NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-21-2025 10PM EDT

Episode Date: April 22, 2025

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This is out of her glass. In Lily's family, there's a story everybody knows by heart. If this story had never happened... All of us wouldn't be here right now. Sammy wouldn't be here. Nina wouldn't be here. Wally wouldn't be here. Anyone that we know wouldn't be here. So what happens when Lily's mom tells her this story is not true?

This American Life, surprising stories every week. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. Mourners are flocking to the Vatican ahead of Pope Francis' funeral. He died this morning from a stroke and heart failure at the age of 88 hours after celebrating Easter on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and then riding in the open-air Pope Mobile through the crowd. MPRiers Lauren Freyer is in St. Peter's Square tonight. She says the mood is somber. It's not jammed with people, at least not yet. It's mostly local Italians who stream down into St. Peter's

Square this evening, and there's a hush over the square. There's some candles lit around a pillar. People are just kind of walking around around milling about in the quiet. And here's Lauren Frayer. Francis was known for his humility and his dedication to migrants and the poor. He was born in Argentina and was the first Latin American pope. In his will, Francis said he wanted

to be buried in a simple tomb at the Basilica of St. Mary Major where six other popes are buried. The Vatican says the public will likely be able to view Francis on Wednesday at the Basilica. The Department of Education says it will start collecting payments from students who have loans that are in default on May 5th. And Piers Janaki, Metha has more. During the pandemic, the Biden administration introduced a series of measures that gave students wiggle room on federal student loan payments. The reprieve was never permanent.

Now the Trump administration says the Education Department will begin collections next month. It could also begin garnishing wages from borrowers, meaning a portion of their paycheck would automatically be sent to the federal government. Linda McMahon, the Education secretary, says, quote, American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies. About 5.3 million borrowers are in default

on their federal student loans. Janaki Mehta, NPR News. Google is back in court for the final phase of a landmark antitrust case that could result in its breakup. If that happens, it would send shockwaves through the tech world by shaking up internet searches. Rachel Myro of Member Station KQED has more.

For many people, Google's search function is the default, as obvious and unremarkable as water is to fish. Google search is the most important case about the internet since the internet was invented. UC Berkeley's Doha Mekki recently left the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. The idea that we have to trust all of our innovation and ingenuity to this small set of companies is actually deeply un-American. The Mountain View-based tech giant has said it will appeal what its VP for regulatory affairs has called, quote, a backwards-looking case at a time of intense competition and unprecedented innovation.

For NPR News, I'm Rachel Miro. After closing sharply lower by the bell on Wall Street, U.S. futures contracts are trading higher at this hour. You're listening to NPR News. The wife of former Senator Bob Menendez has been convicted of federal charges that she helped her husband collect bribes of cash, gold bars, and a luxury car in exchange for the use of his political influence. Nadine Menendez was found guilty by a jury in New York today on 15 counts. She will be sentenced in June. Prosecutors say

she was a key figure in a bribery scheme in which the powerful senator sold his clout to three New Jersey men looking for help with their business dealings or legal troubles. Senator Menendez was convicted on many of the same charges and is set to begin serving an 11-year prison term in June. The National Institutes of Health today unveiled a new policy that could cut off funding to any institution that has its own DEI policy or any boycotts involving Israel. And Piers Robbstein has more. The NIH had already been terminating grants to scientists whose research involves DEI,

diversity, equity, and inclusion. The new policy says the NIH could cut off funding to any university or other entity that has its own DEI policy. Same goes for any so-called DEIA policies, which includes providing access for people with disabilities. The new policy could also cut off funding for anyone who boycotts Israel or companies that do business with or in Israel. Rob Stein, NPR News. On Wall Street at the closing bell, the Dow was down 971 points, the Nasdaq down 415, the S&P 500 down 124. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington.

This message comes from NYU Langone. Janine Herbst, NPR News in Washington.