NPR News Now: April 10, 2025, 7 AM EDT

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Market Volatility Amid Tariff Adjustments

In the latest developments impacting the financial markets, President Donald Trump's decision to suspend new tariffs for 90 days has stirred significant reactions. Initially, Wall Street experienced a downturn following the tariff announcement. However, the suspension led to a sharp rebound. As Korva Coleman reports, "Markets are still reacting to President Trump's decision to suspend his new tariffs for 90 days," [00:16].

Scott Horsley elaborates on the market's fluctuating response: “The market likes global trade and does not like anything that interferes with that. When President Trump was running interference with his steep tariffs, the market sank. When he suspended some of those tariffs, the market soared,” [00:47]. Consequently, the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged by over 2,700 points, and the S&P 500 climbed more than 8.5% the previous day. Despite this positive movement, the market remains volatile, with Dow Jones and Nasdaq futures falling by over 1% in premarket trading [00:47].

However, the temporary suspension only recovers about two-thirds of the losses incurred since the initial announcement of the tariffs. Scott Horsley concludes, “So even with this partial ceasefire, the trade war has left a mark,” [00:47], indicating lingering uncertainty in global trade dynamics.

House Republicans Delay Budget Vote

In Washington, significant political maneuvers are unfolding as House Republican leaders have postponed a crucial vote on a multi-trillion-dollar budget framework. This budget includes substantial elements of President Trump's domestic agenda. Korva Coleman introduces the topic: "House Republican leaders have postponed a vote on a multi-trillion dollar budget framework," [01:21].

Barbara Sprunt reports that House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the delay after extensive closed-door discussions: “After more than an hour behind closed doors with more than a dozen members, House Speaker Mike Johnson said the House would not vote as planned in the evening on a signature measure for President Trump,” [01:35]. The postponement is attributed to conservative Republicans' dissatisfaction with the Senate amendment, which they argue does not adequately address the deficit. Despite direct pressure from President Trump to expedite the vote, opposition remains strong among the conservative faction, signaling potential challenges ahead in passing the budget framework [01:35].

Enhanced Immigration Screening for Anti-Semitic Activity

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is set to implement new screening measures targeting anti-Semitic activity on social media platforms. Korva Coleman outlines the initiative: "U.S. citizenship and Immigration Services will start screening immigrants' social media for anti-Semitic activity," [02:16].

NPR's Jasmine Garsd details the scope of these screenings, which may impact individuals applying for permanent residency and foreigners associated with educational institutions: “The screenings may affect people applying for permanent resident status and foreigners affiliated with educational institutions,” [02:29]. The Department of Homeland Security stated its objective to “protect the homeland from extremists and terrorist aliens, including those who support anti-Semitic terrorism” [02:29].

However, this move has sparked controversy among free speech advocates. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized the conditional nature of visa privileges: “When you advocate for violence and terrorism, that privilege should be revoked,” [02:29]. Critics argue that this policy undermines freedom of expression and may lead to unjust denials of immigration requests based on monitored online activities [02:29].

U.S. and Russia Exchange Prisoners

In a significant diplomatic gesture, the United States and Russia have completed a prisoner exchange. Korva Coleman reports, "The US and Russia have exchanged prisoners," [03:10].

Russia released Ksenia Karolina, who was incarcerated for providing less than $100 to a charity aiding Ukraine. Conversely, the United States freed Arthur Petrov, accused of illegally exporting military-grade electronics. This exchange marks a thaw in the strained relations between the two nations and highlights ongoing efforts to manage and resolve international disputes [03:10].

Data Center Investments and Economic Implications

Massive investments in data centers are reshaping economic landscapes, particularly in Mississippi. Stephen Bisaha of the Gulf States Newsroom explains, “Data centers are basically giant warehouses where the Internet physically lives. They run the computer chips powering the AI boom and the hard drives that let you save your photos online,” [03:45]. Mississippi currently hosts $20 billion in data center projects, contributing to the state's technological infrastructure.

However, experts caution that these investments may not translate into substantial permanent employment. Karta Kasanegar, co-director of the Wharton Business School's AI Research Center, notes, “So when you see numbers like a $10 billion data center investment and you are asking what does it mean for our local economy, you have to really discount that number quite heavily,” [04:05]. Additionally, the environmental impact is significant, with Mississippi Power planning to extend coal burning at one plant for another decade to support the energy needs of new data centers [04:15].

Contrastingly, tech giant Microsoft is reevaluating its data center expansion in Ohio. Korva Coleman reports that Microsoft has paused construction on three data centers near Columbus, a project initially valued at around $1 billion. The company is reassessing these large-scale projects amidst shifting economic priorities and potential market fluctuations [04:30].

Conclusion

Today's NPR News Now episode provided comprehensive insights into the volatile stock markets influenced by shifting tariff policies, the internal dynamics of the House Republican budget deliberations, newly implemented immigration screening measures targeting anti-Semitic activities, a significant US-Russia prisoner exchange, and the economic and environmental implications of extensive data center investments. These developments collectively highlight the interplay between domestic policies, international relations, and technological advancements shaping the current landscape.

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