NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-02-2025 10PM EDT

Episode Date: May 3, 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. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. President Trump today released his first budget proposal of his second term, known as a skinny budget, showing Trump wants to make dramatic cuts to the federal government. It includes a proposal to slash $163 billion in federal spending for the next fiscal year,

which would eliminate a huge swath of domestic spending, including climate, housing, health, and education programs to the lowest level in the modern era, this while increasing the military budget. One thing he would preserve, the Head Start program, providing early education and child care for some of the country's poorest children. This is only a proposal since Congress passes spending bills, though Trump has been using executive orders to affect his wishes. This week, Trump has been touting his work after 100 days in office.

Some voters who backed him in last year's election, though, aren't entirely pleased. From St. Louis Public Radio, Jason Rosenbaum reports some farmers in Missouri are hoping Trump eases back on some of his tariffs that they feel are destructive to their industry. Brian Kage co-owns a farm near Maysville in northern Missouri. He joined 58 percent of Missourians who voted for Trump, partly because he was uncomfortable with Democrats' fiscal, environmental and social policies. But Kagee says tariffs laid out by the president will ultimately hurt his bottom line, especially

if they make chemicals, fertilizer, and equipment more expensive. You know, it's just a government interference into the markets that affect our lives every day. Kagee says he hopes public backlash over tariffs will push Republicans to once again embrace free market principles like they did before Trump became the GOP's leader roughly a decade ago. For NPR News, I'm Jason Rosenbaum in St. Louis. Wall Street is waiting for Warren Buffett to weigh in on tariffs.

And Piers Maria Aspin reports Berkshire Hathaway's CEO is hosting his annual shareholder meeting tomorrow in Omaha. 60 years after he bought Berkshire Hathaway, billionaire Warren Buffett is one of the most successful and closely watched investors in the world. His company operates all kinds of businesses from Dairy Queen to Geico Insurance, and it owns shares in some of the largest U.S. companies. So Buffett has had a front row seat to all of the financial turmoil this spring,

sparked by President Donald Trump's sweeping new tariffs. Many big companies are withdrawing their financial forecasts for this year, citing the tariffs. Now tens of thousands of Berkshire shareholders have traveled to Omaha to hear directly from its CEO. Buffett, who is 94, has promised to answer questions for more than four hours on Saturday morning. Maria Aspin, NPR News, Omaha. Employers added somewhat fewer jobs in April, 177,000, but still more than analysts were expecting. You're listening to NPR News. You're listening to NPR News. Australians are set to vote in a national election on Saturday.

As Christina Kukala reports, opinion polls put the governing center-left Labor Party in the lead over the conservative opposition coalition. A record 18 million people are registered to vote in this year's election. The high cost of living and housing affordability have dominated the campaign, but those issues have been overshadowed by global economic concerns sparked by the Trump administration's trade tariffs. Opinion polls suggest focus on the impact of US trade policy in Australia has collapsed support for the Conservative opposition, which held an earlier lead over the governing Labour Party.

A tight race is expected, with minority government still a possible outcome. For NPR News, I'm Christina Kukalja in Melbourne, Australia. The Trump Administration today announced plans for a significant reorganization of the Environmental Protection Agency, including staff cuts, especially for the agency's Office of Research and Development. That's the wing of the EPA that provides scientific analysis for policymakers on the risks of air pollution, chemicals, and other environmental factors. The EPA's administrator says it will save the government about $300 million a year. It would trim roughly 3 percent from EPA's 2024 budget of

over $9 million. Critics, though, worry the move could mean scientists are less insulated from political pressure, and the cuts to scientific research could put the U.S. at a disadvantage in the future. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington. You want to follow what's happening in Washington.