NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-01-2025 11PM EDT

Episode Date: May 2, 2025

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You want to follow what's happening in Washington, D.C., but you don't want to be scrolling your phone all day. I'm Scott Detrow, and NPR has a podcast that can help. It's called Trump's Terms, stories about big changes the 47th president is pursuing on his own terms. They're short, they're focused episodes that tell you calmly, factually, what is happening and what isn't. Listen to Trump's Term terms from NPR.

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has yet another job on his hands. President Trump has asked him to be his interim national security adviser, replacing Mike Walz, who's slated to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports. President Trump announced the changes on Truth Social just as State Department spokesperson

Tammy Bruce was briefing reporters at the State Department. We have to admit, these last 100 days, it's like hanging on to a freaking bullet train. She says Rubio has developed a close working relationship with Trump going to the White House several times a week. Walsh's relations with the president soured after he mistakenly added a journalist to a group chat about sensitive military plans. Questions about that could follow him in a hearing to become the next UN ambassador. Trump had originally picked Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, but then asked her to stay in Congress to maintain a narrow Republican majority. Michelle Kelliman, NPR News, Washington. The Department of Veterans Affairs is

ending a program that has helped more than 17,000 veterans keep their homes. Without the program, NPR's Chris Arnold reports that tens of thousands of other vets and their families could be facing foreclosure. The rescue program is called VASP. It was set up in part to fix a previous VA error that had stranded about 40,000 veterans and left them on the verge of foreclosure. VASP stands for the VA Servicing Purchase Program and gives vets a new low-interest rate loan that they can afford. But it hasn't been fully up and running very long, so many vets still need this rescue. But now the Trump administration says it's ending the program, which will strand many

of those vets all over again. Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress want to pass legislation to help, but that could be many months away. In the meantime, thousands of vets are likely to lose their homes. Mortgage and housing groups are calling on the VA to reconsider. Chris Arnold, NPR News. Congress is moving ahead with an effort to block California's electric vehicle mandate. For Member Station KQED, Guy Marzerotti has more.

The Biden administration allowed California to phase out the sale of new gas powered cars by 2035. But the House of Representatives has now voted to undo that permission. California Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley says California's rules could affect car sales nationally given the state's large market. Americans should be able to drive a car of their choice, not one that is chosen for them by the government. The rollback faces an uncertain path in the U.S. Senate where the independent rulemaker says it would take 60 votes to block California's ban.

For NPR News, I'm Guy Marzorotti in San Jose. You're listening to NPR. A federal judge says the Trump administration may not use the 18th century Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants from South Texas. President Trump says he has special powers to bypass court proceedings and deport immigrants, his administration claims are dangerous. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez rejected Trump's argument and called his use of the Alien Enemies Act illegal. The Department of Homeland Security

has flown dozens of Venezuelan migrants to a detention facility in El Salvador using that law and promises to send even more. Nominations are in for the 2025 Tony Awards, Broadway's highest honors. Details from Jeff London in New York. George Clooney got his first Tony nomination for Good Night and Good Luck as best actor in a play he co-authored, which has been breaking box office records. Sadie Sink picked up a best actress nomination for her role in John Proctor is the Villain. In the musical category, Audra McDonald got her record-breaking 11th Tony nomination for

Best Actress in Gypsy. Also in the Best Actress category, Nicole Scherzinger, formerly of the Pussycat Dolls, got a nod for Sunset Boulevard, and newcomer Jasmine Amy Rogers picked up a nomination for Boop. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York. On Wall Street's stocks closed higher, the Dow gained 83 points, the Nasdaq rose 264. This is NPR News.