NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-20-2025 4PM EDT

Episode Date: April 20, 2025

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Noor Ram. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Ram. A Republican senator is criticizing the Trump administration's handling of Kilmore Abrego Garcia's deportation to El Salvador. John Kennedy of Louisiana also says he'll watch President Trump's response to court orders. NPR's Luke Garrett reports. Senator Kennedy told NBC News Abrego Garcia never should have been sent to El Salvador.

Look, this was a screw up, in my opinion. The administration won't admit it. Kennedy also said Abrego Garcia should have received a hearing before his wrongful deportation to a Salvadoran prison. But when asked whether he believes Trump is in defiance of a court order to facilitate the man's return, Kennedy said, I don't believe that President Trump will defy a federal judge's order. If he does, I'll call him out on it.

And Kennedy called Trump's proposal of sending Americans to El Salvador not, quote, appropriate or moral. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington. More than 100 international students from around the country have joined a lawsuit against the U.S. government, saying their visa statuses were changed without cause. From member station WABE, Emily Wu-Pearson reports. In federal court, immigration attorney Charles Cook said about one third of the students

had their visas revoked. Others received notices that they failed to maintain student status. The suit says the administration has removed the students from the system used by the Department of Homeland Security to maintain information mainly regarding international students and their status in the country. But Cook says all the plaintiffs were following the terms of their visas, had not been convicted

of any deportable offenses, and that immigration and customs enforcement did not provide explanations as to why the visas were revoked or changed. For NPR News, I'm Emily Woo-Pearson in Atlanta. Pope Francis greeted thousands in St. Peter's Square this Easter Sunday, although he did not lead Mass as he recovers from pneumonia. Megan Williams has more. From the balcony above a flower-filled St. Peter's Square, a frail Pope Francis greeted thousands.

Cari, fratelli, e sorelle, buona Pasqua. Though too weak to lead mass or deliver his urbi et orbi, the traditional address to Rome and to the world, it called for a Gaza ceasefire, food for the starving, the release of Israeli hostages and peace in Ukraine, Sudan and the Congo. After five weeks in hospital, the 88-year-old pope is still recovering. But Vatican observer Christopher White says, He's always tried to be close to the people and even as a very sick and recovering pope, he's doing that today.

After the service, Francis greeted crowds from his pope mobile. For NPR News, I'm Megan Williams at the Vatican. Israel Today released a report on the killing of 15 Palestinian medics by its military last month. It concluded a deputy battalion commander thought the convoy of ambulances belonged to Hamas and ordered it fired on because of poor night visibility. This is NPR News. Actor and musician Jack Black has made British pop music history of a sort. Vicki Barker reports. As the character Steve in the video game spin-off film

Minecraft movie, Jack Black sings the praises of chicken cooked in molten lava as he shows the other protagonists around the alternate universe the overworld. And now the jingle has become the shortest ever single to reach the UK Top 40. At 34 seconds, it beats the previous record holder by two seconds. When it comes to pint-sized pop hits, Black has form, as the Brits would say. Another song from a video game film spinoff, 2023's Peaches, reached number 28 in the UK, all 95 seconds of it. For NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London.

A Soyuz space capsule landed in Kazakhstan this morning, carrying two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut back to Earth. They had spent seven months on the International Space Station. NASA says they orbited the Earth more than 3,500 times during their mission. The agency also noted that today is the American's birthday. Don Pettit is now 70 years old. Renowned mountain guide Kamir Rida plans to break his own record and scale Mount Everest

for the 31st time. He told the Associated Press he is mentally, emotionally, and physically prepared to climb the world's highest peak. Kamarita first climbed Everest in 1994 and has been making the trip nearly every year since then. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington.