NPR News: 04-11-2025 11PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: April 12, 2025

Hosted by NPR

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Justice Department Faces Scrutiny Over Mistaken Deportation

[00:21] Dale Willman opens the episode with a report by Jasmine Garsd on a high-stakes legal situation involving Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was erroneously deported to a prison in El Salvador last month.

During a tense hearing, federal Judge Paula Zini reprimanded Justice Department lawyers, emphasizing the gravity of the mistake. Jasmine Garsd reports, “The mood was tense on Friday as federal Judge Paula Zini chastised Justice Department lawyers” [00:39]. This hearing followed the Supreme Court's decision to largely uphold Judge Zini's original order to repatriate Abrego Garcia. The Trump administration has requested additional time, stating it needs “a meaningful opportunity to review the Supreme Court's decision” [00:39]. Judge Zini has mandated daily updates from the Justice Department on their efforts to secure Abrego Garcia's return, underscoring that the initial deportation to El Salvador was prohibited.

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Trump Secures Deals with Major Law Firms Amid Executive Order Controversies

[01:25] Dale Willman introduces Ryan Lucas who delves into President Trump's recent strategic agreements with five prominent U.S. law firms, including Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins. According to Ryan Lucas, “Trump says they have all together agreed to provide more than $500 million in free legal work on issues that he and the firm support” [01:41]. These deals are part of a broader arrangement where firms offer pro bono services to avoid punitive measures against Trump’s executive orders. To date, nine firms have entered similar agreements. However, three notable firms have chosen to oppose the administration's actions, initiating lawsuits that have led federal judges to deem Trump’s actions “likely unconstitutional” and have resulted in temporary blocks on enforcement [01:41].

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Measles Outbreak Escalates in Texas

[02:18] Dale Willman brings attention to a concerning public health issue with Gabriela Alcorta Solorio reporting on the Texas Department of State Health Services’ confirmation of 36 new measles cases since Tuesday, bringing the total to 554 since January [02:36]. Gabriela Alcorta Solorio states, “The measles cases in West Texas are not slowing down” [02:36]. The outbreak has resulted in 56 hospitalizations and two deaths of unvaccinated school-aged children. Additionally, a related death occurred in New Mexico. Vaccine efficacy appears significant, with only seven cases in individuals who received two doses of the MMR vaccine and four with one dose; the majority remain unvaccinated or their vaccination status is unknown [02:36].

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Israel Threatens to Fire Reservists Criticizing Gaza War

[03:15] Dale Willman reports on a significant development within the Israeli military, where Israel's military officials have declared intentions to dismiss Air Force reservists who signed a letter condemning the war in Gaza. The officials argue that the actions of nearly 1,000 reservists and retirees undermine military unity, asserting that their behavior constitutes a “breach of trust between commanders and subordinates” [03:15]. The letter, published recently, called for the immediate release of hostages in Gaza, positioning the signatories against the prevailing military stance.

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Study Reveals Crows’ Remarkable Geometric Intuition

[03:49] Nell Greenfield Boyce presents fascinating research on avian intelligence, highlighting that crows possess an innate ability to recognize basic geometric shapes. Published in Science Advances, the German research team trained crows to engage with a computer game, where the birds successfully distinguished between shapes like squares and rectangles [03:49]. Nell Greenfield Boyce explains, “Researchers say they clearly had a sense of right angles, parallel lines, and symmetry” [03:49]. This marks the first scientific evidence of such geometric intuition in animals, showcasing the cognitive complexity of crows.

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Masters Golf Tournament Updates

[04:33] Dale Willman provides the latest standings from the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Justin Rose maintains a narrow lead after two rounds, shooting a 71 to stay one stroke ahead of Bryson DeChambeau. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy delivered a bogey-free 66, moving back into contention and positioning himself two shots off the pace [04:33]. Notably, Bernard Langer and Fred Couples both missed the cut. This year marks Langer's 41st participation in the tournament, and he has announced that this will be his final year competing [04:33].

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Transcript

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[Dale Willman]

New York City, I'm Dale Willman. Lawyers for the Justice Department have been ordered to provide daily updates to a federal judge as to how they intend to secure the return of Kilmar Armando Abreu, a Maryland man who last month was mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador. NPR's Jasmine Garsd reports.

[Jasmine Garsd]

The mood was tense on Friday as federal Judge Paula Zini's chastised Justice Department lawyers. The hearing comes following Thursday's Supreme Court decision, which largely upheld Zini's original order to bring Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. the Trump administration has asked for more time, arguing that the government needs, quote, a meaningful opportunity to review the Supreme Court's decision. In this latest hearing, Judge Zinis reminded lawyers for the Justice Department that the government was prohibited from sending Abrego Garcia to El Salvador in the first place and demanding that they give her daily updates on efforts to secure his return. Jasmine Garsd, NPR News, New York.

[Dale Willman]

President Trump says that five more law firms have reached deals with him to avoid the threat of punishing executive orders. In return, the firms have agreed to provide hundreds of millions of doll in pro bono legal work on causes that Trump supports. NPR's Ryan Lucas has more.

[Ryan Lucas]

The five firms are some of the most prominent big law firms in the U.S. including Kirkland and Ellis and Latham and Watkins. Trump says they have all together agreed to provide more than $500 million in free legal work on issues that he and the firm support. The latest agreements bring the total number of law firms to reach a deal with Trump to nine. Three other firms targeted by Trump have opted instead to fight the executive orders. Those firms have sued and in all three instances, federal judges have said Trump's actions are likely unconstitutional and they have temporarily blocked enforcement of his punitive actions. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.

[Dale Willman]

The Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed that 36 new cases of measles have occurred since Tuesday. Texas Texas Public Radio's Gabriela Alcorta Solorio reports, that brings the total number of confirmed cases to 554 since the outbreak began last January.

[Gabriela Alcorta Solorio]

The measles cases in West Texas are not slowing down. Since the outbreak began, 56 patients have been hospitalized. Two school aged children have died due to complications from the virus. Both were unvaccinated and lived in the area of the outbreak. A person in New Mexico who died in early March lived in the county that borders the region where the outbreak is centered. Just seven of the cases occurred in people who have received two doses of the MMR vaccine and four in those who received one dose. The rest are unvaccinated or their status is unknown. I'm Gabriela Alcorta Solorio in San Antonio.

[Dale Willman]

And you're listening to NPR News. Israel's military says it will fire Air Force reservists who have signed a letter condemning the war in Gaza. Officials say their actions only serve political interests and and they called it a breach of trust between commanders and subordinates. Almost 1,000 reservists and retirees signed a letter published this week demanding the immediate return of hostages in Gaza. Crows, like humans, seem to have a kind of intuition about basic geometry as Ampere's now Greenfield Boyce reports this is the first time scientists have found this in an animal.

[Nell Greenfield Boyce]

Regular geometric shapes appear over and over in art and architecture all through human history. Studies show that regardless of age, culture or education, people are really good at noticing geometric regularity. And it turns out crows are, too. In the journal Science Advances, a research group in Germany reports they trained crows to play a computer game in the lab. The birds pecked at a touchscreen with their beaks to get rewards. These crows were able to correctly distinguish regular geometric shapes like squares and rectangles. Researchers say they clearly had a sense of right angles, parallel lines and symmetry. Nell. Greenfield Boyce, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

Justin Rose remains in the lead after two rounds of the Masters golf tournament underway in Augusta, Georgia. He shot a 71 today to stay one stroke ahead of Bryson DeChambeau. Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, played a bogey free 66 to get back into contention. He sits two shots off the pace. Bernard Langer and Fred Couples both missed the cut. Langer has played the tournament 41 times. He said this is his last year. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.

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