NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-30-2025 2PM EDT

Episode Date: April 30, 2025

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When Malcolm Gladwell presented NPR's Throughline podcast with a Peabody Award, he praised it for its historical and moral clarity. On Throughline, we take you back in time to the origins of what's in the news, like presidential power, aging, and evangelicalism. Time travel with us every week on the Throughline podcast from NPR. Live from NPR. Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump's met with his cabinet after marking 100 days in office.

His close cost-cutting advisor, Elon Musk, was there, wearing both Doge and a Gulf of America ball cap. The tech mogul congratulated Trump, said it's the greatest administration since the founding of the country President trump says he has achieved what his supporters expected mass deportations We won on the basis of a great border and of getting criminals out of our country. That was why we won every Swing state we won by millions of votes. We won everything every every metric we won by a lot

It was a massive victory. And we won, I think, largely because of this issue. I put this issue as number one issue. But Trump's also contending with an economic contraction in the first quarter for the first time in three years. This is he pushes allies in Congress to approve his legislative priorities quickly. Steve Bannon, who served as an advisor during Trump's first term, wants Republicans to raise taxes on the wealthy. He spoke to NPR's Steve Inskey by video. Steve Bannon was once Trump's White House strategist and is now a hard right podcaster who wants to reorient Republicans. He's pressing Congress to cut taxes on lower income people while not extending tax cuts for the wealthiest. I don't want to raise taxes on lower-income people while not extending tax cuts for the wealthiest.

I don't want to raise taxes on the wealthy. I'm not some guy who says tax the rich. I'm saying right now the math simply doesn't work. You're worried about the debt. I'm worried about the debt. You can't have $2 trillion a year in deficits that you have to finance and finance now. Now it's killing the working class and middle class.

Trump has toyed with the idea of higher taxes but also said it might hurt him politically a remark that Bannon says he takes to mean Trump wants an unconstitutional third term. Stephen Skeep, NPR News. On reports of a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal, Treasury Secretary Scott Besson says the U.S. had been ready to sign, but noted, quote, the Ukrainians decided last night to make some last-minute changes. He said the U.S. is ready to sign if they are.

Israel marked its annual Memorial Day with nationwide siren commemorating Israeli soldiers and civilians killed in wars and attacks. And PRS Daniel Estrin reports from Tel Aviv Israelis are torn about the war in Gaza, the longest war in Israel's history. In the year since last Memorial Day, 456 people, mostly soldiers, were killed or died of their wounds, according to Israeli government figures. At one memorial ceremony, the father of a soldier killed in Gaza yelled at the Speaker of Parliament, blaming Israeli leaders for the soldiers' death. At

another tribute, protesters threw rocks at Israelis, marking Palestinian and Israeli victims. Polls show a little more than half of Israelis want the Gaza war to end through a hostage release deal with Hamas. A bit less than half want to continue the war or are unsure. In Gaza, dozens were killed in new Israeli strikes Wednesday, according to health officials. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. It's NPR. A wildfire has forced the closure of a major highway that, Tel Aviv. It's NPR. A wildfire has forced the closure of a major highway that links Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The Associated Press reports about a dozen people were sent to the hospital. The NFL is imposing a $250,000 fine on the Atlanta Falcons and an additional $100,000 fine on its defensive coordinator. Jeff Ulbrich's son made a prank call to Shador Sanders during the NFL draft last week as the quarterback was waiting to be picked up by a team. A remote Colorado tourist attraction dedicated to UFOs is marking a big anniversary and renewed interest. Colorado Public Radio's Dan Boyce with details. Judy Messaline started her UFO watchtower as a joke 25 years ago after her ranching operation fell on hard times. But in the same token we have had 304 sightings from just here.

It's not much, basically just a steel viewing platform 10 feet off the ground and a gift shop Still she says people have been taking her joke a lot more seriously this in the wake of Declassified fighter pilot footage appearing to show UFOs She expects about 10,000 people to visit the watchtower this summer starting with a 25th anniversary party on Memorial Day. Could be a fine time for first contact. For NPR News, I'm Dan Boyce in Colorado's San Luis Valley. US stocks are trading lower this hour. The Nasdaq is down more than 1%. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News. Listen to this podcast sponsor free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.