NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-20-2025 10AM EDT

Episode Date: April 20, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. Russia and Ukraine are blaming each other for carrying out a tax and violation of a temporary Easter Day ceasefire. The truce proposal was announced in a unilateral move by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday as NPR's Charles Maynes reports from Moscow. Even before the Easter ceasefire technically went into effect, both sides voiced skepticism the truce would hold. Putin warned of possible Ukrainian provocations and Ukraine's president Vladimir Zelensky suggested the offer was more gimmick than peace gesture. Today Russia's defense

ministry said Ukraine carried out hundreds of artillery and drone strikes on Russian occupied territory in Ukraine. Intern Zelensky said Russia continued shelling and assault raids across the front line. Neither claim could be independently verified. The ceasefire attempt comes as President Trump has threatened to abandon efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict if he didn't see immediate progress towards peace. Charles Maynes, NPR News, Moscow. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has no choice but to continue Nat. John Deale, D-MD, MSNBC News. Nat. John Deale, D-MD, MSNBC News. Nat. John Deale, D-MD, MSNBC News. Nat. John Deale, D-MD, MSNBC News. Nat. John Deale, D-MD, MSNBC News. Nat. John Deale, D-MD, MSNBC News.

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Nat. John Deale, D-MD, MSNBC News. Nat. John Deale, D-MD, MSNBC News. Nat. John De Birmingham, Alabama park yesterday to take part in this weekend's nationwide protests against the Trump administration. Now, I'll add it in November station WBHM in Birmingham reports. Protesters chanted, sang along to a cover of This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie, and booed recent moves made by the Trump administration. Several attendees, including Carol Bender, say they worry that the president is behaving like a dictator and ignoring the law.

I'm here today to protect and to save our democracy. What's been going on under this administration is frightening. The Birmingham protesters were joined by others across the nation taking part in hundreds of rallies and similar events. For NPR News, I'm Noelle Annenen in Birmingham. The shipping company DHL is suspending deliveries of high-value packages to individuals in the U.S. beginning tomorrow. The company blames a move on tighter customs checks announced alongside the tariffs introduced by President Trump. Here's what BBC's Ben King.

DHL Express will suspend deliveries to the US of all parcels to private individuals worth more than $800 from Monday. It says that from the 5th of April, the US changed the rules so that all parcels valued at more than that require formal customs clearances. The company said it had been working diligently to deal with the increased customs workload this short notice change had created. Tomorrow it will suspend deliveries to, it says, maintain its high quality service commitment. DHL said express deliveries to business and other services would be unaffected. The BBC's Ben King reporting and you're listening to NPR News.

Pope Francis did not lead Easter Sunday's services at the Vatican today, but he did draw cheers and applause when he made a brief appearance to blessed thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square. Cari, fratelli, e sorelle, buona Pasqua. The Pope wishing the crowd a happy Easter amid the Ant sounding stronger as he continues to recover from a severe bout with pneumonia. He then asked an aide to read his speech. The pope also met with vice president JD Vance today in a statement the Vatican said the two met for a few minutes at the pope's residence

to exchange Easter greetings. The pope has criticized the Trump administration over immigration policy and funding cuts to foreign aid and domestic welfare programs. Later today, a small town in Tennessee will celebrate their 200th annual Egg Fight competition from Member Station WETS. Chad Barrett says the fight started as a competition between two farming families. The Peters Hollow Egg Fight in Elizabethan began in the early 1800s. Event organizer Jamie Peters told me it all started when residents of nearby Hollers got in a debate on whose chickens laid the hardest eggs. Egg fight contestants sit in a circle and tap eggs top and bottom with the person beside them

until the winner remains with an unbroken egg. Only hen eggs are allowed, but longtime host Norman Peters says people have gotten crafty over the years. We've had a couple of questionable eggs like guinea eggs. Because of their hard shells, Peter says you couldn't break a guinea egg with a rock. For NPR News, I'm Chad Barrett in Johnson City. And I'm Jaiil Snyder. This is NPR News from Washington.