NPR News: 04-25-2026 4PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now — 4PM EDT, April 25, 2026

Host: Nora Ram
Length: ~5 minutes
Main Theme: Rapid-fire coverage of the day’s most significant U.S. and international news events.

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1. U.S.–Iran Diplomacy and Ceasefire Developments

[00:01 – 00:59]

• President Trump Cancels Islamabad Talks:

  • Trump canceled a U.S. delegation’s planned trip to Pakistan for weekend talks with Iran.
  • Reason: He felt too much time was wasted on travel for in-person discussions, favoring remote negotiations instead.
  • Quote:

    “Have people traveling for 16, 17 hours. We're not doing it that way. We'll do it when they want. They can call me.”
    — Donald Trump [00:26]

• Further Context:

  • Trump claimed infighting and confusion among Iranian leadership.
  • Earlier in the week, he extended the ceasefire with Iran, but its end date remains unclear—“up to the president.”
  • Trump asserted Iran returned with a "better deal" after the trip was canceled, but it still wasn’t enough.

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2. Russian Attack on Dnipro, Ukraine

[00:59 – 01:55]

• Overnight Assault:

  • Russia launched an overnight attack on Dnipro, using dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones.
  • Officials reported at least five deaths.

• On the Ground:

  • Rescue workers cleared rubble after attacks on apartment buildings.
  • Ballistic missiles and drones damaged residential areas, civilian infrastructure, and sparked fires.

• Ukrainian Leadership Response:

  • President Zelenskyy called on international allies to strengthen Ukrainian air defenses in light of continued Russia strikes.
  • Russian forces also attacked southern and eastern Ukrainian infrastructure.

• Memorable Moment:

  • The urgency in Zelenskyy’s ongoing appeals for air defense stood out as a rallying call for continued international support.

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3. Arizona Sues Over Detention Facility

[01:55 – 02:49]

• Federal Lawsuit:

  • Arizona Attorney General Chris Mays filed suit to block the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from converting a Phoenix suburb warehouse into an immigrant detention center.

• Key Concerns:

  • The facility sits across from a hazardous chemical storage site.
  • Alleged lack of required environmental reviews by DHS.

• Notable Quote:

  “Implement a deportation system that operates, quote, like Amazon prime but with human beings. DHS and ICE have run roughshod over federal law.”
  — Chris Mays [02:28]

• Legal Action:

  • The lawsuit seeks a permanent bar on the use of the warehouse as a detention center.

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4. Ruling on Southern Border Asylum Ban

[02:57 – 03:44]

• Executive Order Struck Down:

  • A federal appeals court ruled President Trump’s executive order banning asylum seekers at the southern border illegal.
  • The court held that immigration laws grant the right to petition for asylum, which cannot be overridden by the president.

• Next Steps:

  • The White House signaled DOJ would seek further review of the ruling.

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5. Unconventional White House Correspondents Dinner

[03:44 – 04:20]

• Entertainment Change:

  • Mentalist Oz Perlman is set to perform at the Correspondents Dinner, breaking tradition from comedian hosts.
  • Historical Note: President Trump will attend for the first time as president.

• Motivational Note:

  • Perlman, known for celebrity mind-reading, aims to unite attendees.
  • Quote:

    “You're going to leave the room in a better mood than you walked in. And I think as a country, we need that at times...”
    — Oz Perlman [04:07]

• Reflection:

  • The shift from comedy to magic during a politically tense period is seen as significant.

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6. NYC Hot Sauce Expo

[04:20 – 04:40]

• Event Highlight:
  • The Expo offers free samples and hosts competitions such as "Chicken Wings of Death" and the "Spicy Pizza of Doom."
  • The website’s daring call-to-action is quoted:

    “Enter if you dare, and we dare you to enter.”

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Noteworthy Quotes & Timestamps

• President Trump on negotiations:

  “Have people traveling for 16, 17 hours. We're not doing it that way. ...They can call me.”
  — [00:26]

• Arizona Attorney General Chris Mays:

  “Implement a deportation system that operates, quote, like Amazon prime but with human beings.”
  — [02:28]

• Mentalist Oz Perlman on his role:

  “You're going to leave the room in a better mood than you walked in. And I think as a country, we need that at times...”
  — [04:07]

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Key Takeaways

• The U.S. refocuses Iran negotiations on remote talks; ceasefire extended with uncertain timeline.
• Russia mounts a deadly aerial assault on Dnipro, Ukraine; calls intensify for more air defense support.
• Arizona sues DHS over plans for a new detention center, citing safety and legal violations.
• President Trump’s southern border asylum ban is declared illegal by a federal court.
• White House Correspondents Dinner sees a tone shift with Oz Perlman, indicating a desire for levity in divisive times.
• Fun and heat at the NYC Hot Sauce Expo round out the broadcast.

For full, uninterrupted sponsor-free listening, visit NPR News Now+ at plus.npr.org/newsnow.

Transcript

[Nora Ram]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Nora Ram. President Trump says he's canceled the US Delegation's trip to Islamabad for talks with Iran this weekend. NPR's Deepa Shivaram has more.

[Deepa Shivaram]

Trump says there was too much time wasted on traveling for in person talks. On the way back to Washington, Trump told reporters in Palm Beach, Florida, that Iranians could continue negotiations over over the

[Donald Trump]

phone, have people traveling for 16, 17 hours. We're not doing it that way. We'll do it when they want. They can call me.

[Deepa Shivaram]

He also claimed that there's infighting among Iranian leadership and confusion over who's in charge. Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran earlier this week, though it's not clear when it will lift. The White House has just said that's up to the president. Trump says that after he canceled the travel to Pakistan, Iran came back with a better deal. He said Iran offered a lot, but not enough. Deepa Shivaram, NPR News.

[Nora Ram]

Ukrainian officials say Russia attacked overnight in the central city of Dnipro using dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones. Authorities say at least five people were killed. NPR's Polina Litvinova reports.

[Polina Litvinova]

Rescue crews worked to clear rubble at the site of an attack on an apartment building in Dnipro in central Ukraine. The city was hit with ballistic missiles and drones, damaging residential areas, civilian infrastructure and causing fires. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media that every such Russian attack should remind Ukraine's allies they need to strengthen Ukrainian air defenses so the country can defend itself from aerial strikes. Russian forces also targeted critical facilities in Ukrainian southern and eastern regions. Polina Litvinova, NPR News, Kyiv.

[Nora Ram]

Arizona's attorney general filed a federal lawsuit yesterday to stop the Department of Homeland Security from turning a warehouse in a Phoenix suburb into a detention facility. Karen Sanchez of member station KJZZ reports.

[Karen Sanchez]

Attorney General Chris Mays, a Democrat, says the location of the facility in the City of Surprise is inappropriate for housing human beings and says DHS didn't submit necessary environmental reviews. The warehouse is across the street from a hazardous chemical storage facility. Mays says the government is obligated by its own laws to conduct a safety

[Chris Mays]

analysis in their rush to expand detention capacity across the country and implement a deportation system that operates, quote, like Amazon prime but with human beings. DHS and ICE have run roughshod over federal law.

[Karen Sanchez]

In her lawsuit, Mays seeks to permanently bar DHS from using the warehouse as a detention center. For NPR News, I'm Cameron Sanchez in Phoenix.

[Nora Ram]

This is NPR News. A federal appeals court yesterday ruled that President Trump's executive order banning migrants from seeking asylum at the southern border is illegal. On Inauguration Day last year, Trump had declared the situation at the southern border constituted an invasion of America. The court held that immigration laws give people the right to apply for asylum, and the president does not have the authority to override asylum procedures. The White House says the Justice Department will seek further review. The White House Correspondent's Dinner will not be hosted by a comedian as in the years past. Instead, mentalist Oz Perlman will appear to read the minds of those in the room, including President Trump. NPR's Rachel Treisman reports.

[Rachel Treisman]

Perlman rose to fame on America's got talent in 2015. He often goes viral on social media, appearing to guess the ATM PIN codes and innermost thoughts of various celebrities. His audience on Saturday is a room full of political journalists, government officials and Trump, who plans to attend the Correspondents Dinner for the first time. As President Perlman told NPR his job is to bring people together.

[Oz Perlman]

You're going to leave the room in a better mood than you walked in. And and I think as a country, we need that at times in such

[Rachel Treisman]

a divisive political moment that may take a magician's touch. Rachel Treisman, NPR News.

[Nora Ram]

The New York City Hot Sauce Expo is underway this weekend. There are free samples and competitions, including the chicken wings of death and the spicy pizza of doom Challenges. The website says enter if you dare, and we dare you to enter. I'm Nora Ramm and NPR News in Washington.

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