NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-01-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: May 1, 2025

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This is Ira Glass, the host of This American Life. So much is changing so rapidly right now with President Trump in office. It feels good to pause for a moment sometimes and look around at what's what. To try and do that, we've been finding these incredible stories about right now that are funny and have feeling and you get to see people everywhere making sense of this new America that we find ourselves in. This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. Ukraine and the Trump administration

have signed an economic partnership deal to give the US access to Ukraine's critical minerals and natural resources. NPR's Joanna Kikissis has more. Ukrainian Prime Minister Dnysh Mikhail says the investment fund would be a 50-50 partnership with the US and would assist in Ukraine's reconstruction. Mikhail said the American side

can count new and I repeat new military aid to Ukraine as a contribution to this fund. The Trump administration had initially pushed a deal that would have given Ukraine very little while trying to recoup money for military aid the U.S. has already given Ukraine. Joanna Kakissis, NPR News, KU. Some 100 days into President Trump's second term in office, many Americans are concerned that the nation is heading into recession.

As NPR's Scott Horsley reports, that concern caused the gross domestic product measuring the amounts of goods and services produced to shrink in the first three months of the year. Scott Horsley, NPR As NPR's Scott Horsley reports, that concern caused the gross domestic product measuring the amounts of goods and services produced to shrink in the first three months of the year. Scott Horsley, NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As

NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As NPR As N tariffs took effect. Imports are a subtraction from GDP. Government spending was also down during the quarter and consumer spending, which is the biggest driver of the U.S. economy, grew less than half as fast as it did during the waning months of the Biden administration. NPR's Scott Horsley. Harvard says it has provided information on international students to the Department of Homeland Security. From member station GBH in Boston, Kurt Carapazza asked the story. Here's what we do know. The Trump administration had demanded that Harvard

turn over detailed records for all foreign students' illegal and violent activities or lose the right to enroll any international students. In a message sent to the campus community, Harvard executive VP Meredith Wienich says the school responded to the request from DHS without saying what exactly was shared. Weenick reiterates Harvard's quote, steadfast commitment to international scholars, urging them to stay focused on their academics. Last week Harvard announced it was suing the administration over this and other demands, but now some faculty and

students question the school's commitment to push back. For NPR News, I'm Kirk Carripeza in Boston. Former President Kamala Harris is taking aim at President Trump's policies, saying that the nation is experiencing a moment when checks and balances are being lost. Harris told a gathering of Democrats in San Francisco late Wednesday that people are witnessing the realization of a Republican agenda that was decades in the making. She says the Trump administration is hoping that fear will prevail, but she suggested that courage is also contagious.

Her remarks come amid speculation that Harris may be planning a run for governor of California or another presidential bid. This is NPR. Limestone University in Northern South Carolina is shutting down at the end of the semester. The 180-year-old private Christian school has lost half its enrollment in the past decade and has raised just $2 million, or one-third of the amount it recently said was needed

in order to stay afloat. Microsoft's President Brad Smith, says says the company respects European regulations on big tech, which President Trump has criticized. Terry Schulz in Brussels reports that Smith is pledging to protect data on the company's European users. Terry Schulz, CEO, Microsoft Microsoft Brad Smith said he wanted to reassure European partners at a time he called an unparalleled moment of geopolitical volatility.

Although Trump has threatened to retaliate against the EU for actions like the fines of almost 800 million dollars leveled against Apple last week for violating new legislation called the Digital Markets Act, the Microsoft chief said his company respects the role these laws play. Microsoft, Smith said, plans to greatly expand its operations in Europe and wants European partners to trust the company. It's important for us as a business to be a voice of reason across the Atlantic.

Smith added the company plans to expand its data center capacity in Europe by 40 percent over the next two years. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels. The NFL has fined the Atlanta Falcons and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrick over a prank call to Cleveland Browns quarterback Shador Sanders during the league's draft. The Falcons and Ulbrick were cited for failing to protect confidential information. Ulbrick apologized to the Falcons and Sanders after his 21-year-old son impersonated an NFL general manager during the prank call.

This is NPR. For media, to tech, to politics, the world around us is changing. Sometimes it's hard to know what you can rely on or trust. Your support means that NPR will be here for you tomorrow and the next day and the day after that. We're not going anywhere. Show up for public media for Public Media Giving Days. Make your gift now at donate.npr.org.