NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-19-2025 3PM EDT

Episode Date: April 19, 2025

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Noor Aam live from NPR News in Washington. I'm Noor Aam. The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting a group of Venezuelan men under an old wartime statute which allows the federal government to fast track deportations for foreigners deemed a threat by authorities. NPR's Julianna Kim reports. The Supreme Court brief came early Saturday morning. It ordered the Trump administration to halt deportations for Venezuelans held in a detention center in northern Texas. The Trump administration accuses the group of men of being gang members.

The Supreme Court stepped in after the American Civil Liberties Union alerted them that immigration authorities were moving to quickly prepare removals under the Alien Enemies Act, despite the Supreme Court placing restrictions on how it can use the law. Some hundred migrants have already been deported under the wartime statute, according to federal officials. That includes a group of men who were taken to prison in El Salvador. Juliana Kim, NPR News. President Trump says he will allow commercial fishing in one of the world's largest ocean reserves.

As NPR's Julia Simon reports, the area west of Hawaii has many endangered species. Endangered whales and sea turtles, tropical seabirds and black coral live in the vast area in the Pacific. President George W. Bush originally established the monument and President Obama expanded it. While the Trump administration argues that this move to open the area for commercial

fishing will help that industry, some ecologists argue the opposite. That's because protected areas can allow space for fish to spawn more successfully. Julia Simon, NPR News. The Trump administration has canceled the construction of a multi-billion dollar offshore wind project near Long Island that's being designed to supply electricity to half a million customers. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the project needs more study, that his approval by the Biden administration had been rushed. Russian President Vladimir Putin says he's ordered his military to observe an Easter Day ceasefire in Ukraine and has called on Ukrainian forces to do the

same. NPR's Charles Maynes reports from Moscow. In a televised meeting with his top general, Putin ordered all military operations to cease beginning Saturday evening through midnight Sunday in honor of the Easter holiday. Putin said he was counting on Ukraine to follow suit, but told his military to remain on alert to respond to provocations by Kiev. Separately Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed it would observe the ceasefire order on the condition that Ukraine do the same. NPR's Kiev bureau confirmed explosions in the Ukrainian capital in the hour before the

truce was set to take hold. The Easter ceasefire announcement follows recent warnings by the Trump administration. It may abandon efforts to negotiate an end to the war if it doesn't see progress towards peace. Charles Baines, NPR News, Moscow. This is NPR News. Today is the 30th anniversary of the deadliest homegrown attack in U.S. history. A truck bomb exploded outside a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people, including

19 children. A remembrance ceremony was held today near the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum. Former President Bill Clinton, who was president that day, delivered the keynote address. He cautioned about the polarizing nature of modern-day politics and how divisiveness can lead to violence. The National Hockey League's postseason is underway today. 16 teams will vie to be the one to hoist the Stanley Cup in the end. NPR's Becky Sullivan has this preview.

Not only have the Winnipeg Jets never won a Stanley Cup, they've never even appeared in the Stanley Cup final. But this season the Jets finished with 56 wins, the most in the league, helped along by one of the best goaltending seasons ever from Connor Hellebuyck. But they have a tough first round matchup against the St. Louis Blues who come into the playoffs on a hot streak. In the Eastern Conference, it's the Washington Capitals on top. All season, the team was energized by Alex Ovechkin's chase of Wayne Gretzky's all-time career goals

record. But the Caps are now in a slump. They've lost eight of their last 12. The hottest team in the East are the Toronto Maple Leafs. Although they've got playoff demons of their own, they've only won one playoff series in the past 20 years. Becky Sullivan in PR News. In basketball, the first round of the NBA playoffs begins this weekend. There are four games today and four more tomorrow. The team with the best record is the Oklahoma Thunder, the number one seed in the West. The Cleveland Cavaliers lead the Eastern Conference. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington.