NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-20-2025 3PM EDT

Episode Date: April 20, 2025

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Noor Aram, NPR News. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Aram. The Israeli military says the killing of 15 Palestinian medics in Gaza by its soldiers was due to professional failures. The military issued a report on its investigation into last month's incident today. Adil El-Shouchi reports. An Israeli military investigation said poor night visibility led a deputy battalion commander to assess that a convoy of ambulances belonged to Hamas and to shoot at it.

It said that the commander would be fired due to his decisions. At first, the military said that the medical vehicles approached the troops suspiciously, but video released later showed the marked rescue vehicles had headlights on and flashing red emergency lights. The Israeli troops buried the medic's bodies in a mass grave and bulldozed over the ambulances. The military investigation said the decision to crush the ambulances was wrong, but that there was no evidence to support claims of, quote, execution. Hadeel Alshalchi, NPR News, Tel Aviv. On this Easter Sunday, Pope Francis appeared

in St. Peter's Square in his Pope-mobile to wave to a delighted crowd. He did not celebrate Easter mass this year as he continues to recover from pneumonia. This was his first Pope-mobile ride since the 88-year-old pontiff was released from the hospital. Earlier today, the Vatican says he met briefly with Vice President J.D. Vance to exchange Easter greetings. The Trump administration's border czar is defending the deportation of Kilmar Abrego

Garcia to a Salvadoran prison. The Supreme Court has ruled that the administration must facilitate his return. Tom Homan acknowledged that he is not a constitutional scholar, but he told ABC News the government is following the law. I believe removing public safety threats and terrorists, designated terrorists, to that prison in El Salvador. Brigham Garcia has not been convicted of any crime, and appeals court confirmed he's entitled to due process. The Trump administration's sweeping staffing cuts

at federal land agencies are causing anxiety across the tinder dry southwest. NPR's Kirk Ziegler reports. The Trump administration says wildland firefighters continue to be exempt from the federal hiring freeze, but an untold number of Forest Service staffers who hold red cards, meaning they can leave their day jobs to fight fires, were laid off in February. One of them in New Mexico is Kayla, whose full name we aren't using because she fears retaliation.

Yeah, I just feel like if it's a ticking time bomb, like, I feel like we were doing everything in our power to help prevent the catastrophic fires. She recently got her job back after a court ruling but says Forest Service staff are quote walking on eggshells and all the work that goes into protecting communities and wildlife from wildfires is on hold. Kirk Sigler, NPR News, Santa Fe. This is NPR News. Classes will resume tomorrow at Florida State University, four days after a mass shooting

that killed two people and wounded six others. The school says that grades won't be affected if students choose not to attend class in person. It's been 15 years since a BP oil rig exploded in what was then the Gulf of Mexico. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports the deadly blast set off the worst marine environmental disaster in U.S. history. In the dark of the night on April 20, 2010, oil and gas erupted from a BP well nearly a mile deep in the Gulf off the coast of Louisiana. It caused the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig to explode and catch fire, killing 11 rig

workers and injuring more than a dozen others. Oil spewed unchecked from the Gulf floor for nearly three months, killing wildlife, polluting beaches and devastating Gulf Coast businesses. Investigations and court rulings put the blame on a tragic series of safety failures. BP has paid some 70 billion dollars in judgments and settlements and for cleanup and restoration projects which are still underway 15 years later. Debbie Elliott, NPR News, Orange Beach, Alabama. In case you missed it, Juneau won Scotland's annual Corgi Derby yesterday. The Corgi was the favorite breed of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The race was first held in 2022 to mark her 70 years on the crown on the throne. This year, 16 dogs competed all dressed in bright sweaters. Juno came from behind in the final stretch to win the trophy and dog treats. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News.