NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-10-2025 12PM EDT

Episode Date: May 10, 2025

NPR News: 05-10-2025 12PM EDTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 Nora Rahm. India and Pakistan confirmed today they've reached a ceasefire agreement. President Trump

first announced the ceasefire after days of strikes and counter strikes. This comes after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with both sides and offered to help start discussions to avoid future conflicts. Elizabeth Threlkeld is with the South Asia Program at the Stimson Center, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank in Washington. She says the tensions between the nuclear rivals have been going on for decades. Elizabeth Threlkeld, U.S. Secretary of State for the United States of America Fundamentally, this goes back to the two sides' dispute over the Kashmir region, dating back to their partition in 1947. But over the past several decades, India in particular has accused Pakistan of sponsoring

cross-border terrorism. And there was a serious attack that took place on April the 22nd, in which 26 predominantly Hindu tourists were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistan denied any involvement in the attack. India claims the attackers were a proxy group for the Pakistani army. Russia is responding to renewed U.S. calls to accept a month-long ceasefire in Ukraine. The Kremlin says any deal would require a halt to Western military support to Kiev. NPR's Charles Maynes

reports. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments in an interview with ABC this week's Martha Raditz. If we do a temporary ceasefire... You want the weapons stopped. Otherwise it will be advantage for Ukraine. Peskov said without a stoppage in weapons shipments to Ukraine, Kiev could use the pause to rearm and replenish troops.

The spokesman insisted President Vladimir Putin continues to support a U.S.-backed peace settlement but would also maintain military operations until such a deal was in place. Peskov's comments came as Kiev and Moscow each accused the other of violating a three-day Russian-declared ceasefire to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Tromsbein's NPR News, Moscow. A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's sweeping overhaul of the federal government for at least 14 days. She said Trump's executive order directing agencies to conduct mass layoffs and shutter

programs is likely illegal. NPR's Shannon Bond reports. Shannon Bond, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, U.S. District Judge Susan Ilston, a Clinton appointee, says a temporary restraining order is necessary

to, quote, protect the power of the legislative branch. The case brought by a coalition of labor unions, nonprofits, and local governments argues the approach being taken by Trump, Elon Musk, and agency heads to restructure the government violates the Constitution. Judge Ilston says while the president does have the authority to seek changes at agencies, he needs to work with Congress to do so. It's just the latest in a string of court battles testing the limits of Trump's executive authority. Shannon Bond, NPR News.

This is NPR News. This is NPR News. Representatives from the U.S. and China are holding talks in Switzerland today on how to de-escalate tensions on trade. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant and Trade Representative James Greer are in Geneva for the U.S. The world's two biggest economies have imposed hefty tariffs on each other's goods and have disrupted the global economy. Swiss officials helped broker the negotiations. Analysts say the prospects for a major breakthrough

appear dim. Rescue efforts are underway in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, after heavy rains caused flooding last night. At least seven people died. The flooding collapsed several houses, severely damaged at least six major roads, and disrupted public transportation. The main airport was closed for a time. New research finds that chimpanzees have a rhythm and use it to communicate. NPR's John Hamilton reports on a study in the journal Current Biology. The study involved hundreds of audio recordings of wild chimps in Africa drumming on large tree roots. Drumming allows chimpanzees to communicate over long distances, and Kat Hobader of the

University of St. Andrews in Scotland says a computer analysis of the beats found distinct patterns. Not only do chimpanzees have rhythmic structure in their drumming, but actually different populations, they use different rhythmic structures. A bit like regional accents, the finding could help explain how humans evolved the ability to dance and make music. Rhythm is also a critical part of spoken language.

John Hamilton, NPR News. And I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington. Know that fizzy feeling you get when you read something really good, watch the movie everyone's NPR News in Washington.