NPR News: 04-16-2025 11PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: April 17, 2025, 11 PM EDT

Hosted by NPR

---

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen Visits Salvadoran Prison Amid Deportation Controversy

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland made a significant visit to a Salvadoran prison where a Maryland man, Abrego Garcia, remains detained following a wrongful deportation. Despite the visit, Van Hollen was denied access to Garcia, highlighting ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Salvadoran authorities.

During the visit, Senator Van Hollen stated, "[...] the Trump administration is in violation of the Supreme Court, which ordered the White House to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia" (00:34). However, Luke Garrett reports from El Salvador that the U.S. Embassy has received no directives from the Trump administration to aid Garcia's release (00:45).

Further complicating matters, Van Hollen met with Salvadoran Vice President Felix Ulloa, who refused both in-person and phone access to Garcia (00:54). In response to Van Hollen's trip, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt criticized his actions, labeling Garcia as a "terrorist" and asserting, "he will never live in the United States again" (00:54).

---

California Leaders Challenge President Trump's Tariffs in Federal Court

San Francisco, CA – California Governor Gavin Newsom and other state leaders have filed a lawsuit against President Trump's administration, seeking to halt the implementation of new tariffs. The lawsuit contends that the President exceeded his authority by imposing these tariffs, which are adversely affecting both businesses and consumers across the state.

Governor Newsom, addressing the issue at a family-owned almond farm in California's Central Valley, remarked, "The 10% across the board tariffs, as well as higher tariffs levied against Mexico, Canada, and China are not legal and are hurting both businesses and consumers" (01:26). He emphasized the stakes involved, stating, "No state is poised to lose more than the state of California. So that's our state of mind. That's why we're asserting ourselves on behalf of 40 million Americans" (01:42).

The lawsuit argues that President Trump requires congressional authorization to enact tariffs with such extensive economic implications. In response, White House spokesman Kush Desai criticized Governor Newsom, advising, "Newsom should be focusing on California's problems" (01:54).

---

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Autism Research & Fed Chairman Jerome Powell on Economic Outlook

National Overview – Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a commitment to researching the causes of autism, describing it as a "preventable disease." This stance has sparked discussions in the scientific community, where researchers maintain that autism is a complex neurological disorder with no single cause, though genetic factors are acknowledged.

In economic news, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell addressed concerns regarding new tariffs, stating they are "likely to cause a temporary rise in inflation, which remains above the central bank's 2% target" (02:09). Powell highlighted the robust state of the economy and low unemployment rates but noted that policymakers are postponing interest rate decisions pending further economic clarity.

Powell elaborated, "We'll get the initial reading on first quarter GDP in a couple of weeks. The data we have so far suggests that growth has slowed in the first quarter of this year from last year's solid pace. Despite strong motor vehicle sales, overall consumer spending appears to have grown modestly" (02:49). Additionally, he reported, "Prices rose at an annual rate of 2.3% during March" (03:07).

---

Massive Power Outage Disrupts Puerto Rico Amid Easter Celebrations

Puerto Rico – A widespread power outage has plunged the island's 1.4 million residents into darkness, severely impacting preparations for the Easter holiday. Hotels are operating near capacity using generators, and hundreds of thousands of residents are experiencing water shortages. The exact cause of the outage remains unclear, though Puerto Rico continues to grapple with recurring power issues stemming from the 2017 hurricane that damaged its aging power grid.

---

Potential Signs of Life Detected on Distant Exoplanet

Space Exploration Update – Scientists have identified chemical signatures in the atmosphere of an exoplanet orbiting a star approximately 124 light-years away, which may indicate the presence of life. Utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers analyzed starlight filtered through the planet's atmosphere and detected an abundance of sulfur-based gases. On Earth, such gases are produced solely by biological activity, like marine microbes.

Astronomer Niku Madhusadan from the University of Cambridge expressed his astonishment, saying, "To be very frank, it was astounding. I had never imagined that this is what we would see" (04:21). While some scientists are excited about the possibility of an "ocean world teeming with alien life," others urge caution, noting that the gas detections require further confirmation and that there might be non-biological explanations for their presence (04:27).

---

Market Update: U.S. Futures Rise in After-Hours Trading

Financial Markets – U.S. futures are trending higher in after-hours trading, influenced by positive movements in Asia Pacific markets. Shares across various sectors are experiencing gains as investors respond to recent economic data and corporate earnings reports (04:43).

---

This summary is based on the NPR News Now episode released on April 17, 2025.

---

Timestamps:

• 00:18 – Introduction by Shea Stevens
• 00:34 – Chris Van Hollen's statement on Supreme Court order
• 00:45 – Luke Garrett on U.S. Embassy status
• 00:54 – Van Hollen's meeting with Felix Ulloa and Levitt's criticism
• 01:12 – Introduction to California tariff lawsuit
• 01:26 – Gavin Newsom's remarks at almond farm
• 01:42 – Luke Garrett on state's position
• 01:54 – White House's response to Newsom
• 02:09 – Kennedy on autism and Powell on tariffs
• 02:49 – Powell on Q1 GDP and economic growth
• 03:07 – Powell on inflation rates
• 03:55 – Puerto Rico outage and exoplanet discovery
• 04:21 – Madhusadan's reaction
• 04:27 – Nell Greenfield Boyce on exoplanet findings
• 04:43 – Market update by Shea Stevens

Transcript

[Amazon Business]

This message comes from Amazon Business. Free your team from time consuming office tasks with smart business Buying tools enable buyers to find and purchase items fast. Learn more about the technology, insights and Support [e-mail].

[Shea Stevens]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. U.S. senator Chris Van Hollen has visited a Salvadoran prison where a mistakenly deported Maryland man is being held. But NPR's Luke Garrett reports that Van Hollen was not allowed to see the US Detainee.

[Chris Van Hollen]

Senator Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, told reporters in El Salvador that the Trump administration is in violation of the Supreme Court, which ordered the White House to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia.

[Luke Garrett]

The United States Embassy here has told me they've received no direction from the Trump administration to help facilitate his release.

[Chris Van Hollen]

Van Hollen also met with Salvadoran Vice President Felix Ulloa, who denied the senator in person or phone access to Abrego Garcia. President Trump's press secretary, Caroline Levitt, criticized Van Hollen for the trip. She called Abrego Garcia a terrorist and said he will never live in the United States again. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington.

[Shea Stevens]

California leaders are asking a federal court to halt President Trump's tariffs, arguing in a lawsuit that he exceeded his authority by imposing them. From member station KQED, Marisa Lagos reports from San Francisco.

[Gavin Newsom]

Governor Gavin Newsom says the 10% across the board tariffs, as well as higher tariffs levied against Mexico, Canada and China are not legal and are hurting both businesses and consumers. He appeared at a family owned almond farm in California's Central Valley Wednesday morning.

[Luke Garrett]

No state is poised to lose more than the state of California. So that's our state of mind. That's why we're asserting ourselves on behalf of 40 million Americans.

[Gavin Newsom]

The suit argues Trump needs congressional authorization for actions with such broad economic consequences. White House spokesman Kush Desai responded in a statement saying Newsom should be focusing on California's problems. For NPR News, I'm Marisa Lagos in San Francisco.

[Shea Stevens]

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is promising research on the causes of autism, saying that cases are rising at an alarming rate. Kennedy calls autism a preventable disease, while researchers say it is a complex disorder that affects the brain. Studies have found no single cause, although scientists say there are genetic factors. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says new tariffs are likely to cause a temporary rise in inflation, which remains above the central bank's 2% target. With a solid economy and low unemployment, Powell says policymakers are holding off any decision on interest rates until they get more clarity.

[Jerome Powell]

Powell we'll get the initial reading on first quarter GDP in a couple of weeks. The data we have enhanced so far suggests that growth has slowed in the first quarter of this year from last year's solid pace. Despite strong motor vehicle sales, overall, consumer spending appears to have grown modestly.

[Shea Stevens]

Powell says prices rose at an annual rate of 2.3% during March. This is NPR. A massive power outage has left Puerto Rico's 1.4 million residents in the dark. Hotels were near capacity and using generators as thousands of tourists prepare to celebrate Easter on the island, hundreds of thousands of residents are without water. The cause of the outage is unclear, although Puerto Rico has struggled with repeated outages since the 2017 hurricane damaged its aging power grid. In the atmosphere of a distant planet, scientists have detected chemical signatures that could suggest the presence of life. As NPR's Nell Greenfield Beuish reports, some scientists are excited while some others are skeptical.

[Nell Greenfield Boyce]

The planet orbits a star about 124 light years away. Researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope to study the tiny fraction of starlight that filtered through its atmosphere. Their analysis detected an abundance of sulfur based gases that on Earth are made only by life, such as marine microbes. Astronomer Niku Madhusadan is with the University of Cambridge.

[Niku Madhusadan]

To be very frank, it was astounding. I had never imagined that this is what we would see, he says.

[Nell Greenfield Boyce]

This planet could be an ocean world teeming with alien life. But the detection of these gases needs to be confirmed, and there may be unrecognized ways of making them without life. Nell Greenfield boyce, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

U.S. futures are higher in after hours trading on Wall street, on Asia Pacific markets. Shares are hired. This is NPR News.

[Amazon Business]

This message comes from Mint Mobile. Mint Mobile took what's wrong with wireless and made it right. They offer premium wireless plans for less. And all plans include high speed data, unlimited talk and text and nationwide coverage. See for [e-mail] Switch.