NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-03-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: May 3, 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, I'm Dale Willman. A federal judge has struck down

President Trump's executive order targeting the prominent law firm of Perkins Coal. The ruling deals a blow to Trump's campaign to punish law firms he views as political enemies, and Pierce Ryan Lucas has more. In her ruling, US District Judge Beryl Howell says that no American president has ever issued an executive order like the one against Perkins Cooey.

But Howell says in purpose and effect, it draws from a playbook that dates back to Shakespeare in his famous phrase of, quote, the first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers. Howell's ruling framed Trump's executive order as an attack on the independence of the legal profession and the broader judicial system and their foundational principles. She said punishing lawyers for representing clients or causes the president doesn't like is unconstitutional. Three other firms have sued to challenge Trump's orders targeting them. Perkins case is the first to be permanently blocked by a court.

Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. The Environmental Protection Agency is planning a major overhaul to its scientific research wing and is signaling that deep staffing cuts are on the way. Experts say that could endanger EPA's world-renowned science. NPR's Alejandra Marunda reports. The reorganization plan targets EPA's Office of Research and Development. Scientists in that office assess the health risks of contaminants like PFAS and air pollution. Their work informs the implementation of laws like the Clean Air Act.

Jennifer Orms-Avaletta recently retired from EPA after 40 years. She says slashing or changing the independent research wing could endanger public health. By splitting things up or eliminating that expertise, we put people at greater risk and put this country at greater risk. EPA leadership plans to move some scientists into new roles in other parts of the agency, but they warned staff to expect significant cuts in the coming weeks. Alejandra Burunda, NPR News. The rock band ARIM is releasing a special pressing of its first single, Radio Free Europe.

The release will benefit the real Radio Free Europe. The broadcaster is one of a number of government services that have been targeted by the Trump administration. R.M. singer Michael Stipe says the band wants to send a shout out to journalists working for Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. Major storms once again pounded the central portion of the U.S. this week. Cleanup efforts are underway in Oklahoma and Texas. In Lawton, Oklahoma, floodwaters trapped several people and their pets in the vet's office. Sarah Greeley says they reached out for help. We did call 911. They said, you know, as long as nobody was injured,

we just kind of, we're on the list. We just have to wait. There was water rescues all over town happening. At least two people were killed by those storms. Officials in Germany say that one person was killed and several others injured Friday when a vehicle drove into a group of pedestrians. The accident took place in the southern city of Stuttgart. The driver is being held by police, but they say there is no evidence yet that the accident was a deliberate act.

You're listening to NPR News. A new report is fueling debate over whether Gen Z is unprepared for the workforce or if they may be playing by a new set of rules. NPR's Windsor Johnston has more on that story. Many of the companies cited poor communication, lack of motivation, and unprofessional behavior. But Jason Dorsey, the president of the Center for Generational Kinetics, says the root problem may be deeper than that. We found that 38% of Gen Z in the United States said their education did not prepare them for work. And those are only Gen Zers who are in the workforce today. So we do think there's a pretty big experience and expectation gap and clearly it's showing

up in data like this. 75% of employers say they're dissatisfied with at least some Gen Z hires. Some of those Gen Z'ers argue this isn't laziness but a reflection of growing skepticism around traditional career paths. Windsor Johnston, NPR News. The aid coalition Freedom Flotilla coalition is accusing Israel of attacking a ship carrying supplies to Gaza. They say the drone attack took place while the ship was sailing off the coast of Malta. No serious injuries were reported from that attack. Coalition officials, however, did not offer any evidence showing that Israel was involved.

The U.S. Friday officially designated a powerful coalition of gangs in Haiti as a foreign terrorist organization. The Viv Ansem collection joined a list of eight Latin American criminal organizations now in that category. Grand Griff was also added to the list. It's the biggest gang to operate in that country's central region. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News. You want to follow what's happening in Washington, D.C., but you don't want to be scrolling region. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.