NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-08-2025 8PM EDT

Episode Date: April 9, 2025

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This message comes from Mint Mobile. Mint Mobile took what's wrong with wireless and made it right. They offer premium wireless plans for less and all plans include high-speed data, unlimited talk and text, and nationwide coverage. See for yourself at mintmobile.com slash switch. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The Supreme Court has ruled the Trump administration's firing of probationary employees at six agencies can stand for now. Justice is ruling the plaintiffs in the case a group of nonprofits did not have standing. More from NPR's Andrea Hsu. Andrea Hsu The decision from the high court halts a ruling

by U.S. District Judge William Alsop last month. Alsop had ordered six federal agencies to bring some 16,000 probationary employees back to work. Some of those employees were also reinstated under a different federal court order issued that same day in a case brought by 19 states and the District of Columbia. It's unclear what agencies will do now, whether they'll attempt to sort out who among the reinstated probationary employees can now be fired once again. With this decision,

the Supreme Court is not addressing the question at the heart of the case, whether or not the firings were legal, that's still making its way through the lower courts. Andrea Hsu, NPR News. President Trump took executive actions today, he says, will revive the coal industry. Burz Moore-Lyson has the story. Standing in front of a group of coal miners wearing work uniforms and hard hats, President Trump signed orders that would remove

regulations for new coal mines and expedite leases for coal mining on federal land. He said the orders would crush Biden-era environmental restrictions. For four long years, Joe Biden and congressional Democrats tried to abolish the American coal industry.

They did everything in their power while he was awake, which wasn't much. Shutting down dozens of coal plants. Coal mining's decline began in the 1980s and more recently it's lost ground to low-cost fracking. That's on top of environmental regulation. As for coal's contribution to climate change, Trump said sea level rise would create, quote, a little bit more waterfront property. Mara Eliason, NPR News.

Measles cases in West Texas have now surpassed 500 in a continuing outbreak. Libby Aldridge with member station KUT reports. Texas's state health department also announced that ongoing transmission of measles had spread to several new counties. Public health experts continue to say the best way to curb the outbreak is to drive up the vaccination rate. Jennifer Nezzo is the director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health. That's the way to stop it. This only ends with immunity. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited

Texas over the weekend after a second child died in the outbreak. He said in a statement that vaccines are the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles after previously promoting unproven alternative treatments for the disease. I'm Olivia Aldridge in Austin. When stock markets show nearly 1,500 points swings in a single trading day, it's pretty safe to say investors are confused. That sums up today's buying and selling on Wall Street ahead of the Trump administration tariffs. The Dow fell 320 points.

This is NPR. An old album is returning to the top of the pop charts. That is thanks to a deluxe edition containing new songs. NPR pure Stephen Thompson has this report. For the last two weeks, Playboy Cardi has topped the Billboard albums chart with a brand new record called Music. But this week, it's been replaced by an album that topped the chart more than a year ago.

Ariana Grande recently reissued her 2024 album Eternal Sunshine with five new songs and an extended version of another. With six fresh tracks and fresh vinyl and CD editions for sale, the album leapt from number 87 all the way back to number one. The Wicked Star also landed all six of those new tracks in the Billboard Hot 100, with Twilight Zone hitting the top 20. Stephen Thompson, NPR News. Sotheby's Auction House is calling in a major display of important rare diamonds.

100 million dollars worth of rare diamonds on display at the United Arab Emirates Capitol Abu Dhabi. The diamonds being shown have a total weight of more than 700 carats. Visitors, however, have been largely focused on a 10-carat blue diamond from South Africa. Considered one of the most significant stones in the world, it's due to be auctioned off in May. Estimates are the stone could fetch $20 million or more. Critical futures prices continue their downward slide, reaching four-year lows as inflation fears mount over looming conflict between the U.S. and China over trade, where it will fell $1.12 a barrel in New York.

I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. This message comes from Mint Mobile. Mint Mobile took what's wrong with wireless and made it right. They offer premium wireless plans for less, and all plans include high-speed data, unlimited talk and text, and nationwide coverage. See for yourself at mintmobile.com switch.