NPR News: 04-16-2025 1AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: April 16, 2025, 1AM EDT

Host: Shea Stevens

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Harvard University Stands Firm Against Trump Administration

Harvard University has made headlines by formally rejecting the Trump administration's demands to overhaul its admissions, hiring, and other policies. This defiance comes despite the administration freezing over $2.2 billion in federal funding primarily designated for research and threatening to revoke the university's tax-exempt status.

Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, emphasized the significance of Harvard's stance:

"If Harvard hadn't stood up, it would have sent a chill across higher education that would have hampered the ability of other institutions to define for themselves where that red line is now."
[01:01]

University leaders, including professors, are actively engaged in at least two major lawsuits challenging the administration's policies, underscoring a broader resistance within the higher education sector against governmental overreach.

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State Department Faces Significant Budget Cuts Under Secretary Rubio

Secretary of State Marco Rubio continues his campaign to reduce the U.S. foreign aid budget, appointing Jeremy Lewin, a former DOGE associate instrumental in dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development, as the acting head of foreign assistance. This move aligns with Rubio's broader efforts to implement substantial budgetary reductions within the State Department.

NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports:

"The State Department has canceled another 139 grants worth $214 million under Secretary Rubio's direction."
[01:48]

Additionally, the State Department has refrained from commenting on leaked memos suggesting even more drastic budget cuts proposed by the Trump administration. Tammy Bruce, a spokesperson, indicated that the White House is still formulating its budgetary proposals.

[01:56]

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Progressive Lawmakers Launch "Fight the Oligarchy" Tour

Democratic leaders Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are actively touring the United States on their "Fight the Oligarchy" campaign. Their tour has attracted substantial crowds, including in areas traditionally dominated by Republicans, signaling a growing national interest in their progressive agendas.

At a rally in Folsom, California, Sanders passionately stated:

"We as Americans will not accept oligarchy, we will not accept authoritarianism, and we will not accept a rigged economy where working people struggle while billionaires become richer."
[02:27]

Sanders continues to critique President Trump, asserting that his actions are undermining the Constitution on a daily basis. This rhetoric aligns with their broader efforts to mobilize support against perceived systemic inequalities and governmental overreach.

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Legal Battle Over the Deportation of Kilmore Abrego Garcia

A federal judge has granted the Trump administration a two-week window to demonstrate efforts to repatriate Kilmore Abrego Garcia, who was erroneously deported and subsequently detained in a Salvadoran prison under accusations of gang affiliation. The Supreme Court previously mandated the administration to facilitate Garcia's return, highlighting ongoing legal challenges faced by the administration regarding immigration enforcement practices.

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Humanitarian Crisis Escalates in Haiti

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has described Haiti as experiencing one of the world's most complex and urgent crises. Peter Goffin of the BBC reports from Port-au-Prince:

"Criminal gangs now control vast sections of the city. Many families have been forced to flee several times in a matter of weeks, leaving them without access to shelter or water."
[03:35]

The United Nations has reported that over 1,500 Haitians have been killed in the first three months of the year due to gang violence, security force operations, and other conflicts. The pervasive instability has led to widespread human rights abuses, including home ransackings, sexual violence, and executions targeting men, women, and children alike.

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Tribute to Link Martindale, Beloved Game Show Host

NPR mourns the passing of Link Martindale, a former game show host, who died at the age of 91 after battling lymphoma. Martindale's broadcasting career began in radio with popular programs like Hit Parade, before transitioning to television where he hosted beloved game shows such as Gambit and Tic Tac Dough.

In an April 2018 interview with the Television Academy, Martindale reflected on the enduring appeal of game shows:

"People gravitate to games that they know they can sit there and they say to themselves, man, I could have gotten that. I could play that game."
[04:38]

Martindale's contributions to entertainment left an indelible mark on both radio and television, endearing him to generations of fans.

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This has been NPR News Now, bringing you the latest headlines from around the world.

Transcript

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[Shea Stevens]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. College educators are expressing relief that Harvard University is defying the Trump administration's policy demands despite the risk of losing billions in federal funding. NPR's Janaki Mehta has the story.

[Janaki Mehta]

Harvard has become the first university to formally reject the Trump administration's demands that it drastically change its admissions, hiring and other policies in order to get federal money primarily used for research. Now the Trump administration has frozen over $2.2 billion in funding for the university and threatened to remove its tax exempt status. Here's Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, which represents hundreds of colle.

[Ted Mitchell]

If Harvard hadn't stood up, it would have sent a chill across higher education that would have hampered the ability of other institutions to define for themselves where that red line is now.

[Janaki Mehta]

University professors and leaders are involved in at least two major lawsuits against the Trump administration. Janaki Mehta and PR News.

[Shea Stevens]

As Secretary of State Marco Rubio continues cutting US Aid programs, he's also named a DOGE associate to a key position at the State department. Details from NPR's Michelle Kellerman.

[Michelle Kellerman]

The State Department says Jeremy Lewin is now acting head of foreign assistance. He's a Doge associate who helped to dismantle the U.S. agency for International Development. The news comes as Rubio touts continued budget cuts at the State Department. Here's spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

[Amazon Business]

The State Department has canceled another 139 grants worth $214 million under Secretary Rubio's direction.

[Michelle Kellerman]

She would not comment on leaked memos of far more drastic cuts that the Trump administration is planning to the department's budget. She says the White House is working on its proposals. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

The State Department independent Senator Bernie Sanders and Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez are continuing their Fight the Oligarchy tour. The two lawmakers have attracted large crowds, sometimes in Republican strongholds. Here's Sanders at a rally in Folsom, California, Tuesday.

[Bernie Sanders]

We as Americans will not accept oligarchy, we will not accept authoritarianism, and we will not accept a rigged economy where working people struggle while billionaires become richer.

[Shea Stevens]

Sanders says that President Trump is undermining the Constitution daily. A federal judge is giving the Trump administration two weeks to show it's making an effort to bring Kilmore Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported and sent to a Salvadoran prison after the Justice Department accused him of belonging to into a gang. The Supreme Court ordered the administration to facilitate the man's return. This is npr. The head of the International Organization for Migration says Haiti is facing one of the most complex and urgent crises in the world. Amy Pope is urging nations to support Haiti, where more than a million people have been displaced by gang violence and instability. The BBC's Peter Goffin has more.

[Peter Goffin]

Speaking in the Haitian capital Palt au Prince, the IOM chief said criminal gangs now control vast sections of the city. Many families have been forced to flee several times in a matter of weeks, leaving them without access to shelter or water. The UN says more than 1500 Haitians were killed in the first three months of this year, a result of gang attacks, operations by security forces and other violence. Observers say gangs have ransacked homes, committed acts of sexual violence and executed men, women, women and children.

[Shea Stevens]

The BBC's Peter Gauthin reporting.

[Link Martindale]

It's Kick at Go. And now here's our host, Link Martindale.

[Shea Stevens]

Former game show host Link Martindale has died at the age of 91. He began his broadcasting career in radio with programs like Hit Parade and later went on to host TV game shows including Gambit and Tic Tac Dough. Martindale was asked in this April 2018 interview with the Television Academy why the TV game show genre is so popular.

[Link Martindale]

People gravitate to games that they know they can sit there and they say to themselves, man, I could have gotten that. I could play that game.

[Shea Stevens]

Martindale had been battling lymphoma and died Tuesday at a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California. This is NPR News.

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