NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-15-2025 5PM EDT

Episode Date: April 15, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The White House is confirming President Trump is interested in deporting American citizens to foreign prisons like the one in El Salvador. NPR's Morley Lyson reports. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt says that sending American citizens to foreign prisons is something the administration is looking into. President Trump also told a Fox News program that he's interested in sending American citizens to foreign prisons is something the administration is looking into. President Trump also told a Fox News program that he's interested in sending American citizens to the same Salvadoran prison that is currently housing alleged gang members deported from the U.S. The president

told Fox he'd like to deport Americans born on U.S. soil, people he called home-growns. We are looking into it and we want to do it. I would love to do that. It's clear from the president's comments that he's not sure whether deporting US citizens to foreign jails would be constitutional. And at least for now, he's waiting to determine the answer before he tries to do it. Mara Liason, NPR News. The Justice Department is canceling an agreement with Alabama that addressed longstanding wastewater sanitation problems in a rural county. While Annadine of WBHM reports, Justice Department officials cited an end to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The agreement supported a comprehensive plan to improve wastewater infrastructure in Lowndes

County where most of the residents are black. Catherine Flowers, an activist who brought national attention to the issue, says without the federal program, many in the impoverished region will have to live with raw sewage in their yards. It was going to provide access to sanitation for families in Lowndes County who have gone without it for so long. In a statement announcing the end of the wastewater program, the Justice Department says, quote, the DOJ will no longer push environmental justice as viewed through a distorting DEI lens.

For NPR News, I'm Noelle Annenen in Birmingham, Alabama. Hamas says it's considering a new proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza. Mediators say they are optimistic about reaching a deal. NPR's Daniel Estrin is more from Tel Aviv. An Egyptian official involved in mediating the ceasefire talks says Israel is proposing a month and a half ceasefire in Gaza, during which Hamas would release about half of the hostages who are still alive, and Israel would release more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The Egyptian mediator, who was not authorized to speak publicly, tells NPR Israel is willing

to negotiate a permanent end of the war, but demands Hamas disarm, which some Hamas officials say is not up for negotiation. Hamas in a statement said it is considering the ceasefire proposal. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Former President Joe Biden is returning to the national stage tonight in an effort to highlight the Trump administration's attacks on Social Security. It's noteworthy that Biden has mostly avoided speaking publicly since leaving the White House in January. Biden's expected to fight or fight back in an address to the National

Conference of Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled in Chicago. Stocks drifted lower today on Wall Street, the Dow down 155 points, the Nasdaq fell 8 points. This is NPR. A federal judge in Texas has scrapped a limit on credit card late fees that would have capped them at $8.

San Piro's Laura Wamsley reports the ruling comes after the country's consumer finance watchdog agreed the Biden-era rule was illegal. The cap on credit card late fees was one of the Biden administration's efforts to fight what it called junk fees. But under President Trump, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has reversed course and agreed with its legal opponents, who argued the rule did not allow card issuers to charge fees high enough to serve as a penalty and deterrent. The judge in Texas had already blocked the rule from taking effect. When the CFPB announced its final rule last year, it estimated Americans would save more than $10 billion in late fees annually by reducing

the typical fee from $32 to $8. This marks just the latest rollback of Biden-era regulations. Last week, the House voted to overturn the CFPB's rule that capped overdraft fees at $5. Laurel Wamsley, NPR News, Washington. It is time once again for the annual hit Swedish TV program the Great Moose Migration. It's the time of year when the country's national broadcaster SVT provides live stream coverage 24 hours a day for 20 days and I'm sure to capture moose as they swim across a river to their summer grazing pastures.

Obviously there are long periods of the show with little or no action, where one expert in fan calls it gripping because nothing catastrophic is happening. The show had about 9 million views last year. Critical futures prices closed lower today, oiled down 20 cents a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.