NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-19-2025 5AM EDT

Episode Date: April 19, 2025

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Want to know what's happening in the world? Listen to the State of the World podcast. Every weekday we bring you important stories from around the globe. In just a few minutes you might hear how democracy is holding up in South Korea or meet Indian monkeys that have turned to crime. We don't go around the world. We're already there. Listen to the State of the World podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen is back in the U.S. after meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man the Trump administration says was mistakenly deported. Van Hollen says Abrego Garcia is no longer being held in El Salvador's notorious Maximum

Security Prison, saying he's been moved to a detention center with better conditions, but that his due process rights are still being violated. NPR's Domenico Montanaro is following the case. The Supreme Court did say that the Trump administration has to, quote, facilitate his return, but also said the courts need to give deference to a president's foreign policy. So the Trump administration has been using that to say that it's not their responsibility to bring Abrego-Garcia back and can't tell El Salvador what to do.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has temporarily blocked deportations of Venezuela migrants using the wartime Alien Enemies Act. The court issued a brief order overnight, stemming from an emergency appeal filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU is suing the administration over the planned deportations of a group of accused Venezuelan gang members detained in North Texas. The Trump administration expanding its pressure campaign to force Harvard University to crack

down on campus activism. Here's NPR's Adrian Florido. 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 30. 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 it 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. Adrian Flaherido, NPR News. A federal judge has blocked mass layoffs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. NPR's Laurel Wamsi reports the agency leaders plan to shrink the Bureau to just over 200 employees. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson halted the Trump administration's attempt to lay off most of the staff at the Consumer Finance Watchdog, saying the action may violate a court order. A day earlier, reduction in force notices were sent to more than 1,400 employees at

the Bureau. A three-judge panel ruled last week that the CFPB could conduct a reduction in force if it made a, quote, particularized assessment to determine which employees were unnecessary to the Bureau's duties. CFPB's union challenged the layoffs in court, arguing the agency had not done the careful assessment required and the Bureau wouldn't have enough staff to perform its duties. The ruling is the latest turn in the Trump administration's effort to gut an agency created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Laurel Wamsley,

NPR News, Washington. Nat. And you're listening to NPR News. President Trump's Middle East envoy is in Rome today for talks on Iran's nuclear program. The talks between Steve Witkoff and Iran's foreign minister are being held indirectly through mediators from Oman following a first round last weekend. The Trump administration has halted construction of a multi-billion dollar offshore wind project near Long Island. Impairs Julie Simons as legal experts see implications far beyond the wind industry.

In Secretary Doug Burgum's memo to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management about halting the Empire Wind 1 project, he wrote that the approval was rushed. Matthew Isensen at Columbia University says there's no evidence of that. And the environmental review... That's over 3,000 pages long and it's very thorough. This rationale is very suspect. After the memo from Burgum, Equinar, the energy company that operates the project, halted construction. The project was supposed to supply electricity to half a million homes. Environmental groups say this should raise alarm bells beyond wind energy.

They say any industry requiring federal permits should wonder, will the federal government keep its word? Julia Simon, MPHR News. The first shot of the American Revolution was fired 250 years ago. Today is the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The weekend will feature parades and picnics. A reenactment of the Battle of Lexington is to begin shortly, following last night's lantern service at Boston's Old North Church and a reenactment of Paul Revere's ride.

I'm Gile Snyder. This is NPR News from Washington. Cell phones, cars, coffee. How do these goods make their way to us from overseas? And what will President Trump's tariffs mean for their price tags? Join the 1A Podcast as we explore supply chains and costs associated with some of your favorite products. It's our series, How Did This Get Here, every Wednesday. Listen to the 1A Podcast from NPR and WAMU.