NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-01-2025 12PM EDT

Episode Date: May 1, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The House of Representatives has voted to repeal a federal waiver allowing California to set strict emission standards for cars and SUVs. That comes one day after the House similarly voted to NIC's two California rules about heavy trucks. The Senate will need to vote before the waivers would actually be repealed, and there's a good reason they might not. NPR's Camila Dominovski explains.

California's vehicle standards, like a rule requiring all new cars to be zero emission by 2035, can be followed by other states if they choose. Supporters call the rules necessary for the climate and human health. Critics, including some automakers, call them unrealistic and costly. The Biden EPA granted California waivers so it could set those standards. And two nonpartisan government entities say the House doesn't have the ability to revoke waivers through the mechanism it's using. Despite that guidance, the House voted anyway. Now the question is whether the Senate will too. Camila Dominochki, NPR News.

Doge is driving 2025 layoffs according to challenger Gray and Christmas. Today the outplacement firm cited the impact of President Trump's government-wide cost-cutting entity led by Elon Musk for job cuts. It says they've reached pandemic-era highs. More than 275,000 jobs in March, more than 100,000 cut this past month. However, April's figure represents a 62% decline. The White House says its new minerals deal with Ukraine creates a fund governed by three board members from each country where each country will receive half of royalties, license fees, and other proceeds

from national resource projects in Ukraine. Speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, a senior administration official says the agreement also includes oil and gas. Today is Israel's Independence Day. Its annual celebrations regularly include honors to its security forces and soldiers. But this year, those receiving tributes are shielding their identities for fear of reprisals abroad. And Piers Danielestrin has more from Tel Aviv. At this year's ceremony, the names of honored soldiers were classified. Photos of them only showed the backs of their heads.

The military says it's to protect them. Pro-Palestinian groups have been publicizing the names of soldiers who served in Gaza, seeking their arrest abroad on alleged war crimes. At another tribute, three Israeli Mossad intelligence agents, donning sunglasses and masks, were honored. They were identified as agents who led the operation of the exploding pagers and devices in Lebanon last year, targeting Hezbollah that killed dozens

and injured thousands according to Lebanese authorities. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was up nearly 200 points. You're listening to NPR News. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is ending its mortgage rescue program for U.S. military vets. And Piers Quill Lawrence reports it's unclear if another program to help veterans might win approval in Congress. The Department of Veterans Affairs set up the VA Service Purchase Program, or VASP, to correct an error with the home loan program during the Biden administration that left

tens of thousands of veterans facing foreclosure through no fault of their own. But Republicans in Congress oppose VAS because it has VA buy up the troubled loans. There is a bill in the House to replace it with a different program, but there's no saying when that might make it into law. That's NPR's Quill Lawrence reporting. A new law in Alaska requires businesses that sell alcohol to post signs warning of its cancer risks. From Alaska Public Media, Rachel Cassandra reports this is among the first U.S. states to require these warnings.

RACHEL CASSANDRA, ALASKA PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY OF CANDIDATES, RESTAURANTS, AND RESTAURANTS ALASKA LICKER STORES, BARS, AND RESTAURANTS MUST POST SIGNS THAT SAY ALCOHOL USE CAN CAUSE CANCER, INCLUDING COAL AND BREAST CANCER. BEGINNING AUGUST 1, ALASKA REPRESENTATIVE. Alaska Representative Andrew Gray co-wrote the bill. Educating folks that alcohol is a risk factor for those very common cancers is going to save lives. Research that alcohol can cause cancer is well established, but alcohol industries have lobbied against health warnings.

Gray says this law passed as part of a bill lowering age requirements to serve alcohol, which the state industry supported. For NPR News, I'm Rachel Cassandra in Anchorage. At last check, the Nasdaq was up nearly 2 percent. It's NPR.