NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-15-2025 4PM EDT

Episode Date: April 15, 2025

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Having news at your fingertips is great, but sometimes you need an escape. And that's where Shortwave comes in. We're a joy-filled science podcast driven by wonder and curiosity that will get you out of your head and in touch with the world around you. Listen now to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The Trump administration continues to defy a court order to facilitate the return of a Maryland man who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador last month. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt blasted the media coverage of Kilmar Abrego

Garcia. The Democrat in media outrage over the deportation of Abrego-Garcia, an MS-13 El Salvadorian, illegal alien criminal, who is hiding in Maryland, has been nothing short of despicable. Based on the sensationalism of many of the people in this room, you would think we deported a candidate for Father of the Year. Abrego-Garcia entered the U.S. illegally, but an immigration court later granted him protection from deportation. He's been living in the U.S. legally and has no criminal record.

A hearing is set for this hour in the case of Abrego Garcia. NPR's Jimena Bustillo is at the courthouse in Maryland. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was deported by mistake to El Salvador last month. A Maryland judge ordered the Trump administration to take steps to facilitate his return, a decision later supported by online Supreme Court justices. A federal judge is expected to raise more questions today about whether the administration is doing enough

to, quote, facilitate Abrego-Garcia's return. Jimena Bustillo, NPR News, Washington. The White House is raising more than $2 billion in federal funding from Harvard University. The decision was made after the school said it would not comply with government demands. Harvard law professor Andrew Crespo. The impacts of those cuts will be severe,

not just to cutting edge research, cures for cancer, cures for diseases, studies that try to understand the most cutting-edge technology. The administration is demanding that Harvard get rid of all DEI programs and change its emissions policies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he's still cutting U.S. aid programs. NPR's Michelle Kelleman reports Rubio has also put an official connected to Elon Musk and his cost-cutting Doge team in a key position at the State Department.

The State Department says Jeremy Lewin is now acting head of foreign assistance. He's a Doge associate who helped to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development. The news comes as Rubio touts continued budget cuts at the State Department. Here's spokesperson Tammy Bruce. The State Department has canceled another 139 grants with $214 million under Secretary Rubio's direction. She would not comment on leaked memos of far more drastic cuts that the Trump administration is planning to the department's budget.

She says the White House is still working on its proposals. Michelle Kelliman, NPR News, the State Department. On Wall Street, the Dow was down 155 points. This is NPR News in Washington. Good night and good luck. The play co-authored by and starring George Clooney continues to break Broadway box office records. With a limited run through early June, the show brought in almost $3.8 million last week, breaking its own record by close to $500,000.

Jeff London reports. Springtime continues to see plays with Hollywood actors in leading roles blossom on Broadway. Othello with Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal and Gary Glen Ross with Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk continue to bring in millions each week. But George Clooney's Good Night and Good Luck is besting them all. This week it broke the box office record for a play with close to $3.8 million. There are a certain kind of people wired a certain kind of way. The show plays in a 1,500-seat theater, which was home for cats and Mamma Mia for years,

and is completely sold out, including standing room. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York. Elephants at the San Diego Zoo turned to each other for support during yesterday's magnitude 5.2 earthquake. A video shows five African elephant moms racing to protect their calves shortly after the ground began shaking. They remain huddled and on alert for several minutes, even after the tremors passed. At last check on Wall Street, all of the major indices were trading lower.

The Dow was down 155 points, the Nasdaq Composite down 8. I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News in Washington. If you need a break from headline whiplash, listen to NPR's All Songs Considered. in Washington.