NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-24-2025 10PM EDT

Episode Date: April 25, 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 of the NPR Podcast Network. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Tariff rates between the world's two largest economies, the U.S. and China, remained at unprecedented levels, well over 100 percent.

But the president appears to be trying to reset that dynamic, consisting talks with China underway. More from NPR's Asma Holland. Asma Holland The president has said his administration is actively discussing the trade war with China underway. More from MPR's Asma Holland. The president has said his administration is actively discussing the trade war with China. But China's foreign ministry and commerce ministry deny that claim. They've said there are no talks underway with the U.S. about trade. A reporter asked the president to clarify the contradiction.

Well, they had a meeting this morning, so I can't tell you. It doesn't matter who they is. We may reveal it later. We had a meeting this morning, so I can't tell you, it doesn't matter who they is. We may reveal it later, but they had meetings this morning and we've been meeting with China. The president's comments come as he has subtly softened his tone following stock market turmoil and economic uncertainty over his tariffs. Asma Khalid, NPR News. The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to allow its ban on transgender people

serving in the military to go into effect while the court considers legal challenges. NPR's Qua Lawrence has the story. The Trump administration has argued that trans people are dishonest, which contradicts military values. An executive order in January banned them from service. Several transgender troops sued, claiming the ban is insulting and discriminatory and would cause lasting damage to their careers and reputations. In March, a district court judge in Washington state agreed and blocked the order, noting that the Trump administration showed no evidence that transgender troops serving has harmed the military.

Now, the White House says that the ban must be allowed to take effect while the Supreme Court deliberates because delay would be, quote, contrary to military readiness and the nation's interests. Less than 1% of the military identifies as trans. Quill Lawrence, NPR News. Long lines at St. Peter's Basilica as the faithful queue up to bid farewell to Pope Francis. The Vatican estimating by last night more than 90,000 people have paid their respects to the late Pontiff, who died Monday after suffering a stroke. Francis is lying in a simple wooden coffin in front

of the main altar. Vatican officials say St. Peter's will be open tonight. The Trump administration is restoring funding to a landmark study of women's health. MPR's Rob Steinezmore. The Department of Health and Human Services says the administration is reversing a decision to slash funding for the Women's Health Initiative, which has been following tens of thousands of women for decades. An HHS spokesman says the decision was made because the National Institutes of Health, which funds the study, was able to exceed savings by cutting other research contracts. The decision to cut the project had shocked medical researchers because

the study has been responsible for a series of landmark discoveries about women's health. Rob Stein, NPR News. Stocks gained ground on Wall Street. The Dow was up 486 points. The S&P rose 108 points. This is NPR. The National Endowment for the Humanities is offering grants to artists for President Trump's National Garden of American Heroes, as NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports. The news comes just a few weeks after the government canceled hundreds of humanities grants to organizations across the country.

The grants are for artists to create life-size statues out of marble, granite, bronze, copper, or brass. Plans call for statues of 250 individuals, Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, Duke Ellington, Sacajawea, and Babe Ruth among them. The National Endowments for the Humanities and the Arts will devote a total of $30 million to the project. The American Federation of Government Employees Union writes that it's horrified the Humanities Endowment

is being used as a quote, propaganda pipeline instead of preserving the full American experience. The National Garden of American Heroes is set to open next year for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Elizabeth Blair, NPR News, Washington. Our carnivorous caterpillar that apparently sometimes dons the remains of its prey has been dubbed the bone collector by researchers. They say the caterpillar creeps along spider webs feeding on captured insects and decorating its silk case with body parts. It's found only in the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

Scientists say the bug's origins go back at least six million years, more ancient than the islands themselves. The research on the insect-eating carnivorous caterpillar was published in the journal Science. Critical futures prices moved higher today as investors looked at a weaker dollar and some mixed economic news oil up 52 cents a barrel to settle at $0.62.79 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things and other currencies. Jack Spear NPR News.