NPR News: 04-23-2025 10AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: April 23, 2025, 10AM EDT

NPR News Now delivers the latest updates in five minutes. In this episode, host Korva Coleman covers significant global and national events, including the public mourning of Pope Francis, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, U.S.-China trade tensions, actions taken by the Trump administration regarding immigration judges, and the detention of a Columbia University student. Below is a comprehensive summary of the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode.

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1. Public Mourning for Pope Francis

Reporter: Ruth Sherlock
Timestamp: [00:17]

Public mourning has commenced for Pope Francis, with his body now residing in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Unlike previous pontiff burials, Pope Francis is lying in a single wooden casket instead of the traditional three nested coffins. Additionally, his coffin faces the church pews at ground level rather than being raised, reflecting his efforts to maintain simplicity during his papacy.

Quote:

"Francis is lying in a single wooden casket rather than the three nested coffins that's been traditional of previous pope burials. And the coffin at St. Peter's Basilica is facing the church pews at ground level, not raised up. And this is typical of his papacy of trying to keep a little of the ordinary even in this very extraordinary job."
— Ruth Sherlock, [00:26]

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2. U.S. Position on Russia-Ukraine Conflict and Ceasefire Talks

Reporters: Korva Coleman, Joanna Kakissis
Timestamps: [00:46], [01:14]

Vice President Vance has advocated for Russia and Ukraine to accept a U.S. proposal to end the war. He emphasized the urgency of reaching an agreement, stating, "if there's no agreement, it's time for the US to walk away from ceasefire talks" ([00:46]). This statement comes amidst discussions in London, which have been downgraded in level following Secretary of State Marco Rubio's abrupt cancellation of his trip due to scheduling issues.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has adjusted the peace talks to include representatives from Europe, the U.S., and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky underscored the necessity of a ceasefire preceding any peace deal, warning, "This is a dangerous moment. It does not send a very good signal if America pulls out of negotiations" ([01:14]). Additionally, reports indicate that the Trump administration is pressuring Ukraine to recognize Crimea as part of Russia, further complicating negotiations.

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3. Easing of U.S.-China Trade Tensions and Market Reaction

Reporter: Scott Horsley
Timestamps: [01:58], [02:31]

The U.S. stock market opened sharply higher as signals emerged that the Trump administration might ease trade tensions with China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged by 1,000 points in early trading ([01:58]). Treasury Secretary Scott Besant highlighted the unsustainable nature of the ongoing trade standoff, suggesting potential de-escalation:

"President Trump's triple-digit tariffs on imports from China have brought a lot of trade between the world's two biggest economies to a standstill... the situation is unsustainable and suggested a de-escalation may be in store."
— Scott Horsley, [02:31]

President Trump echoed these sentiments, expressing expectations that tariffs would be significantly reduced. In a separate development, Tesla's stock saw an uptick after CEO Elon Musk announced plans to dedicate more time to running the company and less to Washington, following a decline in sales and profits in the year's first quarter.

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4. Trump Administration's Actions Against Immigration Judges

Reporter: Ximena Bustillo
Timestamps: [03:13], [03:46]

President Trump has initiated legal action against the law firm Perkins Coie, alleging unspecified unlawful acts by a member of the firm ([03:13]). This move follows his previous targeting of the firm through a presidential executive order. In parallel, the Trump administration has terminated at least eight additional immigration judges, part of a broader trend of reducing federal probationary employees.

Quote:

"The judges who received the notices weren't given a reason for the termination. The latest firings come as dozens of courts around the country are already facing vacancies... These judges are the only ones who can revoke someone's green card and among the few who can grant asylum."
— Ximena Bustillo, [03:46]

These firings exacerbate the existing strain on the immigration court system, which already has nearly 4 million pending cases as of the last quarter of 2024. The administration aims to heighten arrests and deportations, but immigrant rights groups argue that reducing the number of judges hampers these efforts.

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5. Detention of Columbia University Student Amidst Pro-Palestinian Activism

Reporter: Korva Coleman
Timestamp: [04:22]

Mohsen Madawi, a Columbia University student, is facing detention after being taken into custody by federal immigration agents in Vermont. Madawi believed he was attending a meeting that was the final step toward obtaining U.S. citizenship. However, his detention has raised concerns, with his lawyers alleging that he is being targeted due to his pro-Palestinian activism.

The Trump administration is pursuing his deportation, leading to a federal hearing scheduled to determine his fate. This case highlights the administration's stringent immigration policies and the challenges faced by activists within the current legal framework.

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NPR News Now continues to provide timely and comprehensive coverage of pressing issues. For more updates, tune in to NPR's hourly news briefs.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News in Washington. On Korva Coleman, public mourning has begun for Pope Francis. NPR's Ruth Sherlock says his body has been moved to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

[Ruth Sherlock]

Francis is lying in a single wooden casket rather than the three nested coffins that's been traditional of previous pope burials. And the coffin at St. Peter's Basilica is facing the church pews at ground level, not raised up. And this is typical of his papacy of trying to keep a little of the ordinary even in this very extraordinary job.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Ruth Sherlock reporting. Vice President Vance says it's time for Russia and Ukraine to agree to a U.S. proposal to end the war in Ukraine. Fans warn today if there's no agreement, it's time for the US to walk away from ceasefire talks. His comments come as discussions open today in London about the war, but the level of this meeting has been downgraded. NPR's Joanna Kakissis reports. That came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio pulled out of the discussions yesterday.

[Joanna Kakissis]

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy downgraded the peace talks to discussions among representatives of Europe, the US And Ukraine after Rubio abruptly canceled his trip, citing a scheduling issue. The Ukrainian delegation includes Rubio's counterpart, Andriy Sibika, speaking to reporters in Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said establishing a ceasefire must precede any peace deal. This is a dangerous moment, he said. It does not send a very good signal if America pulls out of negotiations. According to news reports, the Trump administration is pushing Ukraine to recognize Russian occupied crime, Crimea, as part of Russia. Joanna Kakis, NPR News, Kyiv.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR has learned that the National Institutes of Health is going to close down the longest study of women's health in the US The Women's Health Initiative has tracked health findings since the early 1990s. It's made important findings about cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporotic fractures in women. Stocks opened sharply higher this morning as the Trump administration hinted at at a possible easing of trade tensions with China. NPR's Scott Horsley reports. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1,000 points in early trading.

[Scott Horsley]

President Trump's triple digit tariffs on imports from China have brought a lot of trade between the world's two biggest economies to a standstill. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant told a gathering of investors that situation is unsustainable and suggested a de escalation may be in store. Trump himself told reporters he expects tariffs to come down substantially. Trump also helped to calm market jitters by saying he has no intention of filing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, despite criticizing Powell in recent days. Stock in Tesla's up after CEO Elon Musk said he plans to spend more time running the electric car company and less time in Washington. The move comes after Tesla saw a sharp drop in sales and profits in the first few months of the year. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

[Korva Coleman]

You're listening to NPR News. President Trump says he's suing the law firm of Perkins Coie. He's already targeted the firm using a presidential executive order. Officials with Perkins Coie have asked federal courts to block that order. Trump says he's now suing for an unspecified unlawful act by a member of the law firm. NPR has learned the Trump administration has fired at least eight more immigration judges. This continues a trend of laying off Federal Probationary Employees. NPR's Heimena Bustillo reports.

[Ximena Bustillo]

The judges who received the notices weren't given a reason for the termination. The latest firings come as dozens of courts around the country are already facing vacancies. The Trump administration administration laid off or received resignations from over 100 court staff that includes over two dozen judges. These judges are the only ones who can revoke someone's green card and among the few who can grant asylum. The Trump administration aims to increase the number of arrests and deportations, and immigrant rights groups say cutting judges makes it harder to do that. There were almost 4 million pending cases in immigration courts in the last quarter of 2024. Ximena Bustillo, NPR News, Washington.

[Korva Coleman]

A federal judge is holding a hearing for a detained Columbia University student today. Mohsen Madawi was detained this month in Vermont. He was led to believe he was going to a meeting that was his final step toward becoming a US Citizen. Instead, he was detained by federal immigration agents. Madawi's lawyers say he's being targeted for his pro Palestinian activism. They're asking that he be released. The Trump administration is seeking to deport him. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News, from Washington.

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