NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-04-2025 3AM EDT

Episode Date: May 4, 2025

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Does the idea of listening to political news freak you out? Well, don't sweat it. The NPR politics podcast makes politics a breeze. Every episode will break down the day's headlines into totally normal language and make sure that you walk away understanding what the day's news might mean for you. Take a deep breath and give politics another chance with the NPR politics podcast available wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman.

Warren Buffett says he plans to step down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. As NPR's Maria Aspin reports, the billionaire investor also gave a sharp warning at the company's shareholder meeting Saturday, telling the Trump administration to knock off its trade war. Tariffs are a hot topic in Omaha, where Berkshire Hathaway's CEO answered investors' questions for more than four hours. The very first question was about President Trump's sweeping new taxes on imports, and Buffett had a strong warning, as broadcast by CNBC.

In the United States, I mean, we should be looking to trade with the rest of the world, and we should do what we do best, and they should do what we do best and they should do what they do best. Trade should not be a weapon. At age 94, the billionaire investor is one of the most powerful people on Wall Street and beyond. He ended the meeting by announcing that he would be resigning as CEO at the end of the year. Maria Aspin and PR News Omaha.

British police say that five men have been arrested over a suspected terrorist plot. The investigation is in its early stages. The BBC's Simon Jones has more. The police have not named the site that was allegedly being targeted but they say people at the premises have been informed and they are being offered advice and support. Four of the five men arrested are Iranian nationals. They were held in West London, Swindon, Stockport and Rochdale. The nationality of the fifth, who was detained in the Manchester area, is still being established. As part of their investigation, officers are carrying out searches at addresses in London, Swindon and Greater Manchester.

Singapore's People's Action Party has won another general election. The party has ruled the country for 66 years. They won this weekend's election in a landslide, claiming 87 out of 97 total seats in the parliament. Analysts say an appeal from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong was effective in winning votes. He asked for a mandate to fight against tariffs imposed by President Trump. An Israeli blockade of supplies for Gaza is entering its third month, and health officials in Gaza say it's taking a toll on children's health. They say some 3,600 children have been treated for acute malnutrition over the past month and those numbers are likely increasing.

A shortage of food and supplies has pushed more people in the region towards starvation and parents are running out of options for feeding their children. As a papal conclave is expected to begin on Wednesday to name a new pope, President Trump has drawn criticism this weekend by posting an AI-generated image of him dressed as pope to social media. His post comes just weeks after the death of Pope Francis. Sovereignty won the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. The horse started the race with 9-1 odds but beat the favorite journalism by 1 and a half lengths. Sovereignty trainer Bill Mott says the muddy conditions didn't affect his horse.

Bill Mott, Sovereignty Trainer, NPR News He stayed tucked in behind journalism around the turn and when he tipped out, you know, and said, okay, race is on baby, you know. And you're listening to NPR News. At least seven people have been killed and 20 others injured in an aerial attack at a medical facility in South Sudan this weekend. Officials with Doctors Without Borders says two helicopter gunships dropped a bomb on a pharmacy which burned to the ground. The facility is the only source of medical care for more than 40,000 people

in the north central part of that country. The US state broadcaster Radio Free Asia is laying off about 90% of its staff. It says it can no longer pay people after access to its funds was cut off by the Trump administration. NPR's Emily Fang has more on that story. Since 1996 Radio Free Asia or RFA has broadcast in languages like Burmese and Chinese to a weekly audience of around 60 million listeners many of whom live in repressive or authoritarian societies. In March President Trump ordered the federal agency that distributes RFA's funds to wind down

operations and cut off its congressionally appropriated funds. A move a federal judge overturned last month, ordering their funds reinstated. But another appeals court put an administrative stay freezing that order this week. And now Radio Free Asia has laid off many of its staff who are already on unpaid leave, leaving only a skeleton crew to update RFA's pared-back programming. Emily Fang and Pure News, Washington. Arena Sibylenko won the Madrid Tennis Open on Saturday.

It's her third title this year and her 20th career title. She beat Coco Goff after winning a tiebreaker on the outdoor clay court. The win gave Sibylenko a record-tying third win at the Madrid Open. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.