NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-18-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: April 18, 2025

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Janine Hurst Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hurst. Vice President Vance says he's optimistic about the U.S.-led negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. He made the comments in Rome as he met with Italian Prime Minister Maloney. Megan Williams has more from Rome. Megan Williams Just hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned President Trump may soon abandon Russia-Ukraine peace efforts

without signs of progress. Vice President JD Vance told reporters the administration is still holding out hope. So the negotiations, I won't prejudge them, but we do feel optimistic that we can hopefully bring this war, this very brutal war, to a close. The vice president in Maloney also discussed trade, including Trump's recent 25% EU tariff, now paused for 90 days. Vance, a Catholic convert, is scheduled to meet with Vatican officials Saturday, though not with the Pope.

For NPR News, I'm Megan Williams in Rome. President Trump says the U.S. plans to finalize a rare earth minerals agreement with Ukraine next week. But as NPR's Greg Myrie reports, Trump and his advisors are sending mixed messages about what the U.S.'s role will be in the Ukraine war. The deal on valuable minerals was supposed to be signed when Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the White House in February. But that meeting descended into a shouting match and the agreement was postponed. Trump now says it will be signed next week. Still, Trump says this about Zelensky.

I wouldn't say he's done the greatest job. Okay, I'm not a big fan. I really am. I'm not a big fan. Separately, Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated the U.S. was growing frustrated with efforts to broker a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war. He said, quote, if it is not possible to end the war in Ukraine, we need to move on. Greg Myre, NPR News, Washington. The vigil will be held today on the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee for victims of yesterday's mass shooting. Imperial Greg Allen reports the 20-year-old suspect arrested by police is the son of a sheriff's deputy.

Police say Phoenix Eichner used his mother's handgun to shoot eight people, killing two. Leon County Sheriff said he'd been a member of the department's youth advisory board and had gone through extensive training with the department. The shootings occurred near Florida State University's Student Union Building. Students locked themselves in basements and bathrooms while they heard gunshots being fired outside. Eichner didn't surrender when confronted by police and was shot and wounded before being arrested.

Classes at FSU are canceled today as are home athletic events through the weekend. Greg Allen, NPR News. Wall Street is closed today in observance of Good Friday. Stocks have lost ground during this holiday shortened trading week. All of the major stock indices are in the red for the week, with both the Dow and Nasdaq falling about 2.6 percent. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.

The federal government says it's taking control of a long-stalled project to renovate New York's Penn Station. The Federal Railroad Administration says Amtrak is now in charge. From Member Station WNYC, Stephen Nesson has more. Stephen Nesson Penn Station is owned by Amtrak, but the agency has been working with the MTA on plans to redevelop the station. The MTA leases part of it for its Long Island Railroad commuter trains and has already renovated part of the train hall it uses. The MTA has been planning a $7 billion rehab of the rest of the space, which is dark, dingy, and has very low ceilings, and is used by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. But no one has agreed to a plan.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy slammed the MTA, saying the agency is inefficient and wastes money. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has been in negotiations with President Trump over Penn Station and calls it a win for New Yorkers, who won't have to spend any money on the project now. For NPR News, I'm Stephen Nesson in New York. In Puerto Rico, power has been restored to almost all power customers on the island. This after a total outage hit the U.S. territory Wednesday, causing chaos with traffic, airlines, businesses and hotels.

Luma Energy says a transmission line failed, causing generators across the island to proactively shut down, though authorities are still investigating, a process that will probably take weeks to finish. It also knocked out water to around 400,000 customers. It's the second major blackout on the island in nearly four months. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington.