NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-19-2025 12AM EDT

Episode Date: April 19, 2025

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You want to follow what's happening in Washington, D.C., but you don't want to be scrolling your phone all day. I'm Scott Detrow, and NPR has a podcast that can help. It's called Trump's Terms, stories about big changes the 47th president is pursuing on his own terms. They're short, they're focused episodes that tell you calmly, factually, what is happening and what isn't. Listen to Trump's Term terms from NPR.

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. U.S. Senator Chris Benholland says he was preparing to leave El Salvador Thursday when he learned that he could meet with Kilmore Obrego-Garcia. Benholland says Obrego-Garcia told him he was no longer being kept in an overcrowded cell at a notorious prison. The senator told reporters at Dulles International Airport that the case is about more than a Maryland resident being wrongly removed from the U.S. 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. The Trump administration is under a Supreme Court order to facilitate a Braco-Garcia's return. Both the U.S. and Salvadoran officials say there is nothing they can do. President Trump is backing up Secretary of State Marco Rubio's comments about the conflict in Ukraine. Rubio says the U.S. will pull away from peace negotiations if progress is not reached within days. More from NPR's Deepa Sivaram.

President Trump says he hopes Russian leader Vladimir Putin isn't stalling on a deal and reiterated that he wants to see a deal get done. But he left the door open on the U.S. pulling out of helping secure a peace deal. If for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we're just going to say you're foolish, you're fools, you're horrible people, and we're going to just take a pass. But hopefully we won't have to do that. If the U.S. isn't involved in negotiating an end to the war, it's unclear if any other

nation would be able to step in. Deepa Sivaram, NPR News. The Department of Veterans Affairs appears to be backing off its return to the office mandate for mental health providers. This after VA officials issued a memo warning that therapists would have no privacy due to overcrowding in the facilities. NPR's Katie Ariddle has more. The memo appears to mandate that VA therapists have private spaces. It follows reporting from NPR suggesting clinicians at the VA would have to conduct telehealth

therapy sessions with headsets in shared offices. Lynn Buffka is with the American Psychological Association. The organization has raised alarm about the policy. They're seeking psychotherapy about things that are very personal that they don't necessarily want to reveal to just anyone, even if it's another clinician who might be nearby and could overhear, right? The VA has said repeatedly that veterans will be guaranteed private therapy sessions. Katie Arrettl, NPR News.

You're listening to NPR News. A large crowd gathered on Florida State University's Tallahassee Campus Friday to remember victims of Thursday's mass shooting. 20-year-old student Felix Eichner is accused of killing two people and injuring six others. Police say Eichner did not appear to know the victims, all of whom are expected to make full recoveries. The patriarchs and heads of the churches in Jerusalem have issued an Easter message. As

NPR's Jason DeRose reports, they're calling for peace in their war-torn region. Church leaders in the Holy Land write that despite the, quote, present darkness that engulfs the region, they're proclaiming a message of life and hope. The letter draws particular attention to the two churches in Gaza at which hundreds of Palestinians have taken refuge over the last year and a half, Holy Family Catholic Church and St. Porphyrios Orthodox Church. It also says church leaders stand in solidarity with the staff of the Anglican-run Ali Arab Hospital in Gaza who continue to care for the sick and wounded despite bombardment from

Israeli troops. They call on all Christians to work for a just and lasting peace that extends quote, from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Jason DeRose, NPR News. A federal judge has once again blocked Doge staffers from gaining access to personal data on Social Security recipients. U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander says the way that Doge wants to make cuts at the administration is problematic. The case was brought by a group of unions and retirees who are seeking to restrict Doge access to sensitive information. This is NPR News. Having news at your fingertips is great, but sometimes you need an escape. sensitive information. This is NPR News.