NPR News: 03-23-2025 12AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: March 23, 2025 – Comprehensive Summary

Host: Dan Ronan
Release Date: March 23, 2025
Duration: Approximately 5 minutes

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Venezuela Resumes Deportation Flights Amid U.S. Pressure

Venezuela's government has announced the resumption of deportation flights for its citizens previously deported to the United States. This decision marks a significant policy reversal by President Nicolas Maduro, who had previously halted these flights, labeling them as kidnappings.

Key Points:

• Announcement: Jorge Rodriguez, President of Venezuela's National Assembly, declared on Instagram that flights will resume starting Sunday. He emphasized that "migration is not a crime" and expressed Venezuela's commitment to ensuring the return of all required individuals.

  "Migration is not a crime and Venezuela will not rest until it secures the return of all those who require."
  — Jorge Rodriguez [00:41]

• U.S. Involvement: The Trump administration had previously threatened additional sanctions against Maduro if deportations did not continue. The resumption aligns with the U.S.'s stance against Maduro's authoritarian measures.

• Recent Developments: Just a week prior, over 200 Venezuelan migrants were deported to El Salvador, with U.S. authorities alleging that most were affiliated with violent gangs. President Maduro condemned these actions as kidnappings and insisted on the migrants' return.

• Economic Implications: Maduro's decision coincides with the Trump administration's contemplation of extending Chevron's license to operate in Venezuela, which is crucial for the country's revenue streams.

Reporter: Carrie Kahn, Rio de Janeiro
Timestamp: [00:41]

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Escalation of Conflict in Ukraine with Russian Drone Attacks

Ukraine faces renewed aggression as Russian drones targeted the city of Zaporizhzhia, resulting in casualties and property damage despite a recently agreed-upon limited ceasefire.

Key Points:

• Attack Details: A series of twelve Russian drones struck Zaporizhzhia, leading to three fatalities and fourteen injuries. The assault set multiple buildings and a vehicle ablaze.

  "Authorities say the three people who were killed in this latest attack were all from the same family."
  — Dan Ronan [01:28]

• Ceasefire Uncertainty: Although Russia and Ukraine had reached an agreement in principle for a limited ceasefire earlier in the week, the specifics regarding which targets are exempt remain unclear, allowing for continued hostilities.

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High-Stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

The upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court election is garnering nationwide attention as it holds the potential to shift the court's balance of power between liberals and conservatives.

Key Points:

• Candidates:

  • Brad Schimmel (Republican): A suburban Milwaukee Circuit Judge receiving backing from Republicans, including a recent endorsement from former President Trump.

    "Absolutely nothing. He called me and he knows about the race and he knows that it's important that we have the rule of law in Wisconsin."
    — Brad Schimmel [02:39]

  • Susan Crawford (Democrat): A Madison Area Circuit Judge supported by Democratic constituents, with her campaign criticizing Schimmel for aligning with right-wing special interests.

    "Schimmel has, quote, spent his entire career on Bent Knee to right wing special interests."
    — Susan Crawford's Campaign [02:47]

• Campaign Dynamics: The race intensified with President Trump's public endorsement of Schimmel and discussions about potential interactions between Schimmel and the former president. Despite these endorsements, Schimmel maintains that he did not make any promises to Trump in return.

• Voter Engagement: Early voting has commenced ahead of the April 1st election day, reflecting the high stakes and voter interest in the outcome.

Reporter: Chuck Kormbach, Milwaukee
Timestamp: [02:16] - [02:47]

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New York City’s Drinking Water at Risk from Elevated Road Salt Levels

New York City officials are raising alarms over the increasing concentration of road salt in the city's reservoirs, posing a threat to both public health and the environment.

Key Points:

• Health and Environmental Impact: Elevated salt levels in the drinking water supply can be detrimental to individuals on low-sodium diets and may lead to broader environmental consequences.

  "We've protected the environment by reducing and stopping the use of harmful chemicals, whether it was DDT or, or PCBs or, as we look forward, things like PFAS and the forever chemicals. We now need to focus on road salt as something that is harming our environment."
  — Rohit Aggarwala, NYC Department of Environmental Protection [04:11]

• Future Projections: If current trends continue, authorities warn that the reservoirs supplying 10% of New York City's drinking water could become unusable, necessitating their abandonment.

Reporter: Eva Pukach, NPR News
Timestamp: [03:58] - [04:29]

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Heathrow Airport Resumes Operations After Electrical Fire

Europe's busiest airport, Heathrow, has overcome recent disruptions caused by an electrical fire and is actively working to eliminate the backlog of flights.

Key Points:

• Incident Overview: An electrical fire earlier in the week led to a temporary shutdown of Heathrow's operations, causing significant delays and cancellations.

• Current Status: Airlines have reported that operations are back to normal, with efforts focused on clearing the accumulated backlog to restore regular flight schedules.

Reporter: Dan Ronan, NPR News
Timestamp: [04:41]

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Additional Highlights

• Wall Street Update: Stocks are set to open on a positive note following a successful week where the Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq all closed in positive territory on Friday.

• Former President Trump's Sporting Appearances: President Trump attended the NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia this Saturday. Since returning to the White House, he has frequented various sporting events, including the Super Bowl, Daytona 500, and a UFC fight. This marks his second attendance at the NCAA event within three years.

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This summary provides an overview of the key news stories covered in the NPR News Now episode released on March 23, 2025. For more detailed coverage, listeners are encouraged to tune into the full podcast.

Transcript

[Sponsor Announcement]

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.

[Dan Ronan]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan. Venezuela's government says beginning Sunday it will once again accept flights from citizens deported to from the United States. The repatriation flights were halted by Venezuela's authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration had threatened to slap more sanctions on Maduro if the flights did not resume. NPR's Carrie Kahn reports.

[Carrie Kahn]

The president of Venezuela's National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, announced the resumption of flights. In a statement on Instagram, Rodriguez, who has been negotiating with the U.S. stated migration is not a crime and Venezuela will not rest until it secures the return of all those who require. A week ago, the US sent more than 200 Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador, claiming most were members of a violent gang. President Maduro says the deportations are a kidnapping and demands the migrants return. Maduro's capitulation on accepting repatriation flights come as Trump is considering extending the Chevron oil company's license to operate in Venezuela, which provides vital revenue for the country. Carrie Kann, NPR News, Rio de Janeiro.

[Dan Ronan]

That's the sound of anti aircraft fire in Ukraine as Russian drones attack the city of Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian officials said three people died, 14 others were wounded. The city was hit by a dozen drones, setting several buildings and a car on fire. Earlier this week, Russia and Ukraine agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire to end the more than three years of fighting, although it's not clear what possible targets would be off limits in an attack. Authorities say the three people who were killed in this latest attack were all from the same family. An upcoming state Supreme Court election in Wisconsin is attracting national attention. It will determine whether liberals or conservatives control the court. Chuck Kormbach of member station WUWM in Milwaukee has our story.

[Chuck Kormbach]

Republicans are backing suburban Milwaukee Circuit Judge Brad Schimmel in the state Supreme Court race against Madison Area Circuit Judge Susan Crawford, who is supported by Democrats. President Trump endorsed Schimmel on social media Friday night and the GOP backed judge says there was a phone call with the president, too. Schimmel was asked what he promised Trump in return.

[Brad Schimmel]

Absolutely nothing. He called me and he knows about the race and he knows that it's important that we have the rule of law in Wisconsin.

[Chuck Kormbach]

Crawford's campaign says Schimmel has, quote, spent his entire career on Bent Knee to right wing special interests. Early voting has started in the Wisconsin contest ahead of election day, April 1st. For NPR News, I'm Chuck Kuernbach in Milwaukee.

[Dan Ronan]

On Wall street, stocks will open Monday after ending the week on an up note. On Friday, the Dow, the S and P and the Nasdaq all finished in positive territory. You're listening to NPR News. President Trump on Saturday attended the NCAA wrestling championships at the Wells Fargo center in Philadelphia. In the more than two months since he returned to the White House, Trump's travels have taken him to numerous sporting events, including the super bowl in New Orleans, the Daytona 500 in Florida and a UFC fight in New York City when he was the president elect. This is the second time in three years that Trump has attended the NCAA event. New York City officials are warning that road salt is endangering the drinking water supply for more than 9 million people. As NPR's Eva Pukech reports, the higher levels of salt cannot be easily filtered out or treated.

[Eva Pukach]

The high salt levels in the drinking water could be harmful to people on low sodium diets and pose an environmental threat. Rohit Aggarwala is New York City's Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner.

[Rohit Aggarwala]

We've protected the environment by reducing and stopping the use of harmful chemicals, whether it was ddt or, or PCBs or, as we look forward, things like PFAS and the forever chemicals. We now need to focus on road salt as something that is harming our environment.

[Eva Pukach]

If salt level trends continue, city officials say the reservoirs that supply 10% of the city's drinking water may eventually need to be abandoned. Eva Pukach, NPR News.

[Dan Ronan]

The busiest airport in Europe, Heathrow Airport, is now back up and running. The airlines say they're working to clear the backlog. This after an electrical fire shut down operations earlier this week. This is NPR News from Washington.

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