NPR News: 04-24-2025 12PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: April 24, 2025, 12 PM EDT - Detailed Summary

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Producer: NPR
Duration: Approximately 5 minutes

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Ukraine-Russia Conflict and the White House Peace Plan

Timestamp: [00:16 - 01:14]
Reported by: Lakshmi Singh and Charles Maynes

NPR's Lakshmi Singh opens the episode by addressing the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. She reports on Ukraine's successful defense of Kyiv against recent Russian air strikes. Central to this segment is former President Trump's attempt to mediate a resolution to the war, which has persisted for over three years.

Key Points:

• White House Peace Plan: Charles Maynes elaborates on the proposed peace plan, highlighting its apparent favoritism towards Russia. The plan reportedly aims to "lock in the current front lines or something close to it," as stated by JD Van.

  Notable Quote:

  "JD Van said this deal would lock in the current front lines or something close to it." [00:43]

• Crimea Controversy: A significant point of contention is Ukraine President Zelensky's refusal to recognize the Crimean Peninsula as part of Russia, a region annexed in 2014. This stance is reportedly a non-negotiable aspect for Ukraine, complicating the peace negotiations.

  Notable Quote:

  "Zelensky's refusal to acknowledge the Crimean peninsula... is a non starter for Ukraine." [00:43]

• Kremlin's Response: The Kremlin has responded affirmatively, stating it "welcomed American negotiation efforts," though details remain sparse.

  Notable Quote:

  "The Kremlin only said it welcomed American negotiation efforts." [00:43]

Passing of Pope Francis: Public Viewing and Funeral Arrangements

Timestamp: [01:14 - 01:31]
Reported by: Jason DeRose

NPR's Jason DeRose provides an update from Rome regarding the death of Pope Francis. Over 50,000 people visited his body during the first day of public viewing at St. Peter's Basilica.

Key Points:

• Public Viewing: The viewing will continue until Friday evening, after which the coffin will be sealed.
• Funeral Rites: Scheduled for the following morning in St. Peter's Square, with interment planned at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
• Mourning Period: Saturday marks the start of the "Novemdialis," a nine-day period of mourning and masses.
• Conclave: Post-mourning, the conclave will convene to elect the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

U.S. Housing Market and Economic Indicators

Timestamp: [02:07 - 02:17]
Reported by: Scott Horsley

Scott Horsley discusses the significant slowdown in U.S. home sales last month, a deviation from the typically busy spring market.

Key Points:

• Mortgage Rates: Elevated near 7%, deterring potential buyers.

• Sales Decline: Existing home sales decreased by nearly 6%.

• Home Prices: Despite reduced sales, the average selling price rose to just under $404,000.

• Durable Goods Orders: A surge in airplane orders led to a 9.2% increase in durable goods orders in March, excluding transportation equipment. However, overall durable goods orders remained flat.

  Notable Quote:

  "The combination of high borrowing costs and high prices is keeping homes out of reach for many would-be buyers." [02:17]

Stock Market Overview and Major News Highlights

Timestamp: [02:58 - 04:49]
Reported by: Lakshmi Singh and Becky Sullivan

Stock Market Performance

Lakshmi Singh reports a positive trend in the U.S. stock market during the hour of broadcast.

Key Points:

• Dow Jones Industrial Average: Increased by 255 points (~0.5%) to 39,800.
• S&P 500: Rose by 1.3%.
• Nasdaq: Gained 1.8%.

Illinois Court Sentences Gunman

An Illinois court has handed down a life sentence without parole to Robert Cremo III for the 2022 mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, where seven people were killed, and dozens were injured.

Airline Industry Outlook

American Airlines has joined Delta and Southwest in retracting their full-year financial forecasts amid uncertainties stemming from a U.S. trade war. The reduction in passenger demand has led Southwest Airlines to scale back its flight schedule.

Notable Quote:

"American Airlines joined Delta and Southwest in pulling back their full-year financial outlook in the wake of the uncertain uncertainty from a U.S. trade war." [02:58]

NFL Draft Highlights: Travis Hunter

Becky Sullivan covers the commencement of the NFL draft, spotlighting Travis Hunter, the previous year's Heisman Trophy winner. Recognized for his exceptional two-way play in college football, Hunter is projected as a top pick, although not necessarily first overall.

Key Points:

• Travis Hunter: Noted for his versatility as both a wide receiver and cornerback, with accolades including 96 receptions for over 1,200 yards and four interceptions in his last season.

  Notable Quote:

  "His unique versatility has most experts rating him the best player available in the draft." [04:06]

• Other Top Picks: Potential high selections include Tennessee Titans' likely choice, quarterback Cam Ward from Miami, Penn State's pass rusher Abdul Carter, and Boise State's running back Ashton Genty.

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Conclusion

Lakshmi Singh wraps up the episode, summarizing the diverse range of topics covered—from international conflicts and significant global events to domestic economic indicators and major sports drafts. Listeners are provided with a concise yet comprehensive overview of the day's most pressing news.

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Note: Advertisements and non-content segments have been excluded from this summary to focus solely on the informational content of the podcast.

Transcript

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[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Ukraine's air defenses over Kyiv last night against the latest wave of Russian strikes. President Trump, who has sought to mediate an end to Russia's more than three year old war with Ukraine, has expressed frustration with the leaders of both countries, Presidents Putin of Russia and zelensky of Ukraine. NPR's Charles Means has more on the peace plan the White House has touted.

[Charles Maynes]

The White House has yet to publicly offer specifics on this peace plan, but it's clear it heavily favors Russia. On paper, JD Van said this deal would lock in the current front lines or something close to it. But the latest dust up with Ukraine involves Zelensky's refusal to acknowledge the Crimean peninsula, which Russia took from Ukraine in 2014 as now formally part of Russia. This is apparently a component of this U.S. peace deal and the non starter for Ukraine, you know. As to Russia's reaction, the Kremlin only said it welcomed American negotiation efforts.

[Lakshmi Singh]

NPR's Charles Maynes reporting. The Vatican says more than 50,000 people visited the body of the late Pope Francis on the first day of public viewing in St. Peter's Basilica. NPR's Jason DeRose reports from Rome that the viewing continues until Friday evening.

[Jason DeRose]

After three days of public viewing, Francis coffin will be sealed Friday at 8pm local time. The following morning, the funeral rite takes place in St. Peter's Square. Later that day, Pope Francis body will be interred in the Basilica of St. Mary Major across town. Saturday marks the beginning of something called the Novembdialis, an ancient tradition of nine days of mourning and masses for the repose of the late Pope's soul. After that period, the conclave begins at which cardinals will elect the next leader of the world's 1.4 billion Roman Cathol. Jason DeRose, NPR News, Rome.

[Lakshmi Singh]

In the United States, home sales slowed sharply last month. NPR's Scott Horsley reports on the latest numbers from the national association of Realtors.

[Scott Horsley]

Spring is ordinarily a busy time for buying and selling houses, but not with mortgage rates near 7%. The combination of high borrowing costs and high prices is keeping homes out of reach for many would be buyers. The Realtors association says sales of existing homes were down almost 6% last month. The average selling price continues to climb. However, last month it was just under $404,000. A flurry of new orders for airplanes caused a spike in durable goods orders last month. The Commerce Department says orders for long lasting manufactured goods jumped a whopping 9.2% in March, stripping out airplanes and other transportation equipment. Durable goods orders were flat. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

[Lakshmi Singh]

U.S. stocks trading higher this hour. The Dow Jones industrial Average is up 255 points, or more than 0.5% at 39,800 dol. The S&P has climbed 1.3%. The Nasdaq is up 1.8%. It's NPR News. An Illinois court has sentenced the gunman in the 2022 mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Robert Cremo III admitted to the attack in Highland park that killed seven people and injured dozens more Today. American Airlines joined Delta and Southwest in pulling back their full year financial outlook in the wake of the uncertain uncertainty from a U.S. trade war. The three major carriers have reported lower demand for tickets. Yesterday, Southwest Airlines said it planned to scale back its flight schedule as a result. The NFL draft begins tonight. The winner of last year's Heisman Trophy, a genuine two way player unlike anyone professional football has seen in decades, could be one of the first to be selected. NPR's Becky Sullivan has more on Travis Hunter.

[Becky Sullivan]

Hunter was one of the best wide receivers in college football last year. He got 96 passes for more than 1200 yards, and that alone might be enough to get him drafted early. But he's also a great defender, a cornerback with four interceptions last season. In total, he played more than 80% of all offensive and defensive snaps for Colorado. The unique versatility has most experts rating him the best player available in the draft, though he might not go first overall. Quarterbacks are king in the NFL and the Tennessee Titans with a top overall pick need one. They're expected to take Cam Ward from Miami. Other top picks could include the Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter and the Heisman Trophy runner up, running back Ashton Genty from Boise State. Becky Sullivan, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, in Washington.

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