NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-23-2025 4PM EDT

Episode Date: April 23, 2025

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Climate change is drying up some water supplies and making others undrinkable. That's why Here and Now Anytime is covering the hunt for fresh water from a pipeline in the Great Lakes to the science of desalination to extreme recycling that turns sewage into clean drinking water. That's Here and Now, Anytime, a podcast from NPR and WBUR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant says the U.S. wants to remain a leader in the global economy even as President Trump's tariffs cast a cloud over worldwide trade. NPR's Scott Horsley reports Besant spoke this morning on the sidelines of a global economic summit. Besson addressed a gathering of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, two institutions set up in the wake of World War II to foster peace and global prosperity.

Besson accused the IMF and World Bank of straying from their core missions to tackle problems such as climate change. He urged the World Bank to finance more nuclear and fossil fuel projects in developing countries. Energy abundance sparks economic abundance. That's why the bank should encourage an all-of-the-above approach to energy development. The IMF has downgraded its forecast of global economic growth this year largely as a result of President Trump's trade war. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. A federal judge has given the Trump administration a deadline to answer questions about the illegal deportation of a Maryland man. NPR's Joel Rose reports a judge is accusing the administration

of intentionally flouting her order. Three federal courts have now told the Trump administration to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The administration has conceded that the 29-year-old was deported last month because of an administrative error, but argues it cannot bring him back because he's in the custody of El Salvador. Federal Judge Paula Zines ordered the administration to explain what steps it's taking to seek his return, but so far she has been frustrated by more stonewalling. In a scathing order, Zinies rejected several of the Justice Department's objections and accused the administration of a quote, willful and bad faith refusal to comply with her order. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.

At St. Peter's Basilica, mourners have begun filing past the Pope's casket to pay their respects ahead of Saturday's funeral in St. Peter's Square. Pope Francis died Monday at the age of 88 following a stroke. And Piers Lauren Frere has more from Rome. A choir sang and cardinals chanted in Latin as Pope Francis' body was carried in a red velvet-lined open casket into St. Peter's Basilica, flanked by Swiss guards and priests carrying long candles. Public viewing lasts through Friday evening. Then on Saturday, hundreds of thousands are expected to attend the Pope's open-air funeral in

St. Peter's Square. President Trump, Ukrainian President Zelensky, and Britain's Prince William are among those who've confirmed their attendance. The Cardinal's conclave, where a new pope will be chosen through secret ballot inside the Sistine Chapel, is not expected for another two weeks. Lauren Freyer, NPR News, Rome. On Wall Street, major market indices have closed up 1 percent to 2.5 percent. It's NPR news. European Union regulators are finding Apple and Metta hundreds of millions of dollars for what they say are violations

of Europe's digital services laws. Terry Schultz reports the US tech giants are the first to be fined under the 2022 law aimed at increasing competition in the sector. The European Commission says Apple is being fined $570 million for violating the Digital Markets Act by preventing app developers from communicating directly with consumers about sales and alternative products. Meta must pay nearly $230 million, the Commission says, for requiring users to either allow their personal data to be used for targeted advertising or pay for ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram. European Commission spokesperson Thomas Renier rejected

a Metta representative's complaint that U.S. companies are being unfairly targeted. We don't care who owns the company. What we're caring about is our consumers, our citizens, our businesses. Metta says it intends to appeal. For NPR News, I'm Terri Schulz in Brussels. YouTube's 20 today. It boasts 2.5 billion active users worldwide, 500 hours of videos uploaded every minute. The first person to reach a million subscribers, remember that, Lucas Cruikshank, creator of the viral sensation known as Fred.

Hey, it's Fred! And it's really nice out, so I think I'm going to go swimming. But Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, remains the platform's most popular creator. I have built the most deadly obstacle course in the world. And my friend Mack here is attempting to complete it without falling 200 feet to the ground. MrBeast has a whopping 386 million YouTube subscribers. It's NPR.