NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-24-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: April 24, 2025

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99% of the U.S. population lives within listening range of at least one public media station. And everyone can listen to NPR podcasts free of charge. That means you get completely unpaywalled access to stories, prize-winning reporting, and shows that represent the voices in every corner of the country. Hear the bigger picture every day on NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Laxmelec Laxmelec-Long. President Trump says he believes Russia and Ukraine want to end their war despite Moscow's strikes on Kiev overnight. President Trump-I think they both want to make peace. I do believe so. There's a lot

of hatred there. There's a lot of very bad blood, a lot of distress. But I think we're going to, I hope we're going to get there for the sake of a lot of young people that are dying. On the matter of the US trade war with China, Trump said talks with Beijing are underway, even though China's government has said that is not the case. NPR's Asma Khalid explains it's not clear the president is changing policy with China just yet, but he is changing his tone. This week we've heard the president and some of his top economic advisors acknowledge that

the high tariff rates with China are not sustainable over the long run. Trump told reporters that the 145% rate on goods imported from China will come down substantially, but he hasn't given a number. The president says he wants to make a deal with China and is projecting optimism. And here he was Wednesday at the White House. We are going to have a fair deal with China. It's going to be fair. This all comes amidst the economic uncertainty that Trump tariffs have sparked.

But thus far, the subtle change in tone has not led to any actual change in tariff or trade policy. Asma Khalid, NPR News. China launched three astronauts into space today, the latest in a series of missions to the country's space station. We have more on this from NPR's John Riewicz. Every six months, China swaps out the three-person crew aboard the Tiangong space station more than 200 miles up. Thursday's mission, Shenzhou 20, is the ninth such mission. The new crew will overlap for a few days with the existing team, then that crew will head back home after half a year in orbit.

On board, the three-man team will conduct a range of scientific experiments. They'll also do some work outside of the space station, including installing devices to protect it from space debris. The crew rotations aboard Tiangong are expected to continue several more years. They're part of a fast-developing space program with big ambitions, including putting a human back on the moon by the end of the decade. John Ruehich, NPR News, Shanghai. Israel's commemorating 80 years since the Holocaust. The morning after flags were lowered

to half-staff at a remembrance ceremony, sirens wailed in memory of the millions of people killed by Nazi Germany and its allies during World War II. For a moment, traffic stopped and people were seen bowing their heads. The country observing a moment of silence. At Auschwitz, October 7th, hostage families joined Holocaust survivors and bereaved families for the annual March of the Living in Poland. At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 438 points, more than 1 percent. From Washington, this is NPR News.

Scientists have found evidence that exposure to harmful bacteria during childhood could be contributing to the rise in colorectal cancer in young adults. That's based on a new study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. NPR's Will Stone has more on those findings. E. coli and other bacteria can produce a toxin known as colibactin that can inflict damage on DNA. And previous research has identified mutations that are signatures of colibactin in some people with colorectal cancer. Now scientists at the University of California San Diego have looked at more than 900 cancer patients from around the world.

They find people under 40 are much more likely to have these mutations and that exposure to this toxin likely happened during their childhood. The study authors say this is by no means the only contributor to colon cancer, but the results suggest something about our modern environment could be leading bacteria like E. coli to release this toxin and lay the groundwork for early cancer.

Will Stone, NPR News. As higher education is in a policy and funding standoff with the Trump administration in the US, the new government in Namibia is announcing higher education at state universities and technical colleges will be free. President Ntumbo Nandi Ndaitwa said during her State of the Nation speech to Parliament that she will introduce free higher ed beginning next year, 100 percent subsidized by the government, she says. Ndaitwa was sworn in last month, becoming the first woman to serve as president of Namibia.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington. NPR informs and connects communities around the country, providing reliable information in times of crisis. Federal funding helps us fulfill our mission to create a more informed public and ensures that public radio remains available to everyone. Learn more about safeguarding the future of public media. Visit protectmypublicmedia.org.