NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-11-2025 7PM 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. Dogs between the U.S. and China in Switzerland this weekend over tariff and trade have ended, and Treasury Secretary Scott Besson says a great deal of progress was made.

Secretary Scott Besson I'm happy to report that we made substantial progress between the United States and China in the very important trade talks. He says he will release details of the talks tomorrow. China says the talks were candid and constructive. This amid widespread economic uncertainty around the world after President Trump imposed 145 percent tariffs on Chinese goods, and China hit back with 125 percent tariffs on all U.S. products. That sparked concerns of fewer goods on U.S. store shelves and rising prices for U.S. consumers.

President Trump heads to the Middle East this week for a four-day trip with stops in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. It will focus on business deals and new investments in the U.S. from the oil-rich region. 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, it's the third known incident affecting air traffic control at that airport in recent weeks.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the latest issue occurred in an area known incident affecting air traffic control at that 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. Around 50 white South Africans are expected to travel to the U.S. this week after President Trump gave them refugee status. Kate Bartlett has more. The white South Africans are Afrikaners, the descendants of mainly Dutch colonists. In a February executive order, President Trump invited Afrikaners to apply for refugee status. On Thursday, NPR learned several dozen Afrikaners had been quickly processed and would arrive at Dulles Airport on Monday. The South African government is not happy.

Here's President Siriroma Posa's spokesman Vincent Maguena. One has to admit that our sovereignty as a country has been grossly undermined and violated by the United States. He said, quote, none of the provisions of international law on the definition of refugees are applicable in this case. For NPR News, I'm Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg. This is NPR News. Today is the first Sunday since Pope Leo XIV became the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The Texas newsroom's Lucio Vazquez visited a church in Houston to see how people are feeling about the future of the religious institution.

It's just before Sunday morning mass at St. Mary of the Purification Catholic Church in Houston, and lifelong Catholic Angie Spencer says she's thrilled about the new pope. That's what we need. And he's American as well. And he's American, yes, yes, yes! How do you feel about that? We're real excited about that. Miranda Fontenot-Bassey agrees and hopes Pope Leo carries on the inclusive legacy of Pope

Francis, who led the church for over a decade until his death last month. I think he's going to have a good love of people that will make a difference in what the church needs as far as leadership and America needs as a nation. As mass begins, many here are hopeful that an American pope preaching unity could mark a new chapter for the church. For NPR News, I'm Lucia Ovasquez in Houston. Opening statements are scheduled to start tomorrow in New York in the sex trafficking trial of music mogul Sean Diddy Combs. And despite his lawyers trying several times to

have it excluded from evidence, a video of him assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura is set to be shown tomorrow. When the video was released last May, Combs posted an apology on Instagram. Cassie is expected to be one of the first three witnesses called in the trial, and her testimony is expected to take up most of this week. I'm Janene Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.