NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-10-2025 12AM EDT

Episode Date: April 10, 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 Shea Stevens. Hours after his new terrorist kicked in on Wednesday, President Trump paused the levies on most countries for 90 days. The move follows wild swings on global stock markets. As NPR's Maura Liason reports, the temporary reprieve does not apply to China.

There's still an across-the-board tariff of 10% on imports coming into the U.S. for all countries, but in the case of China, Trump has raised the tariffs to a total of 125% because China retaliated against his original tariffs for all the other countries that were supposed to have reciprocal tariffs put on. There's going to now be a series of negotiations instead during the next 90 days. And it's still not exactly clear what the white house is looking for in those talks, maybe concessions, even small ones that he can call victories so he gets an off-ramp to climb down from an all-out trade war.

Or maybe he's trying to eliminate the trade imbalances with all the countries in the world. We don't know because he's never been clear about what the purpose of the tariffs were. NPR's Mara Lyson. House Republican leaders are postponing a vote on a multi-trillion dollar budget framework for advancing much of President Trump's domestic agenda. As NPR's Barbara Sprunt reports, the delay is the result of opposition from within the Republican conference. Barbara Sprunt, NPR News, The Washington Post, The Washington Post

After more than an hour behind closed doors with more than a dozen members, House Speaker Mike Johnson said the House would not vote as planned in the evening on a signature measure for President Trump. He said they'd delay until the morning and continue the conversation with members who argue the Senate amendment on the table doesn't sufficiently address the deficit. Opposition has been brewing among conservative House members for days, despite direct pressure from Trump, who called on the conference to quickly pass the measure. The delay is the latest in a series of setbacks for a bill that is meant to be the first step

in a lengthy process, one that will require the Senate and the House to come to agreement. Barbara Sprunt and Peer News, The Capital. US and Russian delegations will hold talks Thursday on normalizing relations between the two countries. But as NPR's Charles Maynes explains, the meeting will be held in Istanbul and peace in Ukraine is not on the agenda. These discussions will seek to restore staffing

at each country's respective embassy and consulates. That's after years of tit for tat expulsions and seizures of diplomatic compounds left both the US and Russia barely able to provide basic services. Moscow's newly appointed ambassador to the US, Alexander Darchiev, will lead the Russian delegation. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Russia and Central Europe, Sonata Coulter,

will head up the American team. While the return of diplomats would seem low-hanging fruit for negotiations, it's not without controversy. Critics in both Washington and Moscow argue past expulsions were used to weed out spies working under diplomatic cover. Charles Maines, NPR News, Moscow. US futures are higher in after-hours trading on Wall Street. This is NPR. An Israeli airstrike has killed at least 23 people in northern Gaza.

The health ministry there says more than half of those killed were women and children. The Israeli military says the airstrike targeted a senior Hamas militant who was blamed for attacks. Some mental health workers in Los Angeles are on a five-day hunger strike. They're seeking higher pay and benefits. And Piero's Katie Ariddle reports that the workers are also demanding more time with patients. The workers are with Kaiser Permanente. They argue that mental health care is not as well paid or respected as other kinds of health care. Cole Brockarts is with the National Union of Health Care Workers.

I've been working in unions for eight years and this is the first strike that I've been on that is this many months, this long, and never before has one escalated to a hunger strike. Hostage management from Kaiser Permanente say their healthcare workers are paid competitively, even if it's not the same as other medical workers. The hunger strike continues through Friday. Katie Riddle, NPR News, Los Angeles. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll has been tapped to become the new acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Driscoll replaces FBI Director Cash Patel, who had been the ATM's interim leader since February. A White House spokesman says Patel's role

at ATF was always temporary, pending his confirmation to lead the FBI. If confirmed, Driscoll could become the first Pentagon official to oversee a law enforcement agency. On Asia Pacific markets at this hour, shares are mostly higher, up over 8 percent in Tokyo. This is NPR News. 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.