NPR News: 04-20-2025 5PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: April 20, 2025

Host: NPR

---

Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire Faces Violations and Mutual Accusations

In today's episode, Jeanine Herbst opens with critical developments in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's unilateral announcement of a temporary Easter ceasefire, both nations accuse each other of violating the truce. NPR's Charles Maynes reports from Moscow, highlighting the deep-seated mistrust between the two sides:

“Even before the Easter ceasefire technically went into effect, both sides voiced skepticism the truce would hold.”
— Charles Maynes, [00:41]

Putin has issued warnings about potential Ukrainian provocations, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the ceasefire as more of a "gimmick than a peace gesture." Tensions escalated as Russia's Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of executing "hundreds of artillery and drone strikes" on territories occupied by Russia. In retaliation, Zelensky reported that Russia continued shelling and assault raids along the frontline. As of now, neither side's claims have been independently verified.

Adding to the complexity, President Trump has threatened to abandon peace negotiations unless there is immediate progress towards ending the conflict, intensifying the international community's concerns about the region's stability.

US Constitutional Crisis Over Deportation Case Sparks Political Tensions

Shifting to domestic issues, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen voices alarming concerns about a potential constitutional crisis in the United States. This stems from the Trump administration's handling of the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case, where Garcia, an El Salvadorian national, was mistakenly deported by the administration. Senator Van Hollen, speaking after meeting Garcia in El Salvador, emphasized the broader implications of this incident:

“If you can deny one person their constitutional rights, that is a threat to the constitutional rights of everybody who lives in the United States of America. So that's the bottom line.”
— Chris Van Hollen, [01:40]

Van Hollen criticized the administration for ignoring court orders and stressed the necessity of upholding due process for all individuals. The White House has countered these claims by asserting that Garcia is not expected to return to the US, labeling him a gang member—a charge Garcia denies. His lawyer further contends that the federal government has failed to produce evidence supporting these allegations.

Economic Uncertainty as Trump's Tariffs Impact Major Corporations

The episode also delves into the economic repercussions of President Trump's tariffs on the US business landscape. Maria Aspen provides an in-depth analysis of how these tariffs are influencing corporate strategies and investor sentiments during the peak of the corporate earnings season:

“It's the height of corporate earnings season when big publicly traded companies report their most recent quarterly results and talk about the future. But so far this spring, President Trump's tariffs are clouding the outlook.”
— Maria Aspen, [02:30]

Notably, Tesla, led by billionaire Elon Musk—who is also a close advisor to Trump—is navigating significant challenges. Musk has publicly criticized the tariffs, anticipating negative impacts on Tesla's operations. This criticism has coincided with a decline in Tesla's sales, partly due to consumer backlash against Musk's involvement in reducing government agencies and workforce.

Other major corporations like Google and Pepsi are also adjusting their strategies in response to the tariffs. These companies are set to discuss their approaches to mitigating the economic impact in upcoming earnings reports, aiming to reassure investors and maintain market stability.

Google’s Antitrust Battle Enters Critical Phase

In the realm of technology and legal battles, Google is gearing up for a pivotal court appearance in its landmark antitrust case. Jeanine Herbst outlines the stakes involved as Google faces potential dissolution as a monopoly:

“Google’s highly profitable ad business is powered by data it harvestes from user activity on Chrome and Google Search.”
— Jeanine Herbst, [03:17]

Following a judge's ruling that deemed Google a monopoly, the Justice Department is pressing for remedies that could include selling off Google's Android operating system or spinning off the Chrome browser. Google has indicated its intention to appeal the decision, arguing that its ad revenue and data-driven strategies are legitimate business practices. The final phase of the case will determine whether Google must undergo significant structural changes to address the government's antitrust concerns.

Entertainment Highlight: "Sinners" Tops Box Office Over Minecraft Movie

Shifting to lighter news, NPR's Bob Mondello reports on the surprising box office success of the new supernatural blues movie, "Sinners." The film has resonated with audiences by blending themes of blues music and vampires, leading to impressive financial performance:

“Sinners is about the power of the blues, will somebody take me? And also about vampires, and that combination is making it a number one hit this weekend.”
— Bob Mondello, [04:09]

Directed by Ryan Coogler and featuring Michael B. Jordan in a dual role, "Sinners" has grossed over $45 million in its first three days, surpassing the Minecraft movie's expected $41 million. The collaboration between Coogler and Jordan marks a reunion from their previous successful projects, including "Black Panther" and "Creed," contributing to the film's strong performance and positive reception.

---

This summary provides an overview of the key topics discussed in the April 20, 2025, episode of NPR News Now, encapsulating global conflicts, domestic political tensions, economic challenges, major legal battles, and notable entertainment news.

Transcript

[Renee Haas]

Support for this podcast and the following message come from arm. In a new episode of their podcast, Tech Unheard, ARM CEO Renee Haas talks with Scale AI CEO Alex Wang about why Alex views his youth as an advantage and about his visions for the future of artificial intelligence. Available on all podcast platforms.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. Russia and Ukraine are blaming each other for carrying out attacks in violation of a temporary Easter date ceasefire. The truce proposal was announced in a unilateral move by Russian President Putin yesterday. NPR's Charles Mainz has more from Moscow.

[Charles Maynes]

Even before the Easter ceasefire technically went into effect, both sides voiced skepticism the truce would hold. Putin warned of possible Ukrainian provocations, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested the offer was more gimmick than peace gesture. Today, Russia's Defense Ministry said Ukraine carried out hundreds of artillery and drone strikes on Russian occupied territory in Ukraine in Turnzelensky, Zelensky said Russia continued shelling and assault raids across the frontline. Neither claim could be independently verified. The ceasefire attempt comes as President Trump has threatened to abandon efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict if he didn't see immediate progress towards peace. Charles Maynes, NPR News, Moscow.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen says the US Is in a constitutional crisis as the Trump administration continues to ignore court orders in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case. He made the remark days after he returned from meeting with Abrego Garcia, El Salvador after the Trump administration admitted they deported him by mistake.

[Chris Van Hollen]

If you can deny one person their constitutional rights, that is a threat to the constitutional rights of everybody who lives in the United States of America. So that's the bottom line. They need to obey the court orders and bring him home so he can have due process.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Speaking there to NPR's Weekend Edition, the White House says the Maryland man is never coming back to the US Alleging he' a gang member, which he denies. His lawyer says the federal government never produced evidence of their claim. Businesses and investors are trying to get ahead of President Trump's tariffs and their impact on the economy. As NPR's Maria Aspen reports, some of the country's biggest companies, including White House advisor and billionaire Elon Musk's Tesla, will talk about their strategy this week.

[Maria Aspen]

It's the height of corporate earnings season when big publicly traded companies report their most recent quarterly results and talk about the future. But so far this spring, President Trump's tariffs are clouding the outlook. Investors are waiting to hear from Tesla, the carmaker run by billionaire Elon Musk who is also one of Trump's closest and most powerful advisors. But Musk has criticized the new tariffs, which are likely to damage his car company. Tesla's sales are already falling as consumers protest Musk's role in cutting government agencies, programs and workers. Other big companies reporting results this week include Google and Pepsi, which has operations around the world. Maria Aspen, NPR News, New York.

[Jeanine Herbst]

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Google will be back in court tomorrow for the final phase of a landmark antitrust case that could see the online giant broken up in 2020. A judge ruled it's a monopoly after the Justice Department sued, accusing it of paying the makers of Web browsers and phones to set Google as the default search engine. Google says it will appeal. The tech company's highly profitable ad business is powered by data it harvests from user activity on Chrome and Google Search. Tomorrow, the Justice Department and Google will each present their idea of an appropriate remedy for the monopolistic behavior, which the government says could include selling its Android operating system or spinning off the Chrome browser. The new supernatural blues movie Sinners found salvation at the box Office this weekend. NPR's Bob Mondello has more.

[Bob Mondello]

Sinners is about the power of the blues, will somebody take me? And also about vampires, and that combination is making it a number one hit this weekend. The film is expected to take in more than $45 million at the box office in its first three days. That's enough to get past the third weekend of the Minecraft movie, which will take in about 41 million. Sinners, reunites filmmaker Ryan Coogler and his frequent leading man Michael B. Jordan, who's playing a double role this time. You tw now we cousins. Actually, they are twins. Coogler and Jordan also worked together on Black Panther and on Creed, the film that put some punch back in the ailing Rocky franchise. Bob Mondello, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

And I'm Jeanine Herbst. And you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

[Renee Haas]

This message comes from Capella University. At Capella, you can earn your degree with support from people who care about your success. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn more at Capella. Eduardo.