NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-18-2025 8PM EDT

Episode Date: April 19, 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 this story is not true?

This American Life. Surprising stories every week. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. Fresh from El Salvador and a visit with Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, Maryland Democrat Chris Van Hollen told reporters at a Washington area airport that the man removed suddenly to a notorious maximum security prison was shocked by his apprehension and removal. Abrego Garcia told Senator Van Hollen that he did have concerns about his security at El Salvador's Seekot prison and that nine days ago he was moved to a different facility. Van Hollen declared it's time for the U.S. to honor Abrego Garcia's rights. The White House and the president had been lying about this case from the beginning.

They've been trying to change the subject from the beginning. As I said, and the courts have said, from the Supreme Court to the Fourth Circuit to the District Court, what this is about is adhering to the Constitution to the right of due process. And that's why we say bring Kilmar home so he can be afforded his rights under the Constitution. Abrego Garcia tearfully told Van Hollen that he wished to see his wife and son again. The Trump administration is moving forward with reclassifying 50,000 federal workers, making them easier to fire, part of mass firings under Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports.

Danielle Kurtzleben Today, the Office of Personnel Management proposed a rule that would move the reclassification process forward. Trump will still have to sign another executive order to implement it. The policy is also known as Schedule F, and it would remove federal civil service protections from around 2% of the federal workforce, according to the White House. Those workers would instead be at-will employees who serve at the pleasure of the sitting president. The president wrote about the policy on social media on Friday saying, quote, if these government workers refuse to advance the policy interests of the president or are engaging in corrupt behavior, they should no longer have a job. Danielle Kurtzleben and PR behavior. They should no longer have a job. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News.

A dozen aid groups operating in Gaza have published a joint statement saying the humanitarian situation there, from food to vital supplies, is at breaking point. NPR's Aya Batraoui has details. The Palestinian Red Crescent says only three out of 30 of its ambulances in Gaza City are operating because there's no fuel. And all of Gaza's bakeries Gaza City are operating because there's no fuel. And all of Gaza's bakeries shut down weeks ago because there's no flour. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz says the blockade is a tool to pressure Hamas. And this week said no humanitarian aid is going to enter Gaza. He says any future mechanism for delivering aid would include the use of private companies.

A statement signed by 12 aid groups in Gaza, including Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, and Medical Aid for Palestinians, says this new mechanism Israel's considering for allowing aid into Gaza would set a dangerous global precedent and eliminate any remaining space to deliver aid independent of military and political motivations. Ayah Boutraoui, NPR News, Dubai. This is NPR. On a plaza at Florida State University tonight, students, staff, and faculty have gathered in the thousands to commemorate the two dead and six hurt when a gunman opened a shooting rampage Thursday.

Authorities say Florida State student 20-year-old Phoenix Eichner took less than five minutes to inflict the destruction. He's in custody after police shot and wounded him. The National Science Foundation, a government agency that's a major funder of science and engineering research, has started counseling numerous grants. As NPR's Nell Greenfield-Boys reports, the NSF now says these projects are not aligned with agency priorities. In 2010, Congress told the NSF to support efforts to expand the participation of women and individuals from underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. But NSF now says it's ending funding for projects that involve diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The agency says projects designed to boost participation need to be broad engagement activities that don't favor or limit the participation of any particular groups. NSF also announced it will not support any research with the goal of combating quote misinformation or quote disinformation, saying it's a matter of free speech rights. Nell Greenfield-Boise, NPR News. South of Naples, a sightseeing mountain cable car plunged into a ravine Thursday, killing four people, including the Italian driver of the car. Three tourists died, including two British visitors and an Arab woman with Israeli citizenship. I'm Louise Chiavone, NPR News, Washington.

Oh, hey there. I'm Brittany Luce. And I don't know, maybe this is a little out of Louise Chiavone, NPR News, Washington.