NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-03-2025 2PM EDT

Episode Date: April 3, 2025

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Shortwave thinks of science as an invisible force showing up in your everyday life, powering the food you eat, the medicine you use, the tech in your pocket. Science is approachable because it's already part of your life. Come explore these connections on the Shortwave podcast from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. U.S. stocks are leading a global sell-off in the wake of President Trump's tariffs. The Dow has dropped more than 1,300 points or more than 3 percent. The S&P down more than 4 percent and the NASDAQ has plunged more than 5 percent. It's down more than 900 points.

President Trump is standing by the tariffs as a necessary means of restoring U.S. manufacturing competitiveness. On his directive, the U.S. is imposing 10% tariffs on all imports. On top of that, reciprocal tariffs on some trading partners and 25% auto tariffs kicked in today. The impact is rippling across the US.

In Kansas City, Frank Morris of member station KCUR reports on the hit to farmers in America's heartland. Many farmers say they've been losing money recently. They're paying much more for things like fertilizer, seed and equipment, and they're getting less for the crops they produce. Kansas farmer Vance Emke says President Trump's import taxes will make things worse.

These tariffs are just absolutely bad news. There is no good news about them whatsoever. The price for everything that we buy goes up and the price for everything that we sell goes down. American row crop farmers depend on exports to make a living. Emke fears that the countries they sell to like China, Mexico and Canada will slap tariffs on U.S. farm exports and drive commodity prices lower. For NPR News, I'm Frank Morris in Kansas City. A new report shows layoffs in the US have surged to near unprecedented levels. NPR's Windsor Johnston reports latest figures are mainly driven by Doge, the team carrying out President Trump's

directive to shrink the federal government. The report was released by executive coaching firm Challenger Gray and Christmas. It showed employers announced just over 275,000 job cuts in March, a more than 200% increase from the same period last year, and a level not seen since the pandemic. The layoffs have sparked widespread backlash from labor unions, advocacy groups, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Critics argue that reducing the federal workforce on such a large scale will weaken critical public services, delay essential programs, and hurt millions of Americans who rely on government assistance. The Trump administration says the cutbacks will

reduce the nation's deficit and promote long-term economic stability. Windsor-Johnston, NPR News, Washington. The administration is warning that it may withhold federal funds from public schools if they have diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The U.S. Department of Education sent a letter today to state leaders across the U.S. It warns it may cut off Title I funding on which schools with high concentrations of students living in poverty rely. Schools now have 10 days to show they've dropped DEI programs. The Education Department itself is at risk of being dismantled, although its abolishment requires congressional

approval. The Dow, down more than 1,300 points or more than 3%. This is NPR News. Millions of people across the large swath of the central U.S. are in the path of dangerous storm conditions. More than two dozen destructive tornadoes rip through portions of Oklahoma, Missouri, Western Tennessee, and Kentucky. National Weather Service's Mark Chouinard speaks to historic rainfall and floods. Mark Chouinard The flood risk is going to really start ramping up. So there's already been some flood impacts yesterday into last night across portions of Arkansas, Western Tennessee, Western Kentucky. And unfortunately, the heavy rain track kind of continued through Saturday. Earlier, he projected five to 10 inches of rain on top of what has already fallen. New

York City's in battle, Mayor says he will run for reelection as an independent candidate. Mayor Adams skipping the fiercely competitive Democratic primary. NPR's Brian Mann reports a move comes one day after a federal judge agreed to dismiss criminal charges against him. New York City Mayor Eric Adams was charged last year with federal bribery, campaign finance, and conspiracy offenses. After Adams signaled support for President Trump, the Justice Department moved to suspend those charges. Instead, Judge Dale Ho yesterday canceled the case entirely.

Now Adams, who denies any wrongdoing, says that legal fight dragged on so long it prevented him from spending time campaigning. I will forego the Democratic primary for mayor and appeal directly to all New Yorkers as an independent candidate in the general election. This means Adams will avoid running against former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the June 24th Democratic primary. The two could still face off in the general election in November. Brian Mann, NPR News, New York.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington. When Malcolm Gladwell presented NPR's Throughline podcast with a Peabody Award, he praised it in Washington.