NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-10-2025 6PM EDT

Episode Date: May 10, 2025

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You're listening to the NPR Network, a living, breathing record of your neighborhood, the country, the world. Told by thousands of local journalists who live in the places where stories unfold, backed by a national newsroom that puts it all in perspective. Hear the whole country story. Hear ways of thinking that challenge your own. Hear the bigger picture with NPR. of thinking that challenge your own. Here's a bigger picture with NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. A federal judge in San Francisco last night issued a temporary pause in the Trump administration's plans for mass layoffs of federal workers and the closing of programs. The judge says the administration's moves are illegal without congressional authorization. This came in response to a lawsuit filed by a broad coalition of organizations.

And here's Andrea Hsu, has more. The heart of this case is an executive order that Trump signed back in February that lays out what he expects agencies to do, you know, prepare for large-scale layoffs, shut down offices whose functions are not mandated by statute. Well, the government's attorney said the president's executive order merely provides directions to agencies to carry out what the law already allows them to do. But in court, the plaintiff's attorney Danielle Leonard was not having this, she told the judge. No, this is a mandatory order instructing agencies to begin mass layoffs now and to do so in the manner that the president is directing. And here's Andrea Hsu reporting. It's the latest in a string of court battles over Trump's executive power. American and Chinese officials held talks today on tariffs in the Swiss city

of Geneva. The talks will continue tomorrow. Villa-Marx reports this was the first face-to-face communication between senior officials since President Trump imposed unprecedented tariffs on Chinese products? Looking out over gleaming Lake Geneva and the manicured lawns of a Swiss government villa, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besson and China's Vice President for Economic Affairs He Le Feng seem to have had a lot to talk about. After a couple of hours of initial discussion Saturday morning, they took a break for lunch before continuing their conversations for several hours.

Besant said he hopes the talks will lead to a de-escalation in the ongoing trade war that's frazzled financial markets in recent weeks and driven significant uncertainty in the world's largest two economies. Neither sides made public statements about the content of today's negotiations. For NPR News, I'm Willem Marx in Geneva. European leaders in Ukraine today pressed Russian President Putin to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire or face more sanctions. And here's Joanna Kikisos reports the leaders say President Trump also

supports this proposal. The leaders of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Poland traveled to Kiev in their first joint appearance. They joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a meeting of Western nations supporting Ukraine. Other leaders participated online via video link. Zelensky and the four European leaders in Kiev also called President Trump. Zelensky told reporters Trump supports the ceasefire proposal. It's quite possible to monitor the ceasefire in coordination with the United States, Zelensky said.

The ceasefire could start as early as Monday if Russia agrees to it. However, the Kremlin says it will oppose a ceasefire unless Western countries stop providing military aid to Ukraine. Joanna Kekesis, NPR News, Kiev. And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. The Department of Justice is investigating a proposed housing development by a North Texas mosque. Caroline Love from Member Station KERA reports last month, Senator John Cornyn sent Attorney General Pam Bondi a letter regarding the Epic City development.

Epic City is a proposed development about 40 miles northeast of Dallas that's associated with the East Plano Islamic Center mosque. The community will include a new mosque, more than a thousand single and multi-family homes, and a faith-based school. The state of Texas also has several ongoing investigations after questions about the project began circulating online. Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claim the project violates the Texas Fair Housing Act and consumer protection laws. An attorney for the East Plano Islamic Center

calls the investigations misguided and unnecessary, but says the mosque will fully cooperate. For NPR News, I'm Caroline Love in Dallas. A magnitude 4.1 earthquake hit Tennessee this morning and was felt as far away as Atlanta and western North Carolina. The U.S. Geological Survey says the temblor hit around 9 this morning about 12 miles from Greenback, which is about 30 miles south of Knoxville. Earthquakes are not uncommon in that region. The eastern Tennessee seismic zone is one of the most active in the southeast and extends across parts of Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. The USGS says the southeastern U.S. carries a significant risk of quakes. Seismic waves from quakes spread more efficiently also in the eastern U.S.

I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington.