NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-30-2025 6PM EDT

Episode Date: April 30, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President Trump is trying to distance himself from bad economic reports as he marks 100 days in office. At a cabinet meeting today, Trump blamed the economy on his predecessor, former President Biden. And here's Deepa Shivram as more. In the months since Trump took office, consumer confidence in the economy has tumbled. The stock market has taken a roller coaster ride downhill and the US GDP has

contracted. Trump started the meeting by saying it wasn't his fault. Probably saw some numbers today and I have to start off by saying that's Biden. That's not Trump because we came in on January. This is quarterly numbers. Trump also downplayed the looming effects of his trade war with China on the cost and availability of goods, saying that things like children's dolls might cost a couple dollars more. Trump's cabinet meeting went on for roughly two hours, which largely consisted of cabinet

members complimenting the president on his work in the first 100 days of the administration. Deepa Sivaram, NPR News, The White House. China, meanwhile, released data today showing its economy is starting to feel the pinch from US tariffs. More from NPR's John Rewich. China's new export orders slumped sharply in April. That's according to the government statistics bureau. A gauge of new orders was at its lowest since China was largely sealed off

from the rest of the world in 2022 during the coronavirus pandemic. A broader measure of factory activity called the Purchasing Manager's Index registered 49 in April, its weakest level in more than a year. Readings under 50 indicate activity is contracting. In early April, President Trump's Liberation Day tariffs triggered tit-for-tat escalation with China on products going both directions. China's goods coming into the United States are now mostly subject to tariffs of 145% or more. Manufacturers and exporters in China have said orders from the US and

shipments to America had mostly ground to a halt. John Ruhich, NPR News, Shanghai. A woman who alleges former film producer Javi Weinstein sexually abused her has taken the witness stand in New York trial of the former film mogul. Reporter Ilya Meretz has details including some listeners may find disturbing. Miriam Haley was a TV producer who did work for Weinstein's company. In 2006, she says, Weinstein invited her to his SoHo apartment and backed her into a bedroom. No, no, no, she recalled telling him. She told the court that he pushed her onto a bed and performed oral sex on her. A few weeks later in a hotel room, Weinstein forced

himself on her again, Haley said. This was Haley's second time telling her story under oath. In 2020, her testimony helped secure Weinstein's conviction on two counts. A New York appeals court overturned the verdict on procedural grounds last year. Weinstein maintains his innocence. For NPR News, I'm Ilya Meretz in New York. With an increase in financial uncertainty looking increasingly likely in coming months, experts say now might be a good time to reassess. They recommend things like paying down debt and setting aside an emergency fund. Consumer confidence and recession risks have both fallen.

You're listening to NPR. Moshe Madawi, an organizer of the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, has been freed from federal custody. Vermont Judge in freeing Medawí, saying he did not pose a risk to the public, nor did the Judge say he was a flight risk. Meanwhile, the government's immigration case against Medawí will continue, with the administration seeking to rescind his green card as part of a widening crackdown on student protests. The release is a defeat for the Trump administration, which has been seeking to detain students

and deport them on the grounds they stoke anti-Semitism. A remote Colorado tourist attraction dedicated to UFOs is marking a big anniversary as well as renewed interest. Colorado Public Radio's Dan Boyce reports. 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. Crude oil futures prices continued their downward slide today, oiled down $2.21 a barrel to

$58.21 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.