NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-01-2025 5AM EDT

Episode Date: May 1, 2025

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These days, there's a lot of news. It can be hard to keep up with what it means for you, your family, and your community. Consider This from NPR is a podcast that helps you make sense of the news. Six days a week, we bring you a deep dive on a story and provide the context, backstory, and analysis you need to understand our rapidly changing world. Listen to the Consider This podcast from NPR. Listen to the Consider This Podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. President Trump says Ukraine has agreed to give the U.S. access to its vast deposits of minerals and other natural resources. As NPR's Jackie Northam reports, the agreement will help Kyiv ensure continued U.S. support for Ukraine in its war with 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. Former Vice President Kamala Harris is offering sharp criticism of President Trump's first 100 days in office. As Steve Futterman reports, Harris was in San Francisco yesterday to deliver her first remarks since losing to Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

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 okay 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. A federal judge in Vermont has released Columbia University student and Palestinian activist Moshe Madawi. He was arrested last month by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. His lawyers say Madawi was apprehended for speech advocating human rights for Palestinians in Gaza. The court told the government that they cannot detain individuals solely because they're engaged in lawful speech and that's exactly what Mr. Maddawi was engaged in.

That's Luna Druby, one of Maddawi's attorneys. Maddawi is a legal permanent resident. His immigration case remains open. The Justice Department says it will appeal the judge's ruling. This is NPR News from Washington. China is dropping sanctions against five members of the European Parliament. As NPR's Emily Fang reports, Beijing is attempting to improve ties with European countries as

relations with the U.S. deteriorate. In 2021, China sanctioned more than a dozen Europeans in organizations critical of Beijing's policies in the Xinjiang region, where the United Nations says China may have committed crimes against humanity. But fast forward more than four years, and China has been telegraphing that it wants to resume talks on a stymied investment pact with the European Union. Negotiations the EU froze because of these Chinese sanctions. So now China has removed sanctions on the European politicians,

but not some of the other individuals and organizations. An advocacy group with ties to those EU politicians says, quote, the removal of some sanctions does not constitute a favor that warrants concessions from the European Union. Emily Fang and PR News. Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates say a man was critically injured at last night's game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park after he fell more than 20 feet from a right field wall onto the warning track. Trainers from both teams attended to the man before he was taken from the field

to a hospital. Stocks on Wall Street recovered from steep early losses yesterday to finish mostly higher. The Dow added 141 points. The S&P 500 gained 8. The NASDAQ lost 14. The markets were down sharply in early trading after the Commerce Department reported the U.S. economy contracted during the first quarter. I'm Dave Mattingly, NPR News in Washington.

Does the idea of listening to political news freak you out? Well, don't sweat it. Dave Mattingly, NPR News in Washington.