NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-30-2025 8PM EDT

Episode Date: May 1, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The U.S. and Ukraine have signed a deal that will give Washington access to Ukraine's vast mineral deposits and other natural resources. As NPR's Jackie Northam explains, the agreement will help ensure continued U.S. support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. The deal caps months of negotiations between the U.S. and Ukraine, which at times look very close to falling apart. The agreement is billed as an economic partnership, giving the U.S. a piece of Ukraine's rare

earth and other critical minerals. For Kyiv, it's seen as a sign that the U.S. will continue its economic and military support while the war with Russia grinds on. Treasury Secretary Scott Bissett says the deal signals to Russia that the U.S. is committed to a peace process centered on a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine over the long term. The deal comes just days after President Trump met one-on-one with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome. Jackie Northam, NPR News.

Senate lawmakers failed to pass a resolution today that would have effectively ended President Trump's global tariff policy. Three Republicans joined Democrats but the effort faced pressure from the White House as we remember Lena Moore. The failed Senate resolution marked a rare moment of some bipartisan opposition towards Trump but not enough. Republican Susan Collins was one of the senators who supported it. Before the vote, she told reporters she wanted to send a message. We really need to be far more discriminatory in imposing these tariffs and not treat allies

like Canada the way we treat adversaries like China. Earlier this month, Collins joined a small group of four Republicans in pushing back against Trump's tariffs on Canadian imports. Despite passing in the Senate, that resolution stalled in the House. Alaina Moore, NPR News, The Capitol. President Trump today acknowledged his tariffs could result in fewer and costlier products in the U.S. However, even amid signs of a weakening in the economy, Trump doubled down, saying that

perhaps quote, American kids will have two dolls instead of 30, as a result of higher prices. A government office designed to unite two agencies appears to have been a casualty of the push to slash federal jobs. NPR's Kamila Dominovski says people that work there say after a second round of encouraged resignations, no full-time federal employees remain.

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation was created by a bipartisan act of Congress in 2021 to focus on EV charging. Gabe Klein was the founding director. We are mandated by Congress to exist, and that is important for people to understand. Some of the team's work is being carried on, but at one department or the other,

not at the unique Joint Office. That's according to former staffers who did not want to use their names out of fear of retaliation. The Department of Energy says it's evaluating whether work aligns with President Trump's priorities. The Department of Transportation did not return requests for comment. Kamila Domenosky, NPR News. That was up 141 points. This is NPR. Nominations for the 69th Annual Drama Desk Awards, which don't distinguish between work on or off Broadway, were announced today.

Since they're giving out a week before the Tony Awards, some New York theater insiders think they can sometimes be predictors of Tony winners. Jeff London reports. The nominators showed love to musicals about robots and cartoon characters. Maybe happy ending, the robot love story received nine nominations while Boop, a show about the famous black and white cartoon character come to life received eleven. Revivals of Gypsy and Sunset Boulevard got seven apiece. Two Tony Award favorites, Dead Outlaw and Buena Vista Social Club didn't make this year's ballots because they were nominated for their off-Broadway runs last

year. The former was named Outstanding Musical. The Drama Desk Awards will be presented on June 1st. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York. The new head of California's troubled high-speed rail project says it is time to get serious about how to actually pay for it. The rail line aims to transport passengers between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and under three hours, moreover, the $100 billion-plus project has been delayed for years. New California high-speed rail authority head Ian Chowdhury says he understands the criticisms but hopes to have a clearer idea by the end of summer as to whether the private sector will get on board to help fund

the project. Critical futures prices continue to move lower, oiled down $2.21 a barrel to $58.21 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.