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

Episode Date: April 19, 2025

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Wait, wait, don't tell me. Fresh Air, Up First, NPR News Now, Planet Money, Ted Radio Hour, Thru Line, the NPR Politics Podcast, Code Switch, Embedded, Books We Love, Wildcard, are just some of the podcasts you can enjoy sponsor-free with NPR+. Get all sorts of perks across more than 20 podcasts with the bundle option. Learn more at plus.npr.org. Janine Hurst Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hurst. 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. And here's Juliana Kim has more. 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. 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. MPs Charles Maynes has more 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. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show U.S. deaths from fentanyl overdoses are at their lowest level in five years. NPR's Brian Mann has more. Drug deaths nationwide peaked in the summer of 2023 at a catastrophic

level, roughly 114,000 fatal overdoses, but they've been falling rapidly ever since. The latest available data gathered in November 2024 and just released by CDC shows roughly 82,000 fatal overdoses in a 12-month period. Addiction experts say factors likely causing the hopeful trend included the widespread use of the overdose reversal drug naloxone, also weaker fentanyl being sold on the streets, and better public health and addiction treatment. The state with the biggest drop is Virginia, with drug deaths down more than 41 percent. Three states, Alaska, Nevada, and South Dakota, saw slight increases in fatal overdoses. Brian Mann, NPR News.

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The National Hockey League's postseason is underway today, and 16 teams are vying to be the one to host the Stanley Cup in the end. The first game takes place at 6 p.m. Eastern time, and PRS 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 got underway today. There are four games today with four more tomorrow.

Earlier today, the Indiana Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 117-98. And tonight at 6 p.m. Eastern, the Detroit Pistons play the New York Knicks. The team with the best record, though, is the Oklahoma Thunder, the number one seed in the West. The Cleveland Cavaliers lead the Eastern Conference. 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 and 64 games this season, respectively. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington.