NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-09-2025 5AM EDT

Episode Date: April 9, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. It's been another down day for stock markets in Asia. Japan's Nikkei index closed down nearly 4 percent as President Trump's latest tariffs on China went into effect and Beijing warned it's prepared for an extended trade war with the U.S. Markets in Taiwan and Hong Kong also finished lower. Wall Street futures are mostly lower this morning. President Trump has signed several executive

orders designed to expand the use of coal in the US. As NPR's Lauren Summer reports, the move is being applauded by the coal industry and criticized by environmentalists. Trump's order could allow some older coal power plants to stay open by allowing them to meet less stringent air pollution rules. The order also seeks to promote coal mining on federal land. Trump says the move will help meet the growing

demand for electricity from data centers and artificial intelligence. Coal power has been declining in part because other energy sources are cheaper, including natural gas and renewable energy like solar and wind. Since 2010, electricity generated from coal has fallen by more than 60 percent. Coal also produces more heat trapping emissions than other kinds of power plants, which is making the climate warmer. Lauren Sommer, NPR News. The Trump administration is freezing more than a

billion dollars in federal funding to Cornell University and close to $800 million for Northwestern. The White House says the funds are on hold pending a government investigation into alleged civil rights violations at the schools. It did not elaborate. The move is part of a broader push by the administration to use government funding as a way to get academic institutions to comply with the president's political agenda. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says he will challenge four-term Republican Senator

John Cornyn in next year's GOP primary. Blaise Ganey with the Texas newsroom says Paxton is a supporter of President Trump, who made his campaign announcement last night on the Fox show, The Ingram Angle. Paxton is hoping to unseat Cornyn, who's been representing Texas in the U.S. Senate since 2002. He says the state is ready for a change. We have another great U.S. Senator, Ted Cruz, and it's time we have another great Senator that will actually stand up and fight for Republican values, fight for the values of

the people of Texas, and also support Trump in the areas that he's focused on in a very significant way. And that's what I plan on doing." Those are things Paxton says Cornyn hasn't been doing. In fact, shortly after, he said it's quote, hard to think of the things he's done good for Texas, end quote. Both elected officials will have about a year before the 2026 primaries, which will likely be an extremely costly battle. I'm Blades Ganey in Austin.

In 2023, Paxton was impeached by state lawmakers on corruption charges. He was later acquitted. This is NPR News. Authorities in the Dominican Republic say nearly 100 people were killed in yesterday's collapse of a nightclub roof in Santo Domingo. It gave way during a concert by popular merengue singer Ruby Perez. He was among those killed. Two former Major League Baseball players, Octavio Dottel and Tony Blanco, were also killed in the collapse. The BBC's Luis Farado is following the investigation. Media in the Dominican Republic are pointing out to the fact that there was a fire in this building a couple of years ago, apparently caused by lightning.

But of course, there's no official indication yet of what could have been the reason. Of course, there's going to be a lot of investigations. The owner of the nightclub has appeared on national media saying he's fully cooperating with the authorities. But again, at this moment, it is many more questions than answers to what could have happened. That's the BBC's Luis Farado reporting. Dottel pitched for more than a dozen teams over his 15-year career in the majors.

He won a World Series ring with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011. Blanco played briefly with the Washington Nationals. Authorities in Southern California say a youth soccer coach is facing charges that include murder and the death of a 13-year-old boy. Prosecutors in Los Angeles County say the teenager was reported missing by his family on March 30th after he'd taken a train to visit the coach north of Los Angeles and wasn't heard from again. Prosecutors are also accusing the coach, Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino, of being a sexual predator. I'm Dave Mattingly in Washington.