NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-25-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: April 25, 2025

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99% of the US 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 Lakshmi Singh. Federal authorities have arrested Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan. They're accusing her of obstructing an immigration arrest operation.

NPR's Jasmine Garz with more. Dugan, now in her ninth year as a Milwaukee County Circuit judge is under federal investigation for allegedly helping an immigrant without legal status avoid arrest by U.S. immigration and customs enforcement officials. The incident occurred on April 18. Agents attempted to arrest a Mexican citizen after a hearing in her courtroom. Dugan allegedly directed them to another judge's office and allowed the defendant to leave the courtroom through a side door. The man is now in custody. A spokesperson for the US Marshals confirmed this morning's arrest.

In a now deleted post on X, FBI Director Cash Patel wrote, quote, the judge's obstruction created increased danger to the public. Jasmine Garst, NPR News, New York. Former Congressman George Santos has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The New York Republican was expelled from the House of Representatives in 2023 after he was investigated by an ethics committee and indicted on corruption charges. The Ukrainian capitol is observing an official day of mourning for the lives lost when Russia carried out drone and missile attacks on Kiev early

yesterday. Officials say at least 12 people died, as many as 90 were injured. NPR's Joannika Kisus says President Volodymyr Zelensky maintains Russian leader Vladimir Putin must be held to account in order for a peace deal to work. Zelensky says his country wants peace. He has agreed to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire brokered by the U.S. last month, something Russia did not agree to. And Zelensky's team is finalizing a minerals deal that could make the U.S. a lot of money. So in return, Ukraine wants the U.S. to provide security guarantees so Russia does not invade their country again. But the Trump administration so far is only offering vague promises. That's NPR's Joanne Kikissis reporting. Russian authorities confirmed that a senior general in the

Russian Armed Forces was killed in an apparent car bombing outside his home in Moscow. More from NPR's Charles Maines. Russia's investigative committee says the deputy chief of the Russian general staff's main operational directorate, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed when a VW Golf parked outside his home exploded. Witness video appears to show a pedestrian walking by the vehicle as it erupts into a fireball. Investigators say they later found evidence of an explosive device packed with shrapnel and launched a murder investigation. In the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, assassination attempts have been repeatedly carried out against Russian military officials as well as pro-war nationalists and Kremlin-backed authorities in occupied Ukraine.

Charles Main's NPR News, Moscow. The Dow is down 81 points at 40,013. It's NPR News. It's NPR News. The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December will be in federal court today in New York. WNYC's Ben Fureherd reports federal prosecutors say they intend to seek the death penalty. Ben Fureherd, WNYC News Reporter Luigi Mangione will be arraigned in federal court Manhattan today, a week after he was indicted for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. He is expected to enter a not guilty plea at the hearing.

This will be Mangione's first court appearance since Attorney General Bondi released a public statement directing prosecutors to seek the death penalty in the case. Bondi said on April 1st that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty in an effort to carry out President Donald Trump's agenda. Mangione's attorneys are asking a judge to take the death penalty off the table. They argue Bondi's statement about the death penalty was blatantly political in violating Justice Department protocols. For NPR News, I'm Ben Fierhurt in New York. Hosting US stocks open mix this morning as people across the US voice caution about rising

prices tied to President Trump's trade war. NPR's Scott Horsley is monitoring. A new poll by the Associated Press finds most Americans think prices will rise as a result of the president's new import taxes, with about half of those surveyed expecting prices to go up a lot. Many of those polls say they're concerned the U.S. is heading towards a recession. NPR's Scott Horsley is also reporting that separately, Google has suffered a number of legal setbacks in recent weeks but that's apparently not

hurting its parent company's bottom line. Alphabet reported a 50% jump in first quarter profits giving a boost to the search engine giant's stock. The Dow is down 69 points S&P is up 25 the Nasdaq has climbed 172 points it's NPR. 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.

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