NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-05-2025 11AM EDT

Episode Date: May 5, 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 in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman.

President Trump says Americans voted for him to cut down on illegal immigration. But in an interview with NBC, Trump said he did not know if he needs to uphold the Constitution. This answer came when he was asked about whether people should receive due process under the Constitution, including people who are illegally in the U.S. Trump said he has lawyers who work for him and that he would follow the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, writing online, the president says he wants to turn Alcatraz back into a prison to house the nation's worst offenders.

Alcatraz Island sits in the middle of San Francisco Bay. It has not served as a prison since 1963. California State Senator Scott Weiner is opposed. The idea that it would be turned back into a prison would be so expensive and just so dumb. The US Bureau of Prisons says it closed Alcatraz 60 years ago because it was three times more expensive to operate than any other federal prison.

Some veterans of the US.S. military say they're experiencing delays receiving health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs. From Member Station WUWM, Chuck Kormbach reports. Ryan McCants is an Army veteran who sustained what he calls pretty gnarly injuries during deployment in Afghanistan. He often relies on VA health care

for both physical problems and mental health concerns. McCants says access to care has become more difficult over the last few months. Specifically, I just called three days ago to try to schedule a new appointment with my therapist. I can't get in until August, mid-August, to see my therapist. VA Secretary Doug Collins is scheduled to testify this week before a Senate committee. He's promised a proposed cut of up to 15 percent of the agency's workforce would not harm the quality of veterans' health care. For NPR News, I'm Chuck Quirmbach in Milwaukee.

Roman Catholic cardinals will start the process of selecting a new pope on Wednesday. That's when the conclave gets underway at the Vatican to choose a successor to Pope Francis. NPR's Jason DeRose in Rome reports on the final days leading up to the selection process. The cardinals have been gathering in meetings called congregations. Among the issues they're discussing, sexual abuse within the church, war and peace, and how the church can be less insular. Cardinal Michael Czerny says these meetings are key to getting to know each other and

the needs of the church throughout the world. Learning to be church in our diversity is a real calling. Czerny calls global Catholicism's diversity a challenge but also a gift. He's among the 133 cardinal electors who will enter the conclave Wednesday to determine the next leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. Jason DeRose, NPR News, Rome. Pope Francis died of heart failure last month at the age of 88 following a stroke. This is NPR. At a town hall outside Atlanta, Democratic Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock told voters

he's disappointed in his Republican colleagues' unwillingness to push back on President Trump. From member station WABE, Sam Greenglass reports. For nearly two hours inside Zion Hill Baptist Church, attendees were called to the mic by raffle ticket, unloading fears about Trump's tariffs and the mass firings of federal workers. But no matter the topic, most voters landed on a similar question. What are you doing about it? Warnock said one thing he's doing is pressuring GOP senators.

What I'm saying to them is that they ought to be concerned about this because, like, I mean, it takes a lot of work to get to be a U.S. senator. Why would you go through all of that and then hand your power over to a wannabe autocrat? We could stop a lot of this if we could just get forwarded. Warnock told voters sometimes your voice is the only thing you've got. For NPR News, I'm Sam Greenglass in Atlanta. This comes as Republicans continue work this week on a budget Democrats warn could result in deep cuts to programs such as Medicaid. Say goodbye to this sound. After more than 20 years, Skype is going away for good.

Microsoft is ending Skype, the once very popular video calling service. The company says it's going to focus instead on its Microsoft Teams feature. Skype has also faced challenges from offerings such as Zoom. When it launched, Skype let people call long distance for free on their computers, bypassing the phone company. This is NPR. 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.