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Episode Date: April 18, 2025

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Cell phones, cars, coffee. How do these goods make their way to us from overseas? And what will President Trump's tariffs mean for their price tags? Join the 1A podcast as we explore supply chains and costs associated with some of your favorite products. It's our series, How Did This Get Here, every Wednesday. Listen to the 1A podcast from NPR and WAMU. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Rahm. Senator Chris Von Hollen met yesterday with Kilmore Abrigo Garcia, a Maryland man who had been sent to a prison in El Salvador illegally. The Maryland Democrat posted a picture on X of himself and Abrigo Garcia sitting at

a table. Salvadoran President Nayibu Kalu also posted posted saying now that he's been confirmed healthy, he gets the honor of staying in El Salvador's custody. The Trump administration has been ordered to facilitate his return. President Trump says he could fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell if he wants to. He again criticized Powell for not lowering interest rates. I don't think he's doing the job.

He's too late, always too late, a little slow, and I'm not happy with him. I let him know it, and if I want him out, he'll be out of there real fast, believe me. The Central Bank has a tradition of political independence. Paul says Trump cannot remove him without cause. The National Science Foundation is freezing its grant-making process at the direction of the Department of Government Efficiency,

or DOJ. As NPR's Jonathan Lampert reports, the agency has stopped issuing new grants for basic research. Jonathan Lampert, NPR's National Science Foundation, NPR The National Science Foundation issues billions of dollars' worth of research grants to scientists and institutions each year on a rolling basis. On Wednesday, that process came to a halt after DOGE gained access to internal systems, sources told NPR. All proposals that had been approved for funding were sent back to NSF staff for further review, though it's unclear why. Earlier this year, NSF reviewed all its grants, flagging many for diversity, equity,

and inclusion-related terms. An NSF spokesperson told NPR the agency continues to issue new awards. Publicly available data reflect a stoppage that started Wednesday. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction yesterday that restricts Doge access to social security systems that hold the personal data of millions of Americans. Police in Florida say a man has been arrested in connection with the mass shooting at Florida State University Tallahassee campus that killed two people and wounded six others. Douglas Soll, with member station WUSF, spoke to a student on campus at the time. First year FSU student Anna Martens was sunbathing on the campus green when she heard screams.

So I dropped all my stuff. I was on the phone with my mom and I just started running. Martens ran barefoot. She says she took shelter in a nearby church with about a dozen other students for hours. It's so sad that we're in a place where we're supposed to feel safe on campus getting an education. It's such an exciting part of our lives college and it's just so sad that we're in a place where we're supposed to feel safe on campus, getting an education. It's such an exciting part of our lives, college, and it's just so sad that we have to worry about things like this happening. She says she is praying for those who were injured and killed. For NPR News, I'm Douglas Soll in Tallahassee. This is NPR News in Washington.

Houthi rebels in Yemen say U.S. airstrikes on an oil port yesterday killed at least 38 people and one of the deadliest strikes since the U.S. began its campaign against the Houthis last month. The U.S. military says it intends to cut off a source of fuel for the Houthi militant group, which has threatened to resume their attacks on ships in the Red Sea, to protest Israel's war against Hamas and Gaza. Every year, the State Department releases human rights reports on every country around

the world. NPR's Graham Smith reports there are major changes this year. Graham Smith, NPR News Anchor Internal State Department documents reviewed by NPR show the Trump administration is dropping multiple categories of human rights abuses from its annual country reports. No longer will the U.S. call out governments for violations against the freedom to privacy, the right to free and fair elections, or the right to peacefully assemble. More than 20 kinds of violations are being stripped out, according to these documents,

to comply with recently issued executive orders from the White House, among them, violence against minorities and disabled people and serious government corruption. Human rights defenders tell NPR they're concerned the U.S. is abandoning its post as a supporter of personal freedoms and that this will send the wrong message to authoritarian governments. Graham Smith, NPR News. The National Hockey League ended its regular season last night. Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitol scored another goal, the 897th of his career, three more than the record set by hockey great Wayne Gretzky. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington. Want to know what's happening in the world? Listen to the State of the World podcast. 10.