NPR News: 04-26-2025 5PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: Detailed Summary of the April 26, 2025 Episode

Released: April 26, 2025 | Host: NPR

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1. Farewell to Pope Francis

Jeanine Herbst opens the episode with the somber news of Pope Francis's passing and subsequent funeral:

• Funeral Proceedings: Pope Francis was laid to rest in a basilica in Rome, attracting world leaders and hundreds of thousands of mourners. The funeral featured a traditional Requiem mass in Latin, enriched with prayers in Chinese and Arabic, highlighting the global diversity of the Catholic Church's followers.
  "Presidents and kings and princes of the church gathered to bid Francis farewell," reports Jason DeRose at [00:42].

• Historic Burial Location: Notably, Pope Francis is the first pope in over a century to be buried outside Vatican City, emphasizing his enduring legacy and the broad impact of his ministry. His body was transported across the Tiber River to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where he was laid to rest amid representations of refugees, the homeless, the poor, and victims of violence—groups that were central to his life's work.

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2. Diplomatic Developments: Trump and Zelensky's Meeting

In the wake of Pope Francis's death, significant political developments unfolded between the United States and Ukraine:

• Historic Meeting Potential: Joanna Kakisis reports that President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a meeting hailed by Zelensky as potentially "historic" ([01:39]).

• Contentious Relations: Despite the meeting's promise, tensions remain, particularly regarding the ongoing conflict with Russia. Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting skepticism about the U.S.'s commitment to ending the war.
  "It makes me think he doesn't want to stop the war, trump wrote on Truth Social," as highlighted by Kakisis.

• Territorial Disputes: The discussion also touched upon territorial issues, with Trump controversially stating to "Time magazine that Russia can keep the southern Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, which it illegally annexed in 2014," reflecting the complex geopolitical challenges in the region ([01:24], [01:39]).

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3. IRS Workforce Reductions and Tax Filing Status

Scott Horsley provides an update on the Internal Revenue Service amidst significant staffing changes:

• Tax Filing Progress: Despite large-scale job cuts, the IRS has successfully processed over 140 million tax returns by the April 15 deadline, with approximately 98% already handled ([02:22]). This performance is marginally ahead of the previous year's pace.

• Refunds and Delays: Refunds are proceeding on schedule, with more than 60% of taxpayers receiving returns exceeding $2,900 on average. Horsley notes that even with a surge of last-minute filings, there has been no backlog, indicating efficient handling by the remaining workforce.

• Future Implications: However, the ongoing and potential future layoffs could impede the IRS's capacity to pursue tax evasion, particularly among the wealthy, raising concerns about fiscal enforcement ([02:34]).

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4. Wall Street Performance

Briefly touching on the financial markets:

• Stock Market Rise: For the week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average saw an increase of 2.5%, signaling a positive trend in Wall Street's performance ([03:16]).

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5. Passing of Alexis Herman, Trailblazing Secretary of Labor

The podcast mourns the loss of Alexis Herman, a significant figure in American politics:

• Legacy and Contributions: Tom Dreisbach recounts Herman's journey from her early life in mobile, Alabama, during the Jim Crow era, to becoming the United States' first black Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton. Her efforts in civil rights, voting rights, and women's rights are highlighted as pivotal to her enduring legacy.

• Inspirational Leadership: Herman was known for inspiring young people to engage in political and social activism. Reflecting her commitment, she stated during a 2016 commencement address, "I fought for civil rights. I fought for voting rights. I fought for women's rights in the 70s, but now it is your turn," emphasizing the importance of continued advocacy ([04:07]).

• Final Tributes: At 77 years old, Herman is remembered as a trailblazer who significantly impacted both the Carter and Clinton administrations, fostering inclusivity and progressive policies ([03:16], [04:16]).

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6. Auction of Titanic Survivor's Letter

An intriguing historical tidbit concludes the episode:

• Rare Auction Piece: A letter written by Archibald Gracie, one of the Titanic's most renowned survivors, was sold for nearly $400,000 at auction. The correspondence, addressed to his great uncle, reflects Gracie's initial impressions of the Titanic, stating, "It was a fine one, but that I would wait till the trip was over to pass judgment" ([04:21]).

• Historical Significance: This letter is believed to be the only surviving correspondence from Gracie aboard the ill-fated ship. Gracie survived the Titanic disaster, which claimed over 1,500 lives, and later authored "The Truth about the Titanic," providing a firsthand account of the tragic event.

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This episode of NPR News Now delivers a comprehensive update on global events, significant political developments, economic indicators, and noteworthy historical artifacts, providing listeners with a thorough overview of the day's most pressing news.

Transcript

[NPR Host]

Climate change is drying up some water supplies and making others undrinkable. That's why Here and Now, ANYTIME is covering the hunt for fresh water, from a pipeline in the Great Lakes to the science of desalination to extreme recycling that turns sewage into clean drinking water. That's Here and Now anytime, A podcast from NPR and wbur.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. Pope Francis was laid to rest in a basilica in Rome today. World leaders and hundreds of thousands of others gather to pay their final respects to Francis this morning. He died Monday at the age of 88. NPR's Jason Deros has more.

[Jason DeRose]

Presidents and kings and princes of the church gathered to bid Francis farewell. Also laity and clergy from around the world. The traditional Requiem mass sung in Latin, also included prayers in Chinese and Arabic languages from the global south, where the church is vibrant. Following the funeral itself, Francis body was driven across town over the Tiber river to the Basilica of St. Mary Major for burial. There he was seen to his final resting place by a group representing those on whom Francis focused his ministry, refugees, homeless people, the poor and victims of violence. Jason DeRose, NPR News, Rome.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Francis is the first pope in more than 100 years to be buried outside of Vatican City. Meanwhile, ahead of his funeral, President Trump and Ukraine President Zelensky met for a discussion that the White House says was very productive. NPR's Joanna Kakisis reports.

[Joanna Kakisis]

Writing on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this meeting could turn out to be historic. Trump wrote his own post criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin for attacking Ukrainian civilians. It makes me think he doesn't want to stop the war, trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media network. He's just tapping me along. The meeting comes after a week of US Pressure on Zelensky to concede territory. Zelensky says he will never recognize Russ occupied Ukrainian land as part of Russia. Trump told Time magazine that Russia can keep the southern Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, which it illegally annexed in 2014. Joanna Kakissis, NPR News, Kyiv.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Large scale job cuts at the IRS don't appear to have affected this year's tax filing season. NPR Scott Horsley reports. The IRS has processed slightly more returns so far than at this time last year.

[Scott Horsley]

More than 140 million people filed tax returns by the week of the April 15 deadline, and so far about 98% of those returns have been processed. That's slightly ahead of last year's pace, even after the IRS laid off thousands of workers this spring. Refunds also appear to be going out on schedule. More than 60% of tax filers get money back from the government. The average refund this year is more than $2,900. About one in six taxpayers waited until the last week to file, but that's not unusual and doesn't appear to have caused any backlog. Many more job cuts are looming at the irs, though that's likely to inhibit the agency's ability to go after wealthy tax cheats. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

[Jeanine Herbst]

And on Wall street this week, the Dow was up rose 2.5% for the week. You're listening to NPR News. The first black secretary of labor in the country has died. As NPR's Tom Dreisbach reports, Alexis Herman is being praised as a trailblazer for civil rights rights who served in the administrations of both Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Alexis Herman was born in mobile, Alabama, in 1947 during Jim Crow. After graduating from Xavier University in Louisiana, she worked to desegregate schools, became a social worker. She served in the administration of President Jimmy Carter. And under President Bill Clinton, she became the country's first black secretary of labor. Throughout her career in politics, Herman encouraged young people to get more involved, like in this 2016 commencement address.

[Alexis Herman]

I fought for civil rights. I fought for voting rights. I fought for women's rights in the 70s, but now it is your turn.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Herman was 77 years old. Tom Dreisbach, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

A letter written by one of the Titanic's most well known survivors from onboard the ship days before it sank has sold for nearly $400,000 at auction. In the note, first class passenger Archibald Gracie wrote to his great uncle about the ship, saying it was a fine one, but that he would wa till the trip was over to pass judgment. It's believed to be the only surviving letter from Gracie aboard the ship. He survived the sinking after hitting an iceberg which killed 1500 people on its maiden voyage. He went on to write the Truth about the Titanic, an account of his experiences when he returned to New York City. I'm Jeanine Hurst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

[NPR Sponsor]

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