NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-05-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: April 5, 2025

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These days, there is a lot of news. It can be hard to keep up with what it means for you, your family, and your community. Consider This from NPR is a podcast that helps you make sense of the news. Six days a week, we bring you a deep dive on a story and provide the context, backstory, and analysis you need to understand our rapidly changing world. Listen to the Consider This Podcast from NPR. Noor Ahram Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Ahram. Another round of torrential rain is expected today in parts of the Midwest and South, regions already soaked by days of severe storms, but in some cases spun off tornadoes. The weather led to the deaths of at least eight people this week, including a nine-year-old

Kentucky boy who was swept away while walking to a bus stop. Karen Zahr of Member Station WUKY reports from Lexington, Kentucky. Governor Andy Beshear says rain is forecast statewide through Sunday, but the greatest concerns for flooding are in western and central Kentucky. If you live in an area that could flood, because we are going to see areas that never flood, flood during this event, go stay with somebody else over the next two days. National Guard members and emergency crews have been deployed and hundreds of roads are closed because of flooding, fallen trees, mud and rock slides.

President Trump has approved an emergency disaster declaration for all of Kentucky's 120 counties, which means FEMA can begin coordinating disaster assistance. For NPR News, I'm Karen Zarr in Lexington. The British maker of Jaguars and Land Rovers announced today it's pausing shipments to the U.S. as it considers how to deal with the impact of the 25% vehicle tariff imposed by the Trump administration as part of tariffs levied on most imported products. The Trump administration is also closing a loophole that allowed millions of American shoppers to buy items directly from retailers in China and Hong Kong without an import fee. NPR's Brian Mann has more.

Under this de minimis rule, shoppers who place orders worth under 800 bucks, and you can get a lot of low cost dresses or office supplies for that amount, they haven't until now been with duties or taxes. And they also get their packages really fast because they haven't had to wait for the usual customs and inspection process. But under the president's executive order, that's gonna come to a screeching halt May 2nd. Every package will now face a tariff of 30%.

NPR's Brian Mann, Cambodia has voluntarily lowered its tariffs on US goods from 35% to 5%, hoping Washington will drop its new 49% tax on Cambodian imports. The BBC's Celia Hatten has more. Though it remains one of Asia's poorest countries, much of Cambodia's economic growth in the last few years has hinged on its burgeoning manufacturing sector.

Keen to avoid US tariffs, Chinese factory owners have been diverting some of their clothing and shoe-making operations to take advantage of Cambodia's low wages. But that shift has now come under fire and it's believed the new US tariff regime is taking aim at those supply chains by placing some of its highest taxes on Cambodian imports. The BBC's Celia Hetten. This is NPR News. Cecilia Hetten. This is NPR News.

Ukrainian officials say the death toll from a Russian missile attack yesterday has risen to 18, including nine children. At least 72 people were wounded. Local officials say the strike damaged several buildings, including apartments, in the central Ukrainian city of Krivory, present Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown. Tomorrow's championship game for women's college basketball is set. It will be Connecticut and South Carolina, after both schools won semifinal games last night. Steve Futterman has more from Tampa, Florida. In the first of the semifinals, defending champion South Carolina fell behind Texas early by as many as eight points, but

slowly took over, eventually winning by 20. In the second semifinal, it was UConn domination. The Huskies led wire to wire, beating UCLA by 34 points, the most one-sided game in women's final four history. UConn star Paige Becker's had 16 points. Now on Sunday in her final college game, she will have one last chance to win the championship which has eluded her. You don't want to get caught up in the moment of being so anxious and trying to win the

national championship in one possession that you're just psyching yourself out. Meanwhile, South Carolina will try to become the first to win back-to-back women's titles since UConn in 2016. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Tampa. In men's college basketball, Florida plays Auburn and Houston plays Duke tonight in the final four games in the quest for the NCAA championship. The winners face each other Monday night. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington.