NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-09-2025 8AM EDT

Episode Date: April 9, 2025

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This is out of her glass. In Lily's family, there's a story everybody knows by heart. If this story had never happened, All of us wouldn't be here right now. Sammy wouldn't be here. Nina wouldn't be here. Wally wouldn't be here. Anyone that we know wouldn't be here. So what happens when Lily's mom tells her this story is not true?

This American Life, surprising stories every week. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. President Trump's new tariffs on dozens of countries took effect overnight. This is on top of the 10 percent tariffs he imposed on nearly all nations last weekend. Trump's boosted his tariffs on China to more than 100 percent. China has just announced that it is boosting its own retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. The Chinese levies will go from about 34 percent to 84 percent. China has just announced that it is boosting its own retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. The Chinese levies will go from about 34 percent to 84 percent.

Trump has been firm on his tariff actions, but NPR's Danielle Kurtz-Levin says Trump's messaging has been mixed. There were several days there where you'd have one administration official saying these tariffs are not negotiable, that they're going to stick around a while. And then you'd have another official saying Trump was open to negotiation. Yesterday, the White House seemed to have settled on the idea that, yes, these tariffs are negotiable. They've said that about 70 countries have reached out for some sort of talks. Danielle Pletka And here's Danielle Kurtz-Lehman reporting. Separately, officials with the

European Union are meeting to vote today on European tariffs against the U.S. The first tranche could take effect next week. Markets are falling. In pre-market trading, Dow futures are down nearly 700 points. The president has signed executive orders designed to revitalize U.S. coal production, and Piers Mara-Liason reports. Piers Mara-Liason, P.S. 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. 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. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has made a rare appearance at a conference in San Diego. She was asked about changes to her agency that

includes recently telling school leaders they have to get rid of DEI programs or risk losing funding for low-income students. NPR's Janaki Mehta has more. Asked about what exactly the administration meant by DEI programs, here's what Secretary McMahon said. We need to continue to focus on where these funds need to be spent, but making sure that we are treating everyone equally. We're not taking away the rights of anyone to serve the rights of another.

There's been confusion around how state and local leaders should respond to the latest threat to poll funding. Many say they already follow civil rights laws, including New York and Minnesota's education departments, which pushed back against the federal directive, saying there is nothing illegal about diversity programs at schools. The U.S. Department of Ed has not said how they will enforce the ban on DEI. Janaki Mehta, NPR News. This is NPR.

Rescue teams in the Dominican Republic are continuing to dig through the wreckage of a collapsed nightclub. At least 113 people were killed Monday night when the roof caved in. Some of the victims included popular merengue singer Ruby Perez. He died along with a local Dominican governor and two former Major League Baseball players. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says he will challenge U.S. Senator John Cornyn in the 2026 Republican primary. Houston Public Media's Andrew Schneider has more.

Paxton had been hinting at a run for months before making it official. Mark Jones of Rice University's Baker Institute says Paxton will make a formidable competitor to Cornyn among Republican primary voters. Paxton is taking a calculated risk though with November voters. We need to keep in mind that Ken Paxton has never faced a credible Democratic challenger in his three statewide Attorney General bids. Jones says Paxton's announcement will set off a fierce Republican competition for the Attorney General's nomination. Paxton does not have to resign as Attorney General to run for the Senate.'s nomination, Paxton does not have to resign as attorney general

to run for the Senate. I'm Andrew Schneider in Houston. In 2023, Paxton was impeached by Texas lawmakers in the state house on corruption charges. He was later acquitted by the Texas State Senate. Flood warnings remain up in nearly a dozen states from Ohio to Texas. Powerful storms that broke out last week swept across the central, midwestern, and southern

U.S., killing at least 23 people. These triggered flash flooding. The National Weather Service now says nearly 30 rivers are at major flood stage. There are fears of more flooding in Kentucky. This is NPR News. NPR News.