NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-19-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: April 19, 2025

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Noor Ram live from NPR News in Washington. I'm Noor Ram. Early this morning, the Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration not to deport under the Alien Enemies Act any Venezuelans held at a Texas detention center until further order of the court. The 1798 law allows the government in wartime to deport foreigners deemed a threat. NPR's Meg Anderson reports the U.S. already has sent hundreds of migrants to a prison in El Salvador without determining they are a danger to the U.S. U.S. courts have said that the people taken to El Salvador got limited or no due process before they were sent there, something they are legally entitled to. And now that they're in El Salvador, the administration is saying they no longer have control over what happens to them.

NPR's Meg Anderson. The Trump administration is expanding its pressure campaign to force Harvard University to crack down on campus activism. NPR's Adrienne Florido reports. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has demanded that the school turn over the records of foreign students who have been disciplined for participating in campus protests or illegal activity. In a letter obtained by NPR, Noem gave the school until April 30th. If it doesn't comply, she said the government will revoke Harvard's permission to enroll foreign students. The administration has been widening its crackdown on foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests. Last week, it sent Harvard a list of demands, including ones that said were aimed at forcing the school to police anti-Semitism. Harvard refused to comply. As punishment, the government has frozen billions in federal funding.

Adrienne Flaherty and PR News. Iran and the U.S. will hold another round of nuclear talks next week. The announcement came after indirect negotiations in Rome wrapped up today. Megan Williams has more. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff didn't meet directly here in Rome, but instead passed messages through an Omani official, as they did in last week's talks in Muscat, which both sides called constructive. The US wants Iran to scale back uranium enrichment and allow tougher international inspections. Iran wants sanctions, relief, and return. There have been no direct

negotiations between the two countries since 2015 under President Barack Obama. President Trump faces pressure from Israel to walk away, but for now the diplomatic meetings continue. For NPR News, I'm Megan Williams in Rome. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today he's ordered a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine. He says Russia, he says that you'll end operations from tonight through midnight Easter Sunday. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky dismissed the announcement as another attempt by Putin to play with human lives. He wrote on social platform ex-air raid alerts continue to spread across his country. This is NPR News.

More rallies are planned across the country today to protest President Trump, his policies, and his executive orders since he returned to office three months ago. Organizers plan demonstrations in cities and towns in all 50 states. In New York City, a central theme will be opposition to local officials helping federal immigration agents arrest and deport immigrants. A similar rally attracted thousands of participants two weeks ago. In basketball, the first round of the NBA playoffs tips off this weekend with four games today and four games tomorrow. The number one seed in the West is the Oklahoma City Thunder, with the best record in the league.

Atop the Eastern Conference are the Cleveland Cavaliers. NPR's Becky Sullivan has a preview. The NBA playoffs are getting more chaotic. Call it bad luck or call it parody. Either way, only three number one seeds have reached the finals over the past five years. And this year is shaping up to be a tough road for the Thunder and the Cavs, who won 68 in 64 games this season respectively. The West is stacked with contenders and game-changing players like the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James and Luka Doncic, though they'll have

to get through the Minnesota Timberwolves with Anthony Edwards. In the East, the Cavs have a serious challenger of their own in the talented Boston Celtics who hope to be back-to-back champions. For Detroit, the goal might be more modest. The Pistons, coming off a league-worst record last year, are hoping to get their first postseason win since 2008. Becky Sullivan, NPR News. In hockey, the Stanley Cup playoffs open tonight. St. Louis will play Winnipeg and Colorado faces Dallas. I'm Nora Rahm. NPR News in Washington.