NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-21-2025 5AM EDT

Episode Date: April 21, 2025

NPR News: 04-21-2025 5AM EDTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Cell phones, cars, coffee. How do these goods make their way to us from overseas? And what will President Trump's tariffs mean for their price tags? Join the 1A Podcast as we explore supply chains and costs associated with some of your favorite products. It's our series, How Did This Get Here, every Wednesday. Listen to the 1A Podcast from NPR and WAMU. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. There's word from the Vatican this morning that Pope Francis has died at his residence at the age of 88. The Pope's death comes one day after Christians marked Easter Sunday around the world, and

the pontiff blessed thousands of people in St. Peter's Square following weeks of treatment for double pneumonia. NPR's Sylvia Paggiolli says Francis was the first non-European pope in some 2,000 years. Sylvia Paggiolli, NPR's Sylvia Paggiolli, NPR's Sylvia Paggiolli, NPR's Sylvia Paggiolli, Jorge Maria Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, the son of Italian immigrants. He was the first Jesuit to become pope, the first to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, and the first pope from the global south. Francis was beloved for his common touch and his vision of Assisi and the first pope from the global south. Francis was beloved for his common touch and his vision of a merciful and inclusive church. He described it as a field

hospital after battle, healing the wounds of the faithful and going out to find those who have been hurt, excluded, or fallen away. A firm believer in the need to save the planet, Francis was not afraid to criticize Western societies for what he called their unfettered pursuit of money. He also made many enemies within the Church for his efforts to reform and clean up the Vatican bureaucracy. Easter egg roll today. NPR's Deepa Shivaram says questions about ethics are being raised with the White House having accepted corporate sponsorships for the event for the first time. The event is being put together by an outside production company called Harbinger. They solicited sponsorships that will include Meta, Amazon, and YouTube, which are providing things

like photo experiences, a reading nook, and a stage, according to the White House. But promoting private companies at the White House through things like sponsorships has sparked concerns of ethics violations, and it's a departure from the norm for how the Easter egg roll has typically been organized. The potential conflict of interest comes not long after President Trump used the White House to promote cars from Tesla, a company run by his close advisor, Elon Musk. Deepa Sivaram, NPR News. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland

is defending his trip to El Salvador, where he met with a man illegally deported by the Trump administration. As NPR's Luke Garrett reports, Van Hollen is calling for the man's return to the US. Last week, the Trump administration posted court filings and police reports on social media claiming Kilmar Abrego-Garcia is a violent

criminal. But Senator Van Hollen says these posts have no legal bearing. Donald Trump and his administration need to put up or shut up in court. They keep putting stuff out on social media. A federal judge says there's been no court evidence tying Abrego-Garcia to MS-13 or terrorist activities. The Supreme Court has ordered the Trump administration to, quote, facilitate, end quote, the man's return to the U.S., but the White House has so far refused. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington. This is NPR News from Washington. South Korea's military is investigating how one of its Air Force planes accidentally jettisoned gun pods and empty fuel tanks. There were no injuries and no damage was reported.

The Air Force says one of the pilots aboard the light attack plane apparently pressed a wrong button while attempting to adjust the heat. Officials in Seoul say nearly all of the country's Air Force planes remain grounded amid the investigation. Several weeks ago South Korean fighter jets mistakenly bombed a village injuring more than 50 people. Students at Florida State University are going back to class this morning for the first time since last week's deadly shooting on campus. Two people were killed, six others were hurt. As Regan McCarthy with member station WFSU reports, some students say the return to the classroom feels too soon.

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, so it was really helpful to just be hug hugged by my mom just as I experienced all of that again. The junior nursing major was in the student union building when shots were fired. She says she heard them ringing out as she ran toward her car for safety. University officials are offering flexibility for students who aren't yet ready to return. For NPR News, I'm R Regan McCarthy in Tallahassee. And repeating our top story, the Vatican has confirmed the death of Pope Francis one day

after the pontiff and Christians worldwide marked Easter Sunday. The pope was 88 years old. I'm Dave Mattingly in Washington. Since Donald Trump took office in January, a lot has happened. The White House Budget Office ordered a pause on all federal grants and loans. The impact of the Trump administration's tariffs is already being felt in President Trump's efforts to radically remake the federal government. The MPR Politics Podcast covers it all. Keep up with what's happening in Washington and beyond with the MPR Politics Podcast. Listen every day.