NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-11-2025 3PM EDT

Episode Date: May 11, 2025

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Tariffs, recessions, how Colombian drug cartels gave us blueberries all year long. That's the kind of thing the Planet Money podcast explains. I'm Sarah Gonzalez and on Planet Money, we help you understand the economy and how things all around you came to be the way they are. Para que sepas. So you know. Listen to the Planet Money podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. Ukraine and its Western allies are calling for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire in the war with Russia starting tomorrow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin countered with direct peace talks in Istanbul on Thursday without a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said he's still hoping for a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he's still hoping for a ceasefire tomorrow, but is prepared to meet with Putin in Turkey on Thursday. Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Askan Amerikarova, says nobody wants peace more than Ukraine. We believe in democracy, peace, we believe in freedom, and that's why European leaders have been in Kiev yesterday, and you have seen they called themselves the Coalition of the Willing, and that's why we are coordinating closely with American friends.

She was interviewed on ABC's This Week. The FAA says there's been yet another telecommunications issue delaying flights at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. As NPR's Joe Hernandez reports, this is the third known incident affecting air traffic control at the airport in recent weeks. The Federal Aviation Administration says the latest issue occurred in an area that guides planes in and out

of Newark Airport's airspace. The agency says it temporarily slowed air traffic at the airport, but that operations have returned to normal. On Friday, the FAA reported a 90-second telecommunications outage that also impacted radar for guiding aircraft at the airport. And late last month, air traffic controllers briefly lost all radar contact and communication

with pilots. That led to hundreds of cancellations and delays at the airport just outside New York City. Last week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a plan to update the aging technology used in air traffic control systems across the country. Joe Hernandez, NPR News. Investors on Wall Street are bracing for the latest inflation and retail sales data out this week.

NPR's Rafael Nalm says the reports could provide early signs of the effects from President Trump's tariffs. The big unknown in Wall Street is what kind of impact tariffs will ultimately have. One big fear is that they will raise prices across the board as imports become more expensive. So investors will be keen to see the latest consumer inflation data out on Tuesday, which may already start to show some of the early effects from the tariffs. The other big fear is that consumers will start spending less as a result of higher prices and the general uncertainty about the economy.

This week we'll get retail sales numbers on Thursday, while retail giant Walmart will report earnings on the same day. Raffaell now, NPR News. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson reports substantial progress today in trade negotiations with China. The two countries have imposed tariffs on each other's goods of more than 100 percent. This is NPR News in Washington. Representatives of the U.S. and Iran wrapped up a fourth round of talks in Oman today to discuss Iran's nuclear program.

Oman, which is mediating the talks, says plans are being discussed for another meeting in the future. President Trump travels to the Middle East tomorrow. Despite growing economic uncertainty, Americans are still planning to spend big this Mother's Day more than they did last year. NPR's Amy Held reports. Some 84 percent of adults celebrate Mother's Day, spending a projected $34 billion. Per person, that's about $260 on average for the day, up $5 from last year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.

The top gift, about three quarters of them, are flowers, followed closely by cards. About two thirds who spend plan an outing, like at a restaurant. But it's not just about spending money. The key is spending time together. Catherine Cullen is with the National Retail Federation and says gifting and experience is also getting popular. Katherine- Ways that they can create a meaningful memory with mom. Katie- Mom can be a loose term. About a third of people are celebrating other mothers. Amy

Held, NPR News. Amy- It's a tradition at the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer, Alaska since 1986. Mothers get free admission on Mother's Day and a chance to view more than 70 members of the Musk Ox herd, a hoofed animal native to the Arctic. The farm's executive director says who doesn't want to celebrate Mother's Day with a Musk Ox mom and the most adorable calf you're ever going to find in your life. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News.