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Episode Date: May 11, 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 Janine Herbst. India's foreign minister is accusing Pakistan of breaching a truce between the two countries negotiated by the U.S., and Pakistan blames India for initiating the ceasefire violation. This is Pakistan's prime minister thanked President Trump on social media for

the U.S.'s help after the most severe escalation between the two nuclear-armed rivals in decades. Betsy Joles has more. In a post on X, the Pakistani Prime Minister Shabash Sharif acknowledged the United States' role in the peace process and said it marked a new beginning. That was after Trump announced an immediate ceasefire between India and Pakistan. They'd been exchanging blows since Wednesday, when India struck Pakistan, saying it was in retaliation for a militant attack that killed 26 people in late April. But even as Sharif posted his thanks, nearly simultaneously residents in Indian-held

Kashmir reported hearing explosions and gunfire. For NPR News, I'm Betsy Joles in Lahore. NPR has learned that the Trump administration is tightening its control over the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC, an independent agency that regulates America's nuclear reactors. And some experts worry that more upheaval could be coming. NPR's Jeff Brumfield has more. It's less about safety and more about independence. The administration really doesn't like independent agencies that views them as bureaucracy run amok. Now I should say the NRC has a reputation for being hidebound and extremely strict.

And in fact, Congress passed legislation last year to try to reform its regulatory process. But even critics of the agency said they really doubted the White House getting involved would help. For one thing, it'll just add another layer of bureaucracy when trying to deal with new regulations. And here's Jeff Brumfield. President Trump is expected to sign at least one executive order supporting nuclear power, calling for staff cuts and a revision of nuclear safety regulations. Ongoing threats to ban TikTok and the broader debate over online platforms could shape the choices young voters make at the polls in next year's midterm

elections. And Piers Windsor-Johnston has more. Piers Windsor-Johnston, PIRS News Anchor These groups are warning lawmakers that targeting social media sites like TikTok could alienate an entire generation. Iona Litterat is a professor at Columbia University who studies youth civic engagement. She says for many young voters, attempts to restrict digital spaces feel deeply personal. On a platform like TikTok, because it has to do with self-disclosure and kind of storytelling in a way, TikTok really helps facilitate these connections

between the personal and the political. Literate says content moderation and digital freedom are issues that could sway how young people vote in next year's midterms and future elections. Windsor-Johnston, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Israel has shut down six schools run by the United Nations for Palestinian children in East Jerusalem this week.

This comes after Israel banned the UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees from operation in Israel earlier this year. MPH's Hadil Al-Shalchi has more. More than 800 Palestinian students must now find different schools around East Jerusalem, according to the Israeli Education Ministry. Parents say this means many Palestinian children will have to go through dangerous checkpoints daily, some of whom don't have the appropriate permits. Last month, heavily armed Israeli police stormed the six UN-run schools and delivered closure notices.

The ministry said they were running without a license. The schools were run by the UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA. Israel has long called UNRWA biased and anti-Semitic, calling for its elimination, a campaign boosted after the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Hadil Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Tel Aviv. A titanium encased half-ton spacecraft returned to Earth today more than a half century after it was sent into space. It was launched by the Soviet Union in 1972 on a mission to probe Venus. But a rocket failure kept it in low Earth orbit, and it's been slowly sinking since then. Russian space officials say it

came down today in the Indian Ocean, west of Jakarta. Well, the Social Security Administration has the most popular names for boys and girls in 2024, Olivia and Emma for girls, and the boys, Liam and Noah. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News. Does the idea of listening to political news freak you out? Well, don't sweat it.st NPR News.