NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-03-2025 9AM 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. Listen to the Consider This Podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. A 25% tariff on imported auto parts is now in effect. President Trump has offered automakers a partial reprieve, but as NPR's Kamila Domonoski reports,

the tariffs are still expected to have a major impact on the auto industry. This week, President Trump announced that automakers importing foreign parts for US-built cars could get reimbursed for some tariffs, temporarily, in recognition of the fact that it's not possible to build a car with exclusively US parts right now. The industry welcomed the changes, but the tariffs are still expected

to cut profits and drive up prices. The reprieve doesn't extend to anyone buying parts for repairs, so the tariff will make it more costly to maintain existing cars, as well as sending insurance prices, which have been rising for several years, up even higher. Kamila Dominovski, NPR News. Trump's tariffs are expected to be on the agenda as Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett hosts his annual shareholder meeting today in Omaha. Buffett, one of the world's most closely watched investors, he's expected to take the stage

this hour. President Trump is downplaying concerns about an economic slowdown in an interview for NBC's Meet the Press. Trump said he is not worried about a recession, but MPR's Tamara Keith reports he also acknowledged there could be short-term pain for the country. NBC's Kristen Welker asked Trump about concerns being voiced by some on Wall Street that the US could be headed for a recession. The economy had negative growth in the first quarter of this year and that was before Trump launched his global trade war. Trump

insisted there are others on Wall Street who say, quote, this will be the greatest windfall to ever happen. Is it okay in the short term to have a recession? Look, yeah, everything's okay. What we are, I said, this is a transition period. I think we're going to do fantastically. Trump administration officials say they expect to strike trade deals soon, but so far none

have materialized. Tamara Keith, NPR News. American Academy of Pediatrics spokesperson Dr. Molly O'Shea says a sharp rise in pediatric flu deaths in the United States can at least be partly traced back to falling vaccination rates. The vaccine's not perfect. It doesn't necessarily always prevent children from getting influenza, but the vaccine is really good at preventing severe disease and death.

And by forgoing vaccination, we're seeing the evidence of that in this rising number of deaths each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 216 children have died this flu season the most since the swine flu pandemic 15 years ago and officials warn that number is likely to rise further. The CDC says the vaccination rate is down 64 from 64 percent five years ago to 49 percent this season. This is NPR. A research team has developed a new approach they say could one day lead to a universal anti-venom against venomous snakes. NPR's Ari Daniel has more. Jacob Glanville, the CEO of the company Centivax, wondered about producing a universal anti-venom by finding a person who'd been exposed to lots of different venoms.

He eventually found someone who'd been bitten some 200 times. If anybody has broken through the problem of getting the immune system to focus, it's this guy. Glanville scoured this man's blood for antibodies that neutralized multiple venoms. And when he and his team combined two of the best ones, along with another molecule, the result offered mice complete protection against multiple species of venomous snakes from all over the world. Soon, the researchers plan to expand their coverage to include vipers. Ari Daniel, NPR News.

Nineteen thoroughbreds are expected to run the 151st Kentucky Derby this evening. Louisville Public Media's Amina Aliha reports. Three-year-old Bay Colt journalism is coming off a string of back-to-back victories. He's considered the favorite for this year's Derby. But he's not the only industry-named contender. Publisher is more of a long shot. A key feature of the Derby experience is betting on the race. Churchill Downs says Wagers topped $200 million last year. In this first race of the Triple Crown, $5 million are up for grabs for the top five finishers. Post time for the Kentucky Derby is 6.57 p.m. Eastern. For NPR News, I'm Amina Elahi in Louisville. And I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News from Washington.

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