NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-24-2025 8PM EDT

Episode Date: April 25, 2025

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If buying a home feels out of reach, you might have more options than you think. You might be able to, especially if you have a little bit of money saved up and if you qualify for a low down payment mortgage, maybe even with some down payment assistance. It definitely could be a possibility for you. Listen to the LifeKit podcast from NPR for first time home buyer tips. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Two federal judges have temporarily blocked the Trump administration's ability to withhold federal funding from public schools that have diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

More from NPR's Janaki Mehta. The Trump administration had asked school leaders in all 50 states to submit letters certifying their schools wouldn't promote DEI programs. If they refused, the administration said schools would risk losing federal money, including Title I, which is aimed at low-income students around the country. Today was the deadline for state and local leaders to submit responses to the federal government. About a dozen Democratic state leaders refused to sign the document. Others signed on behalf of their local school leaders. And several Republican states did comply with the order. Now, two federal judges have ruled against the Trump administration temporarily preventing the

U.S. Department of Education from enforcing the DEI orders it has sent to K-12 schools. Janaki Mehta, NPR News. Officials say the Trump administration is restoring financial support for a landmark study of women's health, reversing a defunding decision that had shocked medical researchers. Studies represent critical contributions to our better understanding of women's health, said a statement from Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services. The news comes a day after NPR reported on the plan to cut the project's funding. The turnabout is coming as a relief for scientists.

South Korea's biggest automaker Hyundai is shifting some production from Mexico to the U.S. to avoid being hit with tariffs, appears Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul, U.S. and South Korean officials who are due to begin talks on tariffs in Washington. Hyundai said in a statement that it's established a task force to respond to U.S. tariffs. Measures include moving production of some Tucson crossover SUVs from Mexico to a plant in Montgomery, Alabama. Last month Hyundai announced it'll invest 20 billion dollars over the next three years to increase production of cars and parts in the U.S. In talks with U.S. counterparts, South Korean officials will seek relief from 25 percent U.S. tariffs on its auto exports. They may offer to purchase more U.S. energy

and build ships for the U.S. President Trump has signaled he'll try to get South Korea to contribute more to the cost of stationing U.S. troops in South Korea. Anthony Kuhn in PR News Seoul. President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at opening up mining for critical minerals on the ocean floor. Senior officials speaking on condition of anonymity telling reporters there could be more than a billion metric tons of minerals, things like manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper and rare earth elements worth upwards of 300 billion to the U.S. economy over 10 years.

Such undersea mining is not currently done at a large scale and scientists and others are worried about possible environmental impacts. Stocks gained ground for a third straight session the Dow rose 486 points today the Nasdaq was up 457 points. This is NPR. The NFL draft begins tonight and the winner of last year's Heisman Trophy, a genuine two-way player unlike anyone professional football has seen in decades, could be one of the first to be chosen. More from NPR's Becky Sullivan on Travis Hunter. Hunter was one of the best wide receivers in college football last year. He got 96 passes for more than 1200 yards and that alone might be enough to get him drafted early. But he's also a great defender, a cornerback with four interceptions last season. In total, he played more than 80% of all offensive and defensive snaps for Colorado. That unique versatility has most experts rating him the best player available in the draft, though he might not go first overall. Quarterbacks are king in the

NFL, and the Tennessee Titans, with a a top overall pick need one. They're expected to take Cam Ward from Miami. Other top picks could include the Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter and the Heisman Trophy runner up running back Ashton Gentry from Boise State. Becky Sullivan, NPR News. The Trump administration is now asking the Supreme Court to allow it to enforce a ban on transgender individuals in the military as legal challenges continue. The filing with the high court today comes in response to a federal appeals court siding with a lower court's temporary hold. A federal judge in Washington state has ruled in favor of several transgender military members who had challenged the ban, saying their firing would cause lasting damage to their careers.

Critical futures prices moved modestly higher today as investors looked at a weaker dollar and some concerns about OPEC with mixed economic news. Oil rose 52 cents a barrel today to settle at $62.79 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. You have your job, but you also have a life. And you're not just one thing. Neither is the Here and Now Anytime podcast. Every weekday, we break down the biggest story of the day and something else, like a new

trend everyone's talking about. It's Here and Now Anytime, a daily podcast from NPR and WBUR.