NPR News: 04-01-2025 8AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: April 1, 2025, 8AM EDT

Hosted by NPR

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Wisconsin Supreme Court Election: A Battleground for Key Issues

Timestamp: 00:16 – 00:54

In today's Wisconsin Supreme Court election, voters are not only deciding who will occupy an open seat but also setting the tone for several pivotal state issues. Mayan Silver reports that the outcome will significantly influence abortion access, labor rights, voting rights, and redistricting within Wisconsin.

The race has attracted heavyweight endorsements and substantial financial backing from influential figures like former President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. Their involvement has turned the election into a barometer for voter sentiment toward these prominent personalities.

Key Highlights:

• Implications: The court's future decisions on critical issues such as abortion and voting rights.
• Endorsements and Funding: High-profile support from Trump and Musk, alongside a $2 million donation from liberal donor George Soros to Wisconsin Democrats backing the liberal candidate.
• Voter Sentiment: Democrats aim to channel the electorate's frustration with recent actions by Trump and Musk.

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Continued Search for Missing Journalist Austin Tice

Timestamp: 00:54 – 01:57

President Donald Trump addressed the ongoing search for Austin Tice, an American journalist who has been missing in Syria since 2012. Franco Ordonez outlines that Tice, an accomplished freelance journalist and Marine veteran, has yet to be located despite the passage of nearly thirteen years.

Notable Quotes:

• Donald Trump [01:31]: "It's just a lot of dead ends. He's been gone for a long time. The problem is there's never been a sighting. You know, sometimes you'll have somebody, you're looking for him and there's a sighting. There's never been a sighting of Austin."

Despite hopes following a December uprising that ousted Syria's former dictator, President Trump remains resolute, stating that the search will continue until definitive information emerges.

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U.S. Aid Response to Myanmar Earthquake Under Scrutiny

Timestamp: 01:57 – 03:08

In the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in Myanmar that claimed at least 2,700 lives, the State Department is dispatching aid officials to assist in recovery efforts. However, the response has faced criticism due to perceived delays stemming from the Trump administration's restructuring of the primary U.S. aid agency.

Insights from Michelle Kellerman:

• The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) typically leads early disaster response, but recent administrative changes have hampered swift action.
• Jeremy Kanondyke [02:44]: "The U.S.' ability to respond to international disasters. Will they now restore it? They should. I'm not seeing any indication that they will."

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce counters these criticisms by highlighting a $2 million aid package directed to relief organizations in Myanmar, asserting that the U.S. remains committed to providing assistance despite structural changes.

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Wall Street's Turbulent Quarter and Soaring Gold Prices

Timestamp: 03:08 – 04:04

Wall Street is experiencing a rough period, with stock futures declining and the Nasdaq and S&P 500 recording their worst quarter in three years. Maria Aspen reports that investor anxiety is largely attributed to President Trump's recently imposed tariffs, which have introduced uncertainty into the markets.

Market Dynamics:

• Gold Surge: The price of gold has surpassed $3,100 per ounce, reaching record highs as investors seek safe havens amidst economic uncertainty.

Expert Commentary:

• Lee Baker, Claris Financial Advisors [03:59]: "When it seems like the world is going to hell in a handbasket, gold usually appreciates."

However, Baker also cautions about the potential risks of investing in gold, noting that "what goes up can also come down," suggesting that the precious metal's ascent may not be indefinite.

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Senator Cory Booker's Marathon Speaking on the Senate Floor

Timestamp: 04:12 – 04:55

In an unprecedented display of persistence, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey has been speaking continuously for 13 hours on the Senate floor. While not a formal filibuster, Booker's extensive discourse serves as a critical commentary on President Trump's policies.

Focus Areas:

• Critiques of Trump's Agenda: From inadvertent deportations of immigrants to the economic impact of tariff policies.
• Constituent Concerns: Booker has been vocal about worries related to potential cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, using letters from constituents to underscore these fears.

Simultaneously, the Senate is poised to vote on a Democratic-backed resolution aimed at ending Trump's tariffs on Canadian goods. Democrats argue that these tariffs effectively act as a tax increase on American consumers, further fueling their opposition to the administration's economic strategies.

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Conclusion

Today's NPR News Now episode provided a comprehensive overview of significant national and international developments. From the high-stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court election and the relentless search for journalist Austin Tice to the scrutinized U.S. aid response in Myanmar, Wall Street's volatility, and Senator Cory Booker's Senate floor marathon, the episode encapsulated a range of critical issues shaping the current socio-political landscape.

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Note: Advertisements and non-content segments have been excluded from this summary to focus solely on the informative sections of the podcast.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. Voters in Wisconsin are going to the polls today to fill an open seat on the state Supreme Court. From member station WWN Mayon Silver has more.

[Mayan Silver]

This election has implications for the future of abortion access, labor rights, voting rights and redistricting in the state. But it's also become a temperature check on how voters feel about President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. The two have infused themselves in this race with endorsements and millions of dollars as Democrats try to harness anger among their base over Musk and Trump's actions the past two months.

[Korva Coleman]

Mayan Silver reporting. Liberal donor George Soros has donated $2 million to Wisconsin Democrats who are supporting the liberal candidate. President Trump says the search for missing American journalist Austin Tice continues. NPR's Franco Ordonez reports. Tice disappeared in Syria nearly 13 years ago.

[Franco Ordonez]

Austin Tice is an award winning freelance journalist and Marine veteran. He wrote for The Washington Post, McClatchy Newspapers and other US based outlets before he was captured in Syria 2012. Speaking from the Oval Office, President Trump said there's been virtually no sign of him.

[Donald Trump]

It's just a lot of dead ends. He's been gone for a long time. The problem is there's never been a sighting. You know, sometimes you'll have somebody, you're looking for him and there's a sighting. There's never been a sighting of Austin.

[Franco Ordonez]

In December, a rebel group ousted Syria's former dictator, leading to hopes that Tice would soon be found. Trump says they'll never stop looking until they find out something definitive. Franco Ordonez, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

The State Department says it is sending some aid officials to Myanmar to help identify needs as that country tries to recover from a devastating earthquake. The Myanmar military government says at least 2,700 have been killed by last week's quake. Critics say the US Response has been slow because the Trump administration has dismantled the lead aid agency. As NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports, normally the.

[Michelle Kellerman]

U.S. agency for International Development is on the scene early in disasters, with rescue teams helping in the search for survivors. But on the same day as this earthquake, the Trump administration sent out notices to remaining USAID employees cutting their jobs. And Obama era aid official Jeremy Kanondyke puts it this way, they have broken.

[Jeremy Kanondyke]

The U.S. s ability to respond to international disasters. Will they now restore it? They should. I'm not seeing any indication that they will.

[Michelle Kellerman]

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce rejects that. She says things might not look the same, but the US is helping with up to $2 million in aid to relief groups in Myanmar. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.

[Korva Coleman]

On Wall street, stock futures are trading lower. You're listening to NPR News. The Nasdaq and The S&P 500 stock indexes have just ended the worst quarter they've had in three years. Investors are skittish about President Trump's tariffs, but NPR's Maria Aspen reports the price of gold is hitting all time highs.

[Maria Aspen]

A single ounce of gold now costs more than $3,100, and analysts expect it to keep on soaring. Gold is traditionally seen as a safe haven during times of uncertainty. Now President Trump's tariffs are causing a lot of uncertainty among investors and business businesses. They're also sparking fears about higher prices for consumers and the increasing potential for a recession. Lee Baker is the founder and CEO of Claris Financial Advisors in Atlanta.

[Lee Baker]

When it seems like the world is going to hell in a handbasket, gold usually appreciates.

[Maria Aspen]

But Baker warns that there can also be downsides to buying gold. What goes up can also come down. Maria Aspen, NPR News, New York, New.

[Korva Coleman]

Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker is still talking with the help of other Democrats. Booker has now been speaking for 13 hours straight on the Senate floor. He's criticizing President Trump's agenda, from immigrants being deported by mistake to Trump's tariff policies. This is not a filibuster. Booker has read letters from constituents who are afraid of possible cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Separately, the Senate is expected to vote today on a Democratic backed resolution. This calls for an end to President Trump's tariffs on goods from Canada. Democrats claim this amounts to a tax increase on American consumers. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.

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