NPR News: 03-24-2025 6PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: March 24, 2025 – 6 PM EDT Summary

On the March 24, 2025, episode of NPR News Now, host Jack Spear delivers a comprehensive overview of the day's most pressing news stories. Covering political developments, international incidents, economic updates, and insightful research, the episode provides listeners with an in-depth understanding of current events shaping the world.

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Trump Administration's National Security Breach

Timestamp: 00:13 – 01:15

NPR's Tamara Keith reports a significant security lapse within the Trump administration. Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was inadvertently added to a private group chat on the encrypted messaging app Signal. This chat included high-ranking officials such as the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and the National Security Advisor, where they discussed planned military actions against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

When questioned about the breach, President Donald Trump asserted his lack of awareness:

“Well, it couldn’t have been very effective because the attack was very effective. I can tell you that. I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time.” (00:56)

A spokesperson for the National Security Council confirmed the authenticity of the chat, highlighting that it violated longstanding national security protocols.

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Legal Challenge to Shuttering the Department of Education

Timestamp: 01:15 – 02:08

NPR's Alyssa Nadworny covers the first court challenge to President Trump's initiative aimed at dismantling the Department of Education. The administration's plan involves transferring responsibilities to other federal agencies, including the Health and Human Services Department and the Small Business Administration.

A group of union school districts and educators have filed a lawsuit in federal court, asserting that the executive order oversteps presidential authority and attempts to overturn 46 years of congressional decisions. The lawsuit specifically targets the move to transition the federal student loan portfolio, which totals approximately $1.6 trillion in debt.

The Department of Education, established by Congress in 1979, cannot be legally closed without explicit congressional approval, which the administration has not sought.

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UN Compound Attack in Gaza and Its Aftermath

Timestamp: 02:08 – 02:30

An unsettling incident in Gaza has led to the United Nations reducing its presence in the region. UN officials reported that an Israeli tank struck a UN compound in central Gaza on March 19, resulting in the death of a staffer and injuries to five others. Israel has denied responsibility for the explosion, adding to the complexity of the situation.

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Stock Market Response to the Trade War

Timestamp: 02:30 – 03:06

NPR's Scott Horsley discusses the recent movements in the stock market concerning President Trump's ongoing trade war with other nations. Despite initial fears that tariffs and retaliatory measures would severely dampen market performance, stocks rallied as investors hope for a more targeted approach from the White House.

Treasury Secretary has indicated that countries willing to open their markets to U.S. exports might be spared from the full brunt of the trade war. This sentiment is reflected in the market's response, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping nearly 1.5%, while the Nasdaq rose over 2%. Additionally, crude oil futures increased by 1%, settling at $69.11 per barrel, following the administration's proposal to impose a 25% tariff on nations purchasing oil from Venezuela.

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Impact of Audio Quality on Virtual Impressions

Timestamp: 03:06 – 04:07

NPR's Noel Greenfield Boyce highlights groundbreaking research from Yale University, revealing that high-quality audio during virtual meetings significantly enhances the speaker's perceived intelligence, attractiveness, and persuasiveness. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involved recording individuals in various contexts, including job interviews.

One example presented:

Job Interview Speaker: “My tenacious and proactive approach resulted in numerous important contract wins.” (03:36)

When this statement was delivered with high-quality audio, listeners were more likely to form favorable impressions compared to when the same audio was degraded.

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Tax Season Scams and Consumer Caution

Timestamp: 04:07 – 04:52

As tax season commences, Jack Spear warns listeners about the surge in scams targeting individuals seeking tax assistance. Common fraud tactics include identity theft, fraudulent payday promises on social media, and unsolicited phone calls purporting to be from federal agencies like the IRS. Spear advises caution, noting:

“If someone on the phone says they are from the IRS, chances are good they’re not.” (04:15)

Additionally, the episode touches on the potential economic implications of federal government layoffs, which could heighten consumer uncertainty. Meanwhile, oil prices climbed following positive stock market movements, despite ongoing trade tensions related to Venezuelan oil tariffs.

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This episode of NPR News Now provides a succinct yet thorough examination of the day's key events, offering listeners valuable insights and expert analysis on matters of national security, education policy, international conflicts, economic indicators, and consumer advice.

Transcript

[Carvana]

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[Jack Spear]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President Trump is claiming ignorance on a story sending shockwaves through Washington as NPR's Tamara Keith explains. A journalist from the Atlantic was apparently inadvertently added to a group chat where top Trump administration national security officials would discussing planned military action.

[Tamara Keith]

Atlantic magazine's editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg somehow got included in a group chat on the messaging app Signal where the secretary of defense, secretary of state, national security advisor and others were discussing plans for an attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen. When asked about the story and the breach hours after it came to light, President Trump said it was news to him.

[Donald Trump]

Well, it couldn't have been very effective because the attack was very effective. I can tell you that. I don't know anything about it. You're telling me about it for the first time.

[Tamara Keith]

A spokesman for the National Security Council confirms the chat, which broke with long standing national security protocol, appears to be authentic. Tamara Keith, NPR News.

[Jack Spear]

The Trump administration's plans to shunter to the Department of Education have met the first court challenge. NPR's Alyssa Nadworny reports. A group of union school districts and educators filed sue today in federal court, saying the effort to seek to overrule 46 years of congressional decision making.

[Alyssa Nadworny]

The lawsuit comes just a few days after President Trump signed an executive order directing the secretary, Secretary of education Linda McMahon, to, quote, take all steps necessary to facilitate the closure of the department. Trump later announced that the Health and Human Services Department would oversee nutrition programs and special education services and that the Small Business Administration would take over the federal student loan portfolio, which amounts to about $1.6 trillion in debt. The Education Department was formally created by Congress in 1979, and it cannot be closed without Congress's consent. Alyssa Nadworny, NPR News.

[Jack Spear]

After an incident in Gaza where UN Officials say an Israeli tank struck one of its compounds, killing a staffer and wounding five others, the agency says it's reducing its presence there. Israel has denied being behind the explosion March 19 at the UN Guest House in central Gaza, stocks rallied today in hopes of fallout from President Trump's trade war may not be as damaging as it had been feared. Here's NPR's Scott Horsley.

[Scott Horsley]

Concerns about tariffs and retaliation from U.S. trading partners have been a drag on the stock market in recent weeks, but investors now hope the White House might take a more targeted approach. The treasury secretary has said countries that open their own markets to US Exports could be spared in the trade war. A key sign could come next week when the president's promise to unveil additional tariff plans. Trump still sees tariffs as a useful tool, even if they raise costs for domestic consumers and invite a hostile response from other countries. In a social media post, Trump threatened to slap new import taxes on goods from countries that buy oil from Venezuela. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

[Jack Spear]

The dow dropped nearly 1.5%. The Nasdaq rose more than 2% today. You're listening to NPR. If you pay attention to how you look in virtual meetings, but not to how you sound, you may want to think again. NPR's Noel Greenfield Boyce says there's a new study that shows that higher quality audio can create more positive impressions of a speaker.

[Nell Greenfield Boyce]

Cognitive scientists at Yale University made recordings of people speaking in a variety of contexts. Here's one from a job interview scenario.

[Job Interview Speaker]

My tenacious and proactive approach resulted in numerous important contract wins.

[Nell Greenfield Boyce]

Then the researchers altered the recordings to create lower quality versions.

[Job Interview Speaker]

My tenacious and proactive approach resulted in numerous important contract wins.

[Nell Greenfield Boyce]

People who heard the high quality audio were consistently more likely to have favorable impressions of the speaker, seeing them as more intelligent, attractive and convincing. A report on this research appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Nell Greenfield Boyce, NPR News.

[Jack Spear]

It's tax time, which also means it's prime time for scammers to swoop in. That can include anything from stealing your identity, money or other sensitive information to using too good to be true payday promises on social media or even phone calls pretending to come from a federal agency. Bottom line, if someone on the phone says they are from the irs, chances are good they're not. Layoffs in the federal government could also increase uncertainty amongst consumers. Crude oil futures prices closed higher following stocks up. Oil rose 1% today after the Trump administration proposed imposing a 25% tariff on countries that buy oil from Venezuela. Oil rose 83 cents a barrel to settle at 69.11a barrel. In New York, I'm Jack Speier, NPR News, in Washington.

[Carvana]

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