NPR News: 04-09-2025 5AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: April 9, 2025

Host: Dave Mattingly
Released: April 9, 2025
Duration: Approximately 4 minutes

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1. Asian Stock Markets Decline Amid US-China Trade Tensions

NPR's Dave Mattingly opens the episode reporting a downward trend in Asian stock markets. Japan's Nikkei index notably closed nearly 4% lower as President Donald Trump's latest tariffs on China came into effect. This move has sparked concerns of an extended trade war, with Beijing asserting its readiness to engage in prolonged economic measures against the United States. Additionally, markets in Taiwan and Hong Kong experienced declines, reflecting investor unease. Wall Street futures mirrored this pessimism, trading mostly lower in the early morning hours.

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2. Trump Administration Pushes to Revitalize the Coal Industry

In a significant policy shift, President Trump has signed multiple executive orders aimed at expanding the use of coal within the United States. Lauren Sommer of NPR details the administration's strategy to allow older coal power plants to remain operational by relaxing existing air pollution standards. The orders also encourage coal mining on federal lands, positioning the industry to meet the increasing electricity demands from burgeoning sectors like data centers and artificial intelligence.

Lauren Sommer explains, "Trump's order could allow some older coal power plants to stay open by allowing them to meet less stringent air pollution rules." [00:41]

This initiative has garnered applause from coal industry stakeholders but has faced criticism from environmentalists. The resurgence of coal comes at a time when its share in electricity generation has plummeted by over 60% since 2010, primarily due to the rise of more cost-effective energy sources such as natural gas and renewables. Furthermore, coal is recognized for its significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating climate change concerns.

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3. Federal Funding Suspended for Cornell and Northwestern Universities

The Trump administration has taken a stringent stance against academic institutions by freezing more than $1 billion in federal funding allocated to Cornell University and nearly $800 million to Northwestern University. Dave Mattingly reports that the White House has placed these funds on hold pending a government investigation into alleged civil rights violations at both institutions. The administration has not provided further details, but this action is viewed as part of a broader effort to leverage government funding to align academic agendas with presidential policies.

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4. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Announces Challenge to Senator John Cornyn

In Texas political news, Attorney General Ken Paxton has declared his intention to challenge incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn in the upcoming GOP primary. Blaze Gainey of the Texas Newsroom covers Paxton's campaign launch, which took place on Fox's "The Ingraham Angle."

Paxton emphasized his commitment to Republican values and support for President Trump, stating, "We have another great U.S. senator Ted Cruz, and it's time we have another great senator that will actually stand up and fight for Republican values, fight for the values of, of the people of Texas, and also support Trump in the areas that he's focused on in a very significant way. And that's what I plan on doing." [02:15]

Gainey adds, "Paxton's hoping to unseat Cornyn, who's been representing Texas in the U.S. senate since 2002. He says the state is ready for a change." [02:06]

The primary challenge is expected to be highly competitive and costly, with both candidates preparing for a year-long campaign. Notably, Paxton faces scrutiny from his past, having been impeached on corruption charges in 2023, though he was subsequently acquitted.

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5. Tragic Nightclub Collapse in the Dominican Republic

A devastating incident unfolded in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where the roof of a nightclub collapsed during a concert by beloved merengue singer Ruby Perez, resulting in nearly 100 fatalities. Among the victims were former Major League Baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco. The BBC's Luis Varjado reports that investigators are exploring potential causes, including a previous fire in the building attributed to lightning a few years prior. The nightclub's owner has publicly stated full cooperation with authorities, but as of now, the exact reasons behind the collapse remain unclear.

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6. Southern California Youth Soccer Coach Faces Murder Charges

In Southern California, authorities have charged Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino, a youth soccer coach, with murder in connection to the death of a 13-year-old boy. Prosecutors allege that Aquino, also accused of being a sexual predator, was responsible for the teenager's disappearance and subsequent death. The family reported the boy missing on March 30 after he boarded a train to visit Aquino north of Los Angeles and failed to return. This case has sparked significant concern regarding safety and misconduct within youth sports programs.

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Stay informed with NPR News Now for the latest updates on these stories and more.

Transcript

[Dave Mattingly]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. It's been another down day for stock markets in Asia. Japan's Nikkei index closed down nearly 4% as President Trump's latest tariffs on China went into effect. And Beijing warned it's prepared for an extended trade war with the US Markets in Taiwan and Hong Kong also finished lower. Wall street futures are mostly lower this morning. President Trump has signed several executive orders designed to expand the use of coal in the U.S. as NPR's Lauren Sommer reports, the move is being applauded by the coal industry and criticized by environmentalists.

[Lauren Sommer]

Trump's order could allow some older coal power plants to stay open by allowing them to meet less stringent air pollution rules. The order also seeks to promote coal mining on federal land. Trump says the move will help meet the growing demand for electricity from data centers and artificial intelligence. Coal power has been declining in part because other energy sources are cheaper, including natural gas and renewable energy like solar and wind. Since 2010, electricity generated from coal has fallen by more than 60%. Coal also produces more heat trapping emissions than other kinds of power plants, which is making the climate warmer. Lauren Sommer, NPR News.

[Dave Mattingly]

The Trump administration is freezing more than a billion dollars in federal funding to Cornell University, including close to 800 million for Northwestern. The White House says the funds are on hold pending a government investigation into alleged civil rights violations at the schools. It did not elaborate. The move is part of a broader push by the administration to use government funding as a way to get academic institutions to comply with the president's political agenda. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says he will challenge four term Republican Senator John Cornyn in next year's GOP primary. Blaze Gainey with the Texas Newsroom says Paxton is a supporter of President Trump who made his campaign announcement last night on the Fox show the Ingraham Angle.

[Blaze Gainey]

Paxton's hoping to unseat Cornyn, who's been representing Texas in the U.S. senate since 2002. He says the state is ready for a change.

[Ken Paxton]

We have another great U.S. senator Ted Cruz, and it's time we have another great senator that will actually stand up and fight for Republican values, fight for the values of, of the people of Texas, and also support Trump in the areas that he's focused on in a very significant way. And that's what I plan on doing.

[Blaze Gainey]

Those are things Paxton says Cornyn hasn't been doing. In fact, shortly after he said, it's, quote, hard to think of the things he's done good for Texas. Both elected officials will have about a year before the 2026 primaries, which will likely be an extremely costly battle. I'm Blaze Ganey in Austin.

[Dave Mattingly]

In 2023, Paxton was impeached by state lawmakers on corruption charges. He was later acquitted. This is NPR News. Authorities in the Dominican Republic say nearly 100 people were killed in yesterday's collapse of a nightclub roof in Santo Domingo. It gave way during a concert by popular merengue singer Ruby Perez. He was among those killed. Two former major league baseball players, Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco, were also killed in the collapse. The BBC's Luis Varjado is following the investigation.

[Luis Farjado]

Media in the Dominican Republic are pointing out to the fact that there was a fire in this building a couple of years ago, apparently caused by lightning. But of course, there is no official indication yet of what could have been the reason. Of course, there's going to be a lot of investigations. The owner of the nightclub has appeared on national media saying he's fully cooperating with the authorities. But again, at this moment, it is many more questions than answers to what could have happened.

[Dave Mattingly]

That's the BBC's Luis Farhado reporting. Dotel pitched for more than a dozen teams over his 15 year career in the majors. He won a World Series ring with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011. Blanco played briefly with the Washington Nationals. Authorities in Southern California say a youth soccer coach is facing charges that include murder and the death of a 13 year old boy. Prosecutors in Los Angeles county say the teenager was reported missing by his family on March 30 after he'd taken a train to visit the coach north of Los Angeles and wasn't heard from again. Prosecutors are also accusing the coach, Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino, of being a sexual predator. I'm Dave Mattingly in Washington.