NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-18-2025 7AM EDT

Episode Date: April 18, 2025

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Do you remember when discovering a new artist felt like finding buried treasure? At All Songs Considered, NPR's music recommendation podcast, we put that kind of magic back into discovering new tracks. We're here to make the hunt for new music easy, delivering you the cream of the crop from every genre. We'll help you make music feel fun again, only on All Songs Considered from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. A federal appeals court has issued the latest ruling against the Trump administration's handling of an immigrant illegally deported to El Salvador.

The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals says the Trump administration is, quote, asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process. This case has already been to the U.S. Supreme Court, but it could return if the Trump administration appeals. Authorities in Tallahassee, Florida have arrested a suspect in yesterday's deadly mass shooting at Florida State University. Two people were killed and six others wounded.

The suspect is a student and the son of a sheriff's deputy. Officials allege his mother's former service weapon was used in the attacks. NPR's Greg Allen says the incident began around noon Eastern time. A campus-wide alert went out that an active shooter was reported near the Student Union building. Police responded quickly and began evacuating students. It set the whole campus into lockdown. By 3 p.m. yesterday, law enforcement said the campus had been secured and the threat was over.

Police say the shooter didn't surrender when they confronted him and he was shot and wounded. NPR's Greg Allen reporting. Economists and central bankers are defending Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell against pressure from President Trump. NPR's Scott Horsley reports Trump is unhappy with the Fed chair for not lowering interest rates.

President Trump told reporters that Powell is going to have a lot of political pressure to cut borrowing costs, even though the Fed is designed to be insulated from politics. Trump said on social media this week that Powell's termination, quote, cannot come fast enough. Chief economist Mark Zandi of Moody's Analytics told the Economic Club of New York investors would react poorly if Powell were forced out. I think that would be devastating if he's not able to remain in place until his term is over.

I think that would be highly counterproductive and lead to more turmoil in financial markets and ultimately a much weaker economy. Powell insists he plans to serve out his term as Fed chair, which runs through May of next year. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. U.S. airstrikes in Yemen have killed at least 38 people, according to Yemeni officials. President Trump has vowed to punish Houthi rebels for attacking commercial shipping. NPR's Hadil Al-Shelchi reports. The airstrikes targeted the Ras Issa port along the Red Sea, which was controlled by the Yemeni Houthi rebel group.

In a statement, the U.S. military's central command said the strikes on the Houthis aimed to quote, degrade their economic source of power. Yemen's health ministry said ambulance workers and medics were among the killed and injured. The Houthis retaliated with a missile towards Israel early Friday, setting off sirens in Tel Aviv and other towns. The Iran-backed rebel group has been firing missiles at U.S. warships since the beginning of the war in Gaza. The U.S. has carried out an intense bombing campaign targeting the Houthis for a month now. Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

This is NPR. A federal grand jury has indicted the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO Brian Thompson last December. One of the four accounts could make Luigi Mangione eligible for the federal death penalty if he is convicted. Mangione already faces murder and terrorism charges in New York State. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi says President Trump has directed her agency to seek the federal death penalty when possible.

The Trump administration's sweeping staffing cuts at federal lands agencies are causing anxiety across the tinder-dry southwest. NPR's Kirk Siegler reports the wildfire threat is already severe. The Trump administration says wildland firefighters continue to be exempt from the federal hiring freeze, but an untold number of Forest Service staffers who hold red cards, meaning they can leave their day jobs to fight fires, were laid off in February. One of them in New Mexico is Kayla, whose full name we aren't using because she fears retaliation.

Yeah, I just feel like if it's a ticking time bomb, like, I feel like we were doing everything in our power to help prevent the catastrophic fires. She recently got her job back after a court ruling but says Forest Service staff are, quote, walking on eggshells and all the work that goes into protecting communities and wildlife from wildfires is on hold. Kirk Sigler, NPR News, Santa Fe. Forecasters say high winds and dry conditions in New Mexico and western Texas have created critical fire weather conditions today.

They caution this could make any wildfires worse. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.