of funding for DEI and gender-related programs within the Department of Education.

No direct quotes were provided for this section.

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2. Justice Department's Compliance with Judge Boasberg on Venezuelan Deportations

The Justice Department (DOJ) faces a deadline today to comply with U.S. District Judge James Boasberg's request for detailed information regarding recent weekend flights that deported Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador. Judge Boasberg has stipulated that the DOJ must either provide the requested information or present a compelling argument that doing so would jeopardize state secrets.

Key Points:

• Compliance Deadline: The DOJ must respond to the judge's demands by today.
• Potential Legal Battle: Non-compliance could lead to legal challenges based on national security concerns.

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3. White House's Stance on Deportation Flights

White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt addressed questions regarding the continuation of deportation flights. Levitt stated:

"We don't have any flights planned specifically, but we will continue with the mass deportations. And I would just like to point out that the judge in this case is essentially trying to say that the president doesn't have the executive authority to deport foreign terrorists from our American soil. That is an egregious abuse of the bench. This judge cannot, does not have that authority. It is the opinion of this White House and of this administration and that's why we're fighting this in court."
— Caroline Levitt [01:11]

Levitt affirmed the administration's readiness to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court if necessary, underscoring the administration's commitment to its deportation policies.

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4. Federal Judge's Decision on US Institute of Peace Takeover

A federal judge has declined to block the takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), a taxpayer-funded think tank, amidst ongoing litigation. The takeover involved members of Elon Musk's Doge team, who, accompanied by armed police, forcibly entered the institute on Monday, compelling staff to vacate.

Judge Beryl Howell remarked on the incident:

"The Doge takeover was offensive, but there are concerns about the way the plaintiffs crafted their lawsuit."
— Judge Beryl Howell [01:39]

While condemning the manner of the takeover, Judge Howell indicated potential issues with the plaintiffs' legal approach, allowing the lawsuit to proceed without an injunction.

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5. President Trump's Diplomatic Efforts in Ukraine and Russia

President Trump's recent diplomatic engagements include a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which he proposed that the U.S. take control of Ukraine's power plants to safeguard their security. This discussion follows Trump's extensive phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding a partial ceasefire in the ongoing conflict.

Asma Khalid reports:

"Trump says he's trying to align Ukraine and Russia's requests and needs. After Trump spoke with Russia's Vladimir Putin, Moscow agreed to stop strikes on energy infrastructure. But Zelensky says that even after that agreement, Russian drones hit energy targets and two hospitals."
— Asma Khalid [02:35]

Despite these high-level talks, the conflict persists, with continued attacks on critical infrastructure and civilian institutions, highlighting the fragile nature of the ceasefire.

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6. Conviction in Child Nutrition Fraud Case

In Minnesota, a federal jury has found two individuals guilty of embezzling $250 million from taxpayer-funded child nutrition programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors detailed that the defendant, founder of the nonprofit "Feed Our Future," and a co-defendant established fraudulent meal distribution sites, submitting thousands of false reimbursement claims.

Key Points:

• Fraudulent Activities: Creation of fake distribution sites and bogus claims.
• Legal Consequences: Among dozens charged, 37 have pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy, wire fraud, and bribery.

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7. Rise in ADHD Prescription and Misuse

A study published in JAMA Psychiatry reveals a significant increase in ADHD prescriptions among Americans, paralleling a rise in misuse of these medications. NPR's Katia Riddle reports on the findings:

"During the pandemic, many adults started taking stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The researchers who conducted this study looked at how people are using these drugs in light of this new demand. They underscored that most people do use stimulants safely and effectively and emphasized that it's important to keep them widely available. However, they did also find that more than 25% of adults with a prescription reported misuse. That means taking too much of a drug or too often or any other ways their doctor did not prescribe. This kind of behavior is correlated with substance use disorder of other kinds that can be quite dangerous. The researchers called for careful monitoring of people using these drugs."
— Katia Riddle [04:01]

The study highlights the necessity for vigilant oversight to prevent potential substance abuse arising from the increased availability of ADHD medications.

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8. Financial Markets Update

U.S. futures closed higher in after-hours trading, following gains observed on Wednesday. Conversely, Asia-Pacific markets largely faced declines, with Hong Kong's market dropping by 2%.

Key Points:

• U.S. Markets: Positive momentum continued in after-hours trading.
• Asia-Pacific Markets: Predominant downturn, notably in Hong Kong.

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Note: Advertisements and sponsor messages were excluded from this summary to focus solely on the news content.

Transcript

[Dana Farber Cancer Institute]

This message comes from NPR sponsor Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Thanks to Dana Farber's foundational work, protein degradation can target cancer causing proteins and destroy them right inside the cell. Learn [e-mail] everywhere.

[Shea Stevens]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. President Trump is expected to sign an executive order today calling for the shutdown of the Department of Education. A draft of the order directs education secretary Linda McMahon to take steps to return education authorities to the states. It also calls for the elimination of any department funding to programs or activities involving diversity, equity and inclusion or gender ideology. The Justice Department was given until today to comply with a judge's demand for more information on the weekend flights that carried some Venezuelan deportees to El Salvador. U.S. district Judge James Boasberg says DOJ lawyers must comply or make a claim that doing so would harm state secrets. At a briefing Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt was asked if the deportation flights are continuing.

[Caroline Levitt]

We don't have any flights planned specifically, but we will continue with the mass deportations. And I would just like to point out that the judge in this case is essentially trying to say that the president doesn't have the executive authority to deport foreign terrorists from our American soil. That is an egregious abuse of the bench. This judge cannot, does not have that authority. It is the opinion of this White House and of this administration and that's why we're fighting this in court.

[Shea Stevens]

Levitt says the White House is prepared to take the matter all the way to the Supreme Court. A federal judge is refusing to block the takeover of the US Institute of Peace, a taxpayer funded think tank in Washington, while a lawsuit proceeds. The request came from former USIP staff who say members of Elon Musk's Doge team, accompanied by armed police, forced their way into the institute on Monday and ordered staff to leave. U.S. district Judge Beryl Howell says the Doge takeover was offensive, but suggested there are concerns about the way the plaintiffs crafted their lawsuit. President Trump is sounding upbeat about his phone conversation with Ukrainian President Zelensky. Wednesday. Trump told Zelensky that the US should take control of Ukraine's power plants to ensure their security. In their conversation came a day after Trump held a lengthy phone call with Russia's leader on a partial ceasefire deal. Asma Khalid reports.

[Asma Khalid]

This all comes as Trump tries to broker a truce. He wants to end this now three year war. The president posted on social media that he had a, quote, very good telephone call with Zelensky and said much of their discussion was based on the conversation he had Tuesday with Russia's leader, Trump says he's trying to align Ukraine and Russia's requests and needs. After Trump spoke with Russia's Vladimir Putin, Moscow agreed to stop strikes on energy infrastructure. But Zelensky says that even after that agreement, Russian drones hit energy targets and two hospitals. Asma Khalid, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

This is npr. A federal jury in Minnesota has convicted two people of stealing $250 million from taxpayer funded child nutrition programs during the COVID pandemic. Prosecutors say the founder of the nonprofit Feed Our Future and co defendant set up fake meal distribution sites and submitted thousands of bogus reimbursement claims. The pair were among dozens of defendants charged with conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery, including 37 who pleaded guilty. More Americans are taking prescriptions for ADHD than ever before and misuse of the medications are on the rise. That's according to a new study from JAMA Psychiatry. NPR's Katia Riddle has the story.

[Katia Riddle]

During the pandemic, many adults started taking stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The researchers who conducted this study looked at how people are using these drugs in light of this new demand. They underscored that most people do use stimulants safely and effectively and emphasized that it's important to keep them widely available. However, they did also find that more than 25% of adults with a prescription reported misuse. That means taking too much of a drug or too often or any other ways their doctor did not prescribe. This kind of behavior is correlated with substance use disorder of other kinds that can be quite dangerous. The researchers called for careful monitoring of people using these drugs. Katie Ruddell, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

U.S. futures are higher in after hours trading on Wall street following Wednesday's gains when Asia Pacific market shares are mostly lower, down 2% in Hong Kong. This is NPR News.

[Dana Farber Cancer Institute]

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