NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-08-2025 7PM EDT

Episode Date: April 8, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Mixed messages on President Trump's tariffs, royal financial markets again today, world leaders, investors and business executives are all becoming increasingly vocal as trillions of dollars of US wealth continues to evaporate. That's ahead of the imposition of more Trump tariffs at midnight. Most CEOs have been pretty reluctant to criticize Trump in public. So the fact that more are speaking out now gives you an idea of just how worried they are about the damage the tariffs can cause.

And we should note that even Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO, who's Trump's close advisor and one of the wealthiest men in the world, he's not happy. Writing on his ex-social network, Musk attacked President Trump's very pro-tariff trade adviser, Peter Navarro, and called him a moron. That's NPR's Maria Aspin. Economists say the tariffs could push the U.S. and the world into recession. While some countries say they're willing to talk, one notable exception has been China, which says it will retaliate against tariffs put in place by the administration. A new policy will make it harder for millions of Americans to access Social Security benefits.

That's according to a new report from the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. More from NPR's Ashley Lopez. Starting on Monday, people seeking retirement or survivor benefits from the Social Security Administration will no longer be able to apply over the phone. Instead, they will have to seek services online or in person at a local Social Security Administration will no longer be able to apply over the phone. Instead, they will have to seek services online or in person at a local social security office. Officials say this is an effort to prevent fraud. But Kathleen Roe Migg with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says this is a hurdle for Americans without Internet access.

Plus, she says about six million seniors live more than 45 minutes away from the closest office. That's really burdensome for a lot of people. Not everyone drives, particularly seniors or people with disabilities. Not everyone is able to leave the house. Think about people who are homebound or hospitalized. Romig says ongoing staff cuts at the agency will likely increase wait times for in-person services. Ashley Lopez, NPR News. The National Weather Service says it's no longer providing Spanish language translations of weather alerts. The Trump administration is not renewing a contract for the services. It was here from NPR's Lauren Summer. For 30 years, the National Weather Service has translated its weather forecasts into

Spanish, including severe weather alerts. In 2023, it contracted with a company called Lilt to use artificial intelligence for translations into Spanish, Chinese, and other languages. Now, the National Weather Service says it's pausing those translations because the contract was not renewed. The Trump administration has been cutting contracts as part of what it calls cost-saving measures.

Disaster experts say translating weather alerts is critical for helping people survive hurricanes and tornadoes. Lauren Summer, NPR News. Another down day on Wall Street. The Dow fell 320 points today. The Nasdaq was down more than 2%. You're listening to NPR.

Tony Award winning songwriter William Finn has died. He was 73. Finn was best known for quirky and at times highly personal musicals, among them Falsettos and the 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Jeff London reports. The Massachusetts native studied at Williams College and first burst on the scene in the 1970s and 80s with a trio of off-Broadway musicals centered around a gay, neurotic New York character named Marvin, much like Finn himself.

Two of them were combined in 1992 as Falsettos. I never wanted, I wanted, I never, never, never, never, never, never wanted to love you. Finn won the Tony for Best Score. In 1998, he wrote A new brain based in part on his own medical struggles and near-death experience, and in 2005, his most popular show, the 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York. Long thought to have been extinct, the Lord Howe Island stick insect is now the focus of an international effort aimed at saving it. The bugs were native to a remote archipelago

off Australia, but the arrival of rats and humans were thought to have wiped out the insects more than 80 years ago. Or if their existence was confirmed in 2001, they are considered to be the largest species of flightless insects in the world. Theeding program at the Prague Zoo is aimed at returning the rare bugs to their natural habitat. Critical futures prices continued their downward slide. Oil fell $0.12 a barrel to $0.5950 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.