NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-09-2025 6PM EDT

Episode Date: May 9, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter has died at the age of 85. NPR's Nina Totenberg has more. Souter, appointed to the Supreme Court by a Republican president, was an old-fashioned conservative who was initially a centrist on the Supreme Court, but as the court grew more conservative, he voted more and more reliably with the court's liberal justices. Political conservatives were so infuriated by his drift to the center-left that the next time there was an opening on the court, their rallying cry was, no more suitors. But over his 19-year tenure, Souter came to be widely admired by

all of his colleagues. As Chief Justice Roberts put it in a statement on Friday, Souter brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service. Nina Totenberg, NPR News, Washington. President Trump leaves to the Middle East Monday. NPR's Franco Ordoñez reports Trump will travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates for his first policy-focused foreign trip of his second term. The White House says the trip will highlight greater cooperation in the region where it says extremism is being replaced with commerce and cultural exchanges. Trump also plans to visit with US troops

stationed at the Al Udeid airbase outside of Doha and Qatar. Trump strode into office promising to bring peace in the Middle East quickly and stop Iranian advances toward becoming a nuclear power. He also wants to persuade Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel, joining what's known as the Abraham Accords. But those efforts have been complicated by the ongoing war in Gaza, and with little progress to announce, Trump and the Gulf leaders are expected to focus less on the quest for peace and more on making business deals. Franco Ordonez, NPR News.

A day after the announcement of the election of a new Pope, the first American to ever hold the position, the world is still getting to know him. Pope Leo XIV got his degree in mathematics at Villanova University in the 1970s. Massimo Fuggioli is a professor of theology and religious studies at the school and says until recently the prospect of an American pope had appeared unlikely. The idea of a pope coming from the US was considered an impossible thing until a few days or weeks ago. The Trump effect on America, on the international global order, is one of the things that made the impossible possible with the American pope.

What kind of message, if any, the Vatican may be trying to send when the appointment is not cleared during his first mass as pope today. Leo called his election both a cross to bear and a blessing. Stocks drifted to a mixed close on Wall Street today in an unusually quiet week for financial markets. The Dow was down 119 points, the S&P 500 fell four points, the NASDAQ closed up a fraction of a point. You're listening to NPR. of a point. You're listening to NPR. An international court to try Russian leaders for the crime of aggression against Ukrainians has moved one step closer to reality. Terry Schultz reports more than three dozen countries have now signed on to a plan to create such a tribunal. Meeting in Lviv, Ukraine, foreign ministers from almost 40

countries, more than half of them European, signed a document marking the conclusion of the legal framework for the new tribunal. It will pursue Russian decision-makers for the crime of aggression in starting the full-scale war against Ukraine. Because Russia does not belong to the International Criminal Court, the ICC cannot prosecute Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian leaders, making a new body necessary. EU foreign policy chief Kayakalis is among its strongest backers and called for more countries to join. Because if there is no accountability, we will see this happening again.

Former President Joe Biden had backed the creation of the court, but President Trump withdrew that support. For NPR News, I'm Terri Schulz in Brussels. The Social Security Administration is again out with its list of the most popular U.S. baby names, the agency announcing for the sixth year running. Liam remains the most popular name for boys, while Olivia is the number one choice for girls. Also, for the same time span, Emma was the number two name choice for girls, why Noah came in as the second most popular name for boys. Add one new name

to this year's top ten list, Sophia bumping Luna from the number ten slot for girls. The list has been released annually since 1997 in honor of Mother's Day weekend. Crude old futures prices move higher amid some optimism over upcoming US-China trade talks oil up more than a dollar a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.