NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-22-2025 10PM EDT

Episode Date: April 23, 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 the story is not true?

This American Life, surprising stories every week. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President Trump speaking at the White House today said he has no intention of firing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. It comes just days after Trump had said he could fire Powell if he wanted, despite the independence of the central bank and the lack of precedent. But even as he reversed course, he chastised the Fed chair for not cutting interest rates. It's a perfect time to lower the rate, and we'd like to see our chairman be early, or on time, as opposed to late. Powell has already said he has no intention of stepping down and intends to serve out his current term as Fed chair,

which expires next year. The Fed has been reluctant to trim rates further, fearing another rate cut could cause inflation to take off. In an escalation of the back and forth between Harvard University and the Trump administration, the school is suing the federal government. And Birol Shternokhi Mathur has more on what Harvard says is at stake. Danielle Pletka In his letter announcing the lawsuit, Harvard president Alan Garber warns, quote, the consequences of the government's overreach will be severe and long lasting.

Garber goes on to detail the types of research it says the government has put in jeopardy, including studies focused on child cancer survivors, infectious disease outbreaks, and treatments for wounded soldiers. The Trump administration says it's withholding funds from Harvard over an investigation into anti-Semitism on campus and accuses Harvard of failing to protect Jewish students. But Harvard's lawsuit questions how freezing research funds will further the administration's goals of eliminating anti-Semitism on campus. Janaki Mehta and PR News. The federal judges blocked the Trump administration from dismantling the Voice of America and

other government-funded networks to deliver news overseas, at least temporarily. Here's Alina Hartounian reports. Alina Hartounian, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The

Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The

Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, The administration's decision to dismantle the agency arbitrary and capricious. He's directing the Trump administration to return VOA employees and contractors to their status before the president shut them down. Voice of America delivers information to countries around the world that lack a robust or free press. The court's preliminary injunction will remain in effect while the case plays out in court. Alina Hurtunian, NPR News. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson during remarks today says he thinks the current trade showdown with China is unsustainable. Because of that, he expects a de-escalation in the fight between the world's two largest economies. In a speech for the banking giant JP Morgan Chase, Bennett

also noted talks between the US and China have not formally begun, after President Trump's move to impose a 145% tariff on Chinese imports and China's counter of a 125% tax on US imports. Stocks jumped in a widespread rally today, the Dow was up more than 1000 points, the Nasdaq closed up 429 points. This is NPR. The Food and Drug Administration's inspectors who examined factories around the world were spared from federal layoffs this month, but NPR's Cindy Lupkin reports staffers supporting the inspectors will let go. FDA staffers responsible for handling travel arrangements for FDA inspectors are gone.

They were cut as part of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s plan to eliminate thousands of workers from federal health agencies. Curran and former FDA inspectors tell NPR that will slow down inspections and make the U.S. food and drug supply less safe. Chris Middendorf spent most of his 20 years at the FDA doing inspections. What you don't want to see are basically operators touching their face, messing around with their mask, touching things with their hands they shouldn't be. But the only way you can see them is by standing outside the production window and watching for hours. HHS told NPR it's monitoring the situation and working to make sure inspections continue.

Sydney Lepkin, NPR News. Scientists now say they think that a newly discovered green comet has likely broken apart and therefore will not be visible to the naked eye. The comet named Swan comes from what's called the Oort cloud, which is well beyond Pluto. For the past few years, the space rock was visible using telescopes and binoculars, but officials say it may not have survived the trip past the sun and appears to be fading fast. The comet or what is left of it will disappear into the outer reaches of the solar system. Crude old futures prices followed stocks higher today.

Oil up sharply. Oil rose $1.23 a barrel to settle at $64.32 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. This message comes from NYU Langone. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.