NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-26-2025 7AM EDT

Episode Date: April 26, 2025

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These days, there is a lot of news. It can be hard to keep up with what it means for you, your family, and your community. Consider This from NPR is a podcast that helps you make sense of the news. Six days a week, we bring you a deep dive on a story and provide the context, backstory, and analysis you need to understand our rapidly changing world. Listen to the Consider This Podcast from NPR. J.S. B NPR News in Washington. I'm J.S. B NPR News. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S.

B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S. B NPR News. I'm J.S And the peace of the Lord be with you always. The Vatican estimates some 200,000 people turned out. The crowd included dozens of foreign leaders, including President Trump, who met with Ukraine's

Volodymyr Zelensky right before the funeral got underway, as Deepa Shivaram reports from Vatican City. The White House says they'll release more details of the meeting, which they called, quote, a very productive discussion. It was the first time Trump and Zelensky have met since their February meeting in the Oval Office that ended with Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticizing the Ukrainian president who abruptly left the White House. Trump and Zelensky's meeting today in Vatican City comes as negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine

war are potentially closing. Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the two sides should meet at high levels and finish off a deal. Deepa Sivaram, NPR News, Vatican City. A coalition of 19 states has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for threatening to withhold funds from K to 12 schools that continue diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Laura Fitzgerald from CAP Radio reports that three federal judges have already temporarily

blocked the directive. The lawsuit is in response to a Department of Education order from early April. It directs K-12 schools to comply with civil rights laws and stop ongoing DEI programs to receive federal funds. California Attorney General Rob Bonta is co-leading the lawsuitI programs to receive federal funds. California Attorney General Rob Bonta is co-leading the lawsuit and says loss of federal funds would be catastrophic for many students. With this order, the Department of Education is unapologetically abandoning its mission

to ensure equal access to education. With this order, the president has yet again broken the law. A Department of Education statement earlier this month says, quote, federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right, and that DEI programs are discriminatory. For NPR News, I'm Laura Fitzgerald in Sacramento. Attorney General Pam Bondi says the arrest of a Wisconsin judge accused of helping a man evade federal immigration authorities

sends a strong message. She put the lives of our law enforcement officers at risk. She put the lives of citizens at risk. A street chase, which is absurd that that had to happen. But yes, she put a lot of people at danger, in danger. Bondi spoke on Fox News after the judge in Milwaukee was taken into custody by FBI agents yesterday. Judge Hannah Dugan was released but is facing charges, including concealing an individual,

to prevent his discovery and arrest. Wisconsin's Democratic governor is accusing the Trump administration of an attempt to undermine the judiciary. From Washington, this is NPR News. Video on social media shows a huge plume of black smoke rising over the port in the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas. There's been a massive explosion. State media say at least 281 people were injured. The blast happened as Iran begins a third round of nuclear talks with the U.S. and Oman today. President Trump Steve Witkoff is there after meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow yesterday. Virginia Joufray has died. Her family says she took her own life at her

farm in Western Australia. She was among Jeffrey Epstein's accusers and in 2022 she settled a lawsuit against Britain's Prince Andrew. Stocks regained some ground this week after the White House offered reassurance that the job of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is safe. NPR's Scott Horsey reports that investors also hoping for an easing in trade tensions. Markets breathe a sigh of relief after the president said he does not intend to fire the Fed chairman. It's not clear Trump even has that authority, but the president rattled markets days earlier when he said Powell's termination cannot come fast enough. Investors were also reassured by comments made by Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott

Besant suggesting triple-digit tariffs on imports from China may not last. While there's no concrete sign of a thaw in U.S.-China trade relations, the Dow rose 2.5 percent during the week, the S&P 500 jumped 4.6%, and the Nasdaq gained nearly 7%. All the indexes are still down from April 2, though, when the President launched his worldwide tariffs. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. And I'm Charles Snyder.

This is NPR News from Washington. Hey, it's A. Martinez. Even as the host of a news show, it can be hard to keep up with the headlines. from Washington.