NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-23-2025 9PM EDT

Episode Date: April 24, 2025

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Am I a propagandist? A truth teller? An influencer? There's probably no more contested profession in the world today than mine, journalism. I'm Brian Reed, and on my show, Question Everything, we dive head first into the conflicts we're all facing over truth and who gets to tell it. Listen now to Question Everything, part Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President Trump has just signed a sweeping list of executive actions targeting both higher education and K-12 schools. NPR's Janet Oujong-Lee looks at a few of them.

Janet Oujong-Lee One of the half dozen executive actions called for new accreditation pathways, taking aim at colleges and universities for having quote, abuse their authority by imposing discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion based standards. Here's White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf ahead of Trump signing the executive order. The basic idea is to force accreditation to be focused on the merit and the actual results that these universities are providing, as opposed to how woke these universities have gotten. Other noteworthy executive actions included revising school discipline in K-12 classrooms

aimed at removing DEI principles, strengthening apprenticeship programs for industrial jobs, as well as advancing AI education in public schools. Janet Wujong-Lee, NPR News. A federal judge is giving the Trump administration a deadline to answer questions about the illegal deportation of a Maryland man. NPR host Joel Rose has the story. 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, Zines 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. People across the city of Chicago gathered at the city's Roman Catholic Cathedral for a Mass in honor of Pope Francis today. From Ember Station WBEZ, Eudora Namigade reports.

Chicagoan Catherine Moon showed up to the mass despite struggles with her Catholic faith. We have a real issue with people who still want to stay in the church, myself being one of them. You know, people don't, my husband calls them cafeteria Catholics. I am one. Still she wanted to pray for the pope with other Catholics like Kevin Kopp. I want to be here because I think Pope Francis was a really good leader for our church. More than 50 Chicago area clergy and interfaith leaders also paid their respects.

For NPR News, Amadora Namigadde in Chicago. Even as he's been working to provide some assurance to global financial markets about the continued leadership role of the U.S., Treasury Secretary Scott Besen is also making it clear the U.S. expects something in return. Besen telling members of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank today, America first does not mean America alone. He says the US wants deeper collaboration and mutual respect among trade partners though. Stocks rose around the world today.

The Dow was up 419 points. You're listening to NPR. A major wildfire in New Jersey about an hour east of Philadelphia has consumed 12,000 acres and is just 35 percent contained. Kenneth Burns with member station WHYY reports the blaze is expected to continue until this weekend assuming the forecast for rain holds. Officials say the fire grew exponentially from when it was first reported Tuesday morning. Sean LaTourette, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, expects the fire grew exponentially from when it was first reported Tuesday morning Sean LaTourette, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection expects the fire to continue growing.

Ultimately, when all is said and done, a greater number of acreage affected and this could very well end up being the largest wildfire in New Jersey in 20 years. About 5,000 residents were evacuated at one point. They've been since allowed to return to their homes. Though one business and several vehicles were lost in the blaze, homes were saved and lives were spared. For NPR News, I'm Kenneth Burns in Chatsworth, New Jersey. Some of the biggest scam operations in the world are being carried out in East and Southeast

Asia. Operations in the world are being carried out in East and Southeast Asia, according to New UN report, which says what it's labeled as scam compounds are proliferating in areas like Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines. According to the report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, scammers have built victims out of billions of dollars through various fake pitches and schemes. The operations, meanwhile, continue to shift to stay ahead of enforcement efforts. Critical futures prices after yesterday's runout move sharply in the opposite direction today after sources said OPEC may be considering accelerating oil output in June, oil down

a dollar and 99 cents a barrel in New York. NPR News in Washington.