NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-07-2025 12PM EDT

Episode Date: April 7, 2025

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When Malcolm Gladwell presented NPR's Throughline podcast with a Peabody Award, he praised it for its historical and moral clarity. On Throughline, we take you back in time to the origins of what's in the news, like presidential power, aging, and evangelicalism. Time travel with us every week on the Throughline podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump is threatening another tariff hike on Wednesday if China does not pull back its retaliatory measures on truth social. Trump also singled out Japan as one of the countries

selling to Americans far more than they're buying from the US. Trump now says tariff negotiations with other countries will start immediately a day after his Treasury Secretary said more than 50 countries had approached the administration. NPR's Scott Horstley with more. Ten percent tariffs on nearly everything the U.S. imports took effect over the weekend unless something changes. Even higher import taxes on goods from dozens of countries are set to kick in on Wednesday. That's sparking fears of higher prices and slower economic growth. On its way back to Washington from a golfing weekend in Florida last night, President Trump told reporters, quote, sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something. Investors around the world are finding the president's

trade war a bitter pill. Asian markets dropped sharply overnight. Oil prices briefly dip below $60 a barrel. But retail gasoline prices in the U.S. continue to climb. They're up about nine cents a gallon in the last week. Scott Horsley, Ampere News, Washington. The administration's asking the Supreme Court to block a court order requiring the return of a Maryland man mistakenly sent to an El Salvador prison. White House has under court order to bring the man back by tonight. Here's NPR's Luke Garrett.

Luke Garrett In 2019, an immigration judge barred Kilmarro Abrego-Garcia from being sent back to El Salvador because he was being targeted with threats and violence. The Trump administration deported him there anyway and admitted it was a, quote, administrative heir. On Sunday, a judge called the deportation, quote, wholly lawless, end quote. But Attorney General Pam Bondi said Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang and deserved to be deported. When asked for evidence on Fox News Sunday, Bondi responded, So we have to rely on what ICE says, we have to rely on what Homeland Security says.

They're our clients. And I firmly believe in the work they are doing. A court order says Abrego Garcia must be returned by Monday night, but the Justice Department says it can't. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington. Texas officials say a second child has died of measles. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attended the funeral yesterday and identified the child as eight-year-old Daisy Hillbred.

NPR's Maria Godoy has more. Secretary Kennedy traveled to Texas on Sunday in a post on X. He said he went to console the family of the child who died. He said the CDC is deploying teams to Texas to help with the outbreak. And he called the measles vaccine, quote, the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles. And that is notable because in prior statements, he's called vaccines a personal choice. But in another post-Sunday, Kennedy praised doctors' use of treatments that have no evidence to support them when it comes to measles. NPR's Maria Godoy reporting, Texas alone has 481 confirmed cases.

You're listening to NPR News. Reading is more of an aspiration than a reality for most Americans. NPR's Andrew Limbong says that's according to a new NPR Ipsos poll of current reading habits. To be clear, respondents respect and even venerate reading. Respondents overwhelmingly think reading is relaxing and is a way to learn about the world. 98% of respondents with kids say they want their children to develop a love of reading.

And yet 51% of respondents say they read a book in the last month, compared to the about 80% who say they've watched streaming TV or use social media. Mallory Newell, vice president of public polling at Ipsos, says what gets in the way of reading isn't just other entertainment, it's the rest of life. I think reading is up against the fact that we just don't have enough time in the day. That said, 63% of people said they want to become a better reader. Andrew Limbong and Peer News. Oh, Veshkin has it, he scores! Caps Radio announcing the historic moment that

Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin hit 895 breaking a more than three-decade all-time NHL goal record set by Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin also broke Gretzky's scoring record in the same number of games played by each 1487. The Great One embraced and congratulated Ovechkin during an on-eye ceremony marking the historic moment, while Ovechkin left New York's UBS arena, a new record holder, the New York Islanders left with a four-to-one victory over the Caps.

This is NPR News. Having news at your fingertips is great, but sometimes you need an escape. NPR News.