NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-21-2025 12PM EDT

Episode Date: April 21, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Bells have been ringing at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City today, marking the death of Pope Francis. Crowds of people holding rosaries, photographs, and handwritten letters are filling the square to pay tribute to the late Pontiff. Francis is being remembered as a transformative figure, one known for his humility, progressive stance on social issues, and unwavering commitment to the poor and marginalized. NPR's Jason DeRose reports the 88-year-old Pontiff died a day after celebrating Easter

at the Vatican and was the leader of the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics. Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope in March of 2013 and chose the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis. He was the first pope from the Jesuit religious order and the first pope from outside Europe since the medieval period. He was born in Argentina and before his election served as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Francis's nearly 12-year-long papacy focused on a number of issues, including the environment, with a particular emphasis on how ecological degradation affects the poorest people on the planet, and the plight of refugees and immigrants, especially migration caused by war.

Pope Francis is being remembered for his personal humility and his emphasis on God's mercy toward humanity. Jason DeRose, NPR News. The Pentagon is denying media reports that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth mishandled classified data. NPR's Quill Lawrence reports. In March, Hegseth shared details about action against Houthi targets in Yemen in a signal chat with top White House officials that accidentally included a journalist. Now the New York Times and others report Hegseth shared the same details in a group chat, including his wife and brother.

Hegseth responded at a White House Easter event. This is what the media does. They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations. Not gonna work with me. In the past week, four senior advisors to Hegseth have left abruptly, some accused of leaking. They have all released public statements suggesting infighting within the Department of Defense. Quill Lawrence, NPR News. Students at Florida State University are heading back to class today. Regan

McCarthy from member station WFSU reports some students say it's still too soon to return to campus after last week's deadly shooting. Olivia Wyszynski spent Sunday afternoon walking through campus with her mom and sister. Because I didn't want coming to class on Monday by myself to be the first time I came back to campus. University officials are offering flexibility for students who aren't yet ready to return. That's Regan McCarthy from member station WFSU reporting. You're listening to

NPR News from Washington. Beijing is threatening to retaliate against any country that negotiates a trade deal with the U.S. that hurts China. The governments of Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea have been holding talks with the U.S. since President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports. Businesses and investors are trying to get ahead of the president's tariffs and their effects on the economy. NPR's Maria Aspin reports that some of the country's biggest companies, including electric vehicle maker Tesla, will talk about their strategies this week. It's the height of corporate earnings season when big publicly traded companies report their most recent quarterly results and talk about the future. But so far this spring, President Trump's tariffs are clouding the outlook.

Investors are waiting to hear from Tesla, the carmaker run by billionaire Elon Musk, who is also one of Trump's closest and most powerful advisors. But Musk has criticized the new tariffs, which are likely to damage his car company. Tesla's sales are already falling, as consumers protest Musk's role in cutting government agencies, programs, and workers. Other big companies reporting results this week include Google and Pepsi, which has operations around the world. Maria Aspen, NPR News, New York. The running of the 129th Boston Marathon kicked off this morning. Thousands of runners are taking part in the annual race, which covers just over 26 miles.

Stocks are plummeting on Wall Street this hour. The Dow was down more than a thousand points, the NASDAQ down 505. This is NPR News.