NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-17-2025 8PM EDT

Episode Date: April 18, 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 the story is not true?

This American Life, surprising stories every week. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear oral arguments over the legality of a Trump administration executive order, calling for an end to birthright citizenship in the U.S. for the children of undocumented immigrants and foreign residents. In consolidating appeals, the high court says it will hear arguments May 15th.

MPR's Nina Totenberg says so far the administration has been stymied at every turn. This case is a huge deal. Trump issued his executive order banning birthright citizenship on day one of his administration. To now, every court to have considered that order has blocked it, but he's doggedly persisted in his contention that birthright citizenship is unconstitutional. That idea, I should point out, has been widely considered a fringe view because the Supreme Court ruled to the contrary 127 years ago and that decision has never been disturbed. Birthright citizenship is a right enshrined in the 14th Amendment, but Trump has repeatedly said there's no automatic guarantee to citizenship.

President Trump says he still supports a negotiated deal with Iran over its nuclear program, but as NPR's Greg Meyry explains, the president said the failure to reach a deal would be, in his words, very bad for Iran. President Trump was asked about a New York Times report that he waved off an Israeli plan to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities. I wouldn't say waved off. I'm not in a rush to do it because I think that Iran has a chance to have a great country and to live happily without death. Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly raised the plan when he visited the White House last week. The Israelis would take the lead in the attack, but the U.S. would also be deeply involved, according to the report. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Iran held a first

round of talks on a possible nuclear deal last Saturday. Another round is set for this Saturday in Rome. Greg Meyry, NPR News, Washington. President Trump is blasting the chairman of the Federal Reserve for not lowering interest rates. NPR's Scott Horsley reports Trump's own trade war is making that more difficult by putting upward pressure on prices. Trump accused the Federal Reserve of dragging its feet on interest rates even as the European Central Bank lowers borrowing costs there. The president says Fed Chairman Jerome Powell will face mounting political pressure for

a rate cut without noting most of that pressure is coming from Trump himself. I would say the Fed really owes it to the American people to get interest rates down. That's the only thing he's good for. Powell told the Economic Club of Chicago this week that Trump's tariffs are likely to cause higher inflation, at least temporarily. That's a big reason the Fed is taking its time in cutting rates. Scott Horsley in PR News, Washington. The European Central Bank cut its benchmark lending rate to two and a quarter percent today. A mixed close on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 527 points,

the Nasdaq dropped 20 points, the S&P 500 was up seven points. You're listening to NPR. An increase in costs for Medicare Advantage is being blamed for pushing Giant United Health into a deep dive. The company's stock falling today after the healthcare giant cut its 2025 forecast, falling worse than expected quarterly earnings numbers. Shares in United Health falling by more than $130, representing the worst performance by the company's stock in 25 years. UnitedHealth citing the fact care use from people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans wound up increasing at twice the rate initially forecast.

Up to 17% of the world's crop lands could be contaminated with toxic metal. As according to new research, CNPR's Jonathan Lambert explains, the polluted soil could be affecting more than a billion people. Toxic metals like lead, arsenic, and cadmium can get into soils through natural processes and human activities like mining. Metal-laden soil can reduce agricultural productivity and contaminate food in ways that harm human health. A study published in the journal Science combined computer modeling with over 750,000 soil measurements to estimate that 14 to 17% of global croplands had concerning levels of pollution. Hotspots include parts of Southern Europe, the Middle East, and India,

which the researchers say could reflect human activity dating back to ancient civilizations. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News. President Trump signed the executive orders today. Was asked whether he is talking to Chinese leader Xi Jinping about the US, after the US imposed 145% tariffs on goods from China. Trump has said, I think we've had some very good talks, but we will have more good talks remaining. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.

This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things and other currencies. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.