NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-09-2025 11AM EDT

Episode Date: May 9, 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 Korva Coleman.

The U.S. Supreme Court says former Justice David Souter has died at his home in New Hampshire. He was 85. Souter was nominated to the high court in 1990 by former President George H.W. Bush. He served until 2009. Souter had strong Republican support, but surprised many by voting with liberal justices during much of his tenure. Trade negotiators from the US and China are starting talks this weekend in Switzerland. These are the first high level face-to-face trade talks between the two countries since President Trump returned to the White House. NPR's Emily Fang has more. The talks come despite

pretty consistent defiance from China which said it would quote fight to the end as levies on its goods climbed over the last few weeks. China has also demanded, quote, sincerity before this weekend's talks kick off and for new U.S. levies to first be lowered, something President Trump has refused to do. Analysts say China also wants the U.S. to roll back export controls on AI-related technology like semiconductor chips. The U.S., meanwhile, has not yet laid out what concessions it would like to see from China.

A phase one trade deal during Trump's first term required China to buy more American goods, which China largely ended up not doing. Emily Fang, and Pure News Washington. A federal judge in San Francisco will hear arguments today in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's sweeping overhaul of the federal government. As NPR's Andrea Hsu reports, the case was brought by a coalition of unions, nonprofits, and local governments. The case is the broadest legal challenge yet to President Trump's efforts to dramatically downsize the government. The plaintiffs contend that Congress has the sole authority to undertake

the kind of wholesale transformation Trump has ordered, shutting down programs and firing large swaths of the workforce. They argue actions taken by Trump, Elon Musk, and the heads of nearly two dozen federal agencies usurp Congress's authority under the Constitution. They're asking the court to void agencies' plans for mass layoffs, as well as Trump's executive order directing agencies to come up with those plans. Trump has repeatedly said that he has a mandate from the American people to root out waste and bloat and make government more efficient. Andrea Hsu, NPR News.

Pope Leo XIV celebrated the first mass of his papacy today in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel. Robert Prevost is the first ever American Pope born in Chicago. He is the youngest of three brothers. The Pope's older brother, John Prevost, says his younger brother cares deeply for the poor because of the type of person that he is. A regular run-of-the-mill person, I think because he was trained in A regular run-of-the-mill person, I think because he was trained in missionary work in South America for so many years, he will be looking out for the disenfranchised. He will be looking out for the poor.

The Vatican says that Leo will be formally installed as pope during a mass on Sunday, May 18. On Wall Street, the Dow is now down 70 points. This is NPR. The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors has named new Postmaster General. It's David Steiner, the former CEO of Waste Management and Environmental and Waste Management Corporation. Steiner has also served on the board of directors for FedEx.

A Russian spacecraft launched 53 years ago could come crashing down as soon as tonight. But exactly where on Earth it will land remains unclear. NPR's Amy Held reports people are on alert for what may be an unusual reentry. Since 1972's failed launched Venus, the craft has been orbiting Earth, slowly sinking. It's expected to finally fall this weekend. It's not unusual for space junk to enter the atmosphere, often it just burns up. This time could be different. Cosmos 482 was built to sustain landing on the second planet from the sun, Venus. So it's possible the 1,000-pound craft with a titanium shell will withstand the heat,

pressure, and speed of entry to Earth. Experts say the vast possible landing area is mostly ocean or uninhabited land, but not all of it. And because it's an uncontrolled entry, the risk is also not zero. Space agencies are monitoring it. Amy Held, NPR News. Transportation officials in the San Francisco Bay region say the area's rail transit system is entirely suspended. Officials with the Bay Area Rapid Transit System, or BART, say a computer networking system problem has forced all trains to shut down.

Many commuters in the wider San Francisco area are stranded. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News. Starting in the 1950s, there was a push to get meat onto Americans' plates at every meal. So you would have breakfast with maybe perhaps sausage offered. You'd have lunch where it would be deli meat sandwiches and you'd have dinner that would center over a large cut of meat. The hidden forces behind our everyday decisions. That's on the TED Radio Hour from NPR.