NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-11-2025 5PM EDT

Episode Date: May 11, 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. Janine Herbst Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. Hamas says it will release an Israeli-American captive in Gaza as part of efforts to reach a ceasefire with Israel. U.S. Mideast Envoy Steve Wypcock is set to arrive in Israel tomorrow to work out the details. That's according to an official familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of an anonymity

ahead of his arrival. And here's Daniel Estrin has more from Tel Aviv. In a statement, Hamas said it had been holding secret talks with the US for the last several days and that the captive Edan Alexander, quote, will be released as part of the steps taken to establish a ceasefire. Alexander is a 21-year-old Israeli soldier with dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship who was captured in the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. He is the last remaining American citizen held by Hamas and Gaza who is believed to

still be alive. Hamas said his release would come as part of ceasefire efforts to open Gaza's border crossings and bring aid to Gaza after more than 10 weeks of an Israeli blockade. This comes shortly before President Trump departs for the region to visit Arab allies in the Gulf. Danielle Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. The White House says it's made, quote, substantial progress toward a trade agreement with China. Meanwhile, President Trump's top economic adviser says a score of trade deals with other

countries are also developing. And here's Luke Garrett has more. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador James Ingreer have two dozen trade deals in the works. That's what White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told Fox News on Sunday. Howard Lutnick has briefed me on about 24 deals that he and Jameson have been working on. And they all look a little bit like the UK deal, but each one is bespoke. And Lutnick tells CNN these trade deals would keep a tariff on foreign imports, also much like the recent deal with the United Kingdom. So we do expect a 10 percent baseline tariff to be in place for the foreseeable future.

Lutnick provided no further details about these potential trade deals. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington. In New Jersey, a glitch affecting operations caused a 45-minute ground stop at Newark Airport this morning, the third such incident in several weeks. Operations have since returned to normal. The FAA says it was a telecommunications issue at the Philadelphia Traycon facility, which guides aircraft in and out of Newark. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is calling on Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to quickly solve these

issues. Chuck Schumer, FAA Secretary of State, Newark, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York, New York put everything they've got into fixing Newark ASAP. Last week Duffy announced a plan to update the aging technology used in air traffic control systems across the country. And in Atlanta, hundreds of flights were delayed by runway

equipment issues at Hartsfield Jackson Airport. You're listening to NPR News. Two shipwrecks off the shore of Costa Rica were long thought to be sunken pirate vessels, but new research shows they were actually Danish ships carrying enslaved people. And Pierce Jacob Fenton reports the findings suggest hundreds of Africans may have found freedom after the wreck. In the early 1700s, the ships were headed from Ghana to the Danish colony of St. Thomas and its brutal sugar plantations. They missed that island by more than a thousand miles. About a hundred of the enslaved people were sold to the Spanish, but the other 500 may have been freed. Andreas Bloch is with

the National Museum of Denmark. So they could have gone into the mountains, they could have joined with the Miskito Indians, with the British. So we really don't know where the remaining 500 went. Bloch and the other researchers collected samples from the shipwrecks' cargo and were able to match them to materials unique to Denmark at the time. Jacob Fenston, NPR News. At the Weekend Box Office, the Marvel superhero movie, Thunderbolts, took the top spot with an estimated $33 million in ticket sales in its second weekend. In second place, Sinners, with $21 million in its fourth weekend. So far, it's made more than $280 million domestically. It was a relatively quiet weekend, but the year to date box office is still up about 16% from last year. In third place, a Minecraft movie with $80 million domestically. It was a relatively quiet weekend, but the year-to-date box office is still up about 16 percent from last year. In third place, a Minecraft movie with $8 million. So far, that's made more than $900 million globally. And in fourth place, the accountant bringing in $6 million this weekend. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington.