NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-06-2025 10PM EDT

Episode Date: May 7, 2025

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Am I a propagandist? A truth teller? An influencer? There's probably no more contested profession in the world today than mine, journalism. I'm Brian Reed, and on my show, Question Everything, we dive head first into the conflicts we're all facing over truth and who gets to tell it. Listen now to Question Everything, part of the NPR Podcast Network. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President Donald Trump and new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney held a mostly conciliatory meeting at the White House today.

The pair showed some signs of backing off from their differences brought on by Trump's ongoing global trade war, where Trump again brought up the contentious topic of making Canada the 51st U.S. state, causing some consternation as we hear from NPR's Deepak Sivaram. Carney for his part called Trump a quote, transformational president and said there was an opportunity to work together. But with this specific topic of the U.S. annexing Canada, he was very firm and direct that Canada is not for sale and that becoming a U.S. state would never happen.

To which Trump responded, never say never. Asked by a reporter whether the U.S. would lift tariffs against Canada that are as high as 25 percent, President Trump said no. The U.S. Senate has confirmed the nomination of a former tech CEO to be the next commissioner of the Social Security Administration. It bears Ashley Lopez as who will lead the agency through widespread restructuring and layoffs. Frank Bisognano was a donor to President Trump and CEO of a payments technology company called Pfizer before this new post. During his confirmation hearing, he said his experience as an executive will prove useful as he leads an agency of roughly 55,000 employees who serve more than 73 million Americans. In the past few months, advocates for older and disabled Americans have

expressed concerns about the Trump administration's ongoing effort to lay off thousands of employees at the agency. Almost 3,000 employees have departed so far, mostly in upper management and support roles, and there's been a significant increase in wait times for phone services and other help. Ashley Lopez, NPR News. Time is running out for Americans who have not yet upgraded to a Real ID. NPR's Windsor-Johnston reports starting tomorrow, travelers will need a Real ID

compliant driver's license, a passport, or another federally accepted form of identification to board domestic flights or enter certain federal buildings. The Real ID Act was passed after 9-11, but the deadline has been pushed back several times. Clint Henderson, a travel editor at the Points Guy, says it's a way for the government to have unified standards for every state. Some states had fairly lax requirements. So in fact, that is how some of the hijackers were able to get through security with fake

credentials that they were issued by a state. So they wanted to have a uniform way of tracking people. Real IDs look like standard licenses, but have a star in the corner. To get one, you need to bring documents proving your identity, social security number, and residency to your local DMV. Windsor-Johnston, NPR News, Washington. Stocks, we've lowered today mid- today amid continued uncertainty about the nature of possible trade deals. The market's also awaiting the outcome of a two-day Fed meeting. The Dow dropped 389 points, the NASDAQ fell 154 points, the S&P dropped 43 points. You're listening to NPR. Britain and India have reached a deal to reduce or eliminate tariffs on Scotch, whisky and

a variety of other products. The agreement announced today coming more than three years after negotiations began and then stalled. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media calling the government agreement ambitious and mutually beneficial to both countries. Among other things, the agreement would reportedly slash Indian import taxes on whiskey, cosmetics, medical goods, car, and airplane parts coming from the UK. Four women are accusing R&B legend Smokey Robinson

of sexual assault, including rape, false imprisonment, and other offenses in a complaint filed in LA Superior Court. NPR's Elizabeth Blair has the story. The complaint says the four unnamed women worked as housekeepers for Smokey Robinson and his wife, Frances, at the time of the alleged misconduct. Frances Robinson is also named as a defendant. The complaint alleges the women were forced to resign due to Smokey Robinson's repeated sexual assaults and sexual harassment. The allegations date back to at least 2007.

Attorneys say the women kept quiet out of fear because they were low-wage workers and were intimidated by Smokey Robinson's celebrity. The Jane Doe's are being represented by the law firm Harris and Hayden, who are seeking a total of $50 million in damages. Smokey Robinson's representatives have not responded to NPR's request for comment. Elizabeth Blair, NPR News. Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not be buying for horse racing's Triple Crown this year. Trainer Bill Mott telling officials the horse will not run in the Preakness Stakes.

Mott says he does plan to enter Sovereignty in Belmont. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. On this week's Wild Card Podcast, weird Al Yankovic says there's something funny about being professionally weird. I think people realize, you know, Weird Al is almost ironic because I'm like one of the more normal people in showbiz, I think. I'm Rachel Martin. Weird Al is on Wild Card, the show where cards control the conversation.