NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-08-2025 2PM EDT

Episode Date: April 8, 2025

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Hey, it's Amartines. Even as the host of a news show, it can be hard to keep up with the headlines. That is why we make the Up First podcast. Every morning in under 15 minutes, we cover three major stories with context and analysis from reporters around the world. So you can catch up on what's going on while getting ready, making desayuno or going to work. So listen to the Up First podcast from NPR. Liveaxmelea Sing Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Laxmelea Sing. The Supreme Court's handing the Trump administration's Doge a legal victory. For now, the high court's blocking a federal judge's order for the government to rehire 16,000 probationary federal workers, including recent hires and tenured employees in new

roles. The stay is temporary and an indication a majority of the Supreme Court is inclined to take up the case. The United States is threatening even higher tariffs, but China is not backing down. NPR's John Rewich on the escalating trade war between the world's two biggest economies. Trump threatened to put an additional 50% tariff on China. That's if China does not retract a retaliatory levy on US goods that it announced in response to Trump's tariff salvo last week. But Beijing is not blinking. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian

told a press conference, if the US insists on pursuing a tariff war and trade war with disregard for the interests of both countries and the international community Google may fall to the China he says will fight till the end Global equity markets have been hammered by the prospect of sweeping US tariffs and a worsening trade war between China and the US The world's two biggest economies stock markets in Asia, have rebounded after steep losses a day earlier. John Ruehich, NPR News, Beijing. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson tells CNBC

that so far, Japan has been at the forefront of countries, including some with large trade deficits, eager to negotiate with the Trump administration. He predicts some good deals. If we put up a tariff wall, the ultimate goal would be to bring jobs back to the U.S. But in the meantime, we will be collecting substantial tariffs. We see the Dow is up 286 points, or roughly three-quarters of a percent.

The NASDAQ got 42. The S&P has risen 19. Amidst a measles outbreak in Texas, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has endorsed the MMR vaccine. As NPR's Jeff Brumfield tells us, that endorsement has angered some of his core supporters. In a post on X, Kennedy wrote, quote, the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine. It's the strongest statement yet from the health secretary, who once ran a charity that

tried to end school requirements for measles vaccines. Many of Kennedy's supporters oppose mandatory childhood vaccination. Mary Talley-Boden is a Texas physician who thinks children shouldn't get COVID vaccines. She says she feels double-crossed. For him to say that was not consistent with what we were expecting. The CDC says the MMR shot prevents up to 97% of measles cases and provides further protection against severe illness. So far, two unvaccinated children and one unvaccinated adult have died in this latest outbreak. Jeff Brumfield, NPR News. From Washington, this is NPR. Washington, this is NPR. The U.S. Embassy confirms the Democratic Republic of Congo has released three Americans and

they're coming back home. The men were among 37 people initially sentenced to death by military court in Congo for attempting to overthrow the government. DRC President Felix Chisekety reduced the sentences from death to life imprisonment shortly before a senior Trump advisor visited Congo last week. Billionaire businessman Masad Boulos, Tiffany Trump's father-in-law, reportedly visited amid speculation surrounding a possible minerals for security deal. A major union is suing to stop the Trump administration from dismantling the Institute of Museum and

Library Services. It's the federal agency that gives grant money to museums and libraries across the United States. More from NPR's Andrew Limbong. The union is the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME. They got together with the American Library Association to file a lawsuit claiming President Trump's dismantling of the IMLS is a violation of the separation of powers

as well as a violation of the First Amendment. Last week, President Trump's new appointee to run the IMLS placed its entire staff on administrative leave, meaning any grants the agency had issued are now up in the air. Libraries in rural areas are likely to be the hardest hit since they're the most reliant on federal funds. AFSCME President Lee Saunders wrote in a statement library workers quote, deserve support, not cuts. Andrew Limbong, NPR News.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.