NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-01-2025 3AM 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 has signed an agreement giving the U.S. access

to its minerals and natural resources in exchange for continued support for its war with Russia. President Trump offered no details on the deal during a cabinet meeting Wednesday, but said that up to now, the U.S. has got nothing in return for helping Ukraine. We feel foolish. The Europeans are putting up money.

It's totally secure. They get the money back. We're putting up much more money. We have absolutely nothing. And I didn't want to make a complicated deal. I didn't want to make a deal that couldn't be made because Ukraine doesn't have very much money. They're going through a very bad period of time. It's been brutal. The signing of the minerals deal came nearly a week after Russian missile and drone strikes

killed at least 12 people in Ukraine's capital. Senate Democrats have failed to pass a resolution to block President Trump's global tariffs. Three Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the measure, but the effort faced pressure from the White House. Moore from NPR's Elena 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. Former Vice President Kamala Harris had some sharp criticism for President Trump during a speech in San Francisco late Wednesday. Steve Futterman has details. Harris accused the Trump administration of trying to scare the American people. We all know President Trump and his administration are counting on the notion that fear can be

contagious. She called it part of a well-conceived agenda and said the president is abandoning American ideals. It is not OK to detain and disappear American citizens or anyone without due process. Harris said Trump's tariffs have cost Americans jobs, devastated retirement accounts and paralyzed businesses. Straight talk. Things are probably going to get worse before they get better.

Opponents of Trump, she said, need to gear up for the tough work ahead. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. West Coast sports are bracing for a downturn in traffic next week as a result of President Trump's tariffs. Retailers are halting shipments from China, which accounts for nearly half of all business at the port of Los Angeles alone. This is NPR. The Columbia University student detained for pro-Palestinian activism has been released.

Mohsen Madali was arrested earlier this month when he appeared for a final citizenship hearing in Vermont. A federal judge denied the Trump administration's request to delay Madali's release for seven days. A new law in Alaska will require businesses selling alcohol to post signs warning of cancer risks. As Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra reports, it is one of the first states in the nation

to require the warning. Alaska liquor stores, bars, and restaurants must post signs that say alcohol use can cause cancer, including colon and breast cancer, beginning August 1. 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. A federal judge says Apple has willfully violated a 2021 court injunction at an antitrust case brought by Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers ordered the iPhone maker to lower the barriers to his exclusive payment system for in-app digital transactions.

Apple was also supposed to allow developers to display links to alternatives. This is NPR News. Hey, it's Ayesha Harris from Pop Culture Happy Hour. If you love NPR News.