NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-12-2025 11AM EDT

Episode Date: May 12, 2025

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Live from NPR news in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. President Trump has signed an executive order that he says will cut the price of prescription drugs by 30 to 80 percent. Trump explained that he wants people in the U.S. to pay the lowest price that people in other countries pay for their medications. It's called most favorite nation. We are going to pay the lowest price there is in the world. We will get whoever is paying the lowest price.

That's the price that we're going to get. So remember that. So we're no longer paying 10 times more than another country. Trump tried to lower prescription drug prices during his first administration. That effort was blocked by federal courts. The program was ended by then-president Joe Biden. President Trump says he may talk with Chinese President Xi at the end of the week. This comes as both the US and China back down from triple-digit tariffs they imposed on

each other earlier this year. The Trump administration is cutting tariffs on Chinese goods to 30%. China is lowering its tariffs on Chinese goods to 30%. China is lowering its tariffs on U.S. goods to 10%. This follows weekend talks in Switzerland, led by Treasury Secretary Scott Besant. House Republicans have released an initial proposal for parts of their budget, and it includes general ideas about Medicaid. And Pierce Elena Moore says the GOP is looking to slash federal spending. GOP members have to come up with $1.5 trillion in proposed savings or cuts to offset the cost of things like making Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent. That's about a quarter of

annual federal spending. And some conservative Republicans say one way of getting there is restructuring some programs like Medicaid. But moderate Republicans who face competitive reelection races next year are very much against massive changes to the program. And Piers Elena Moore reporting. In Israel and Gaza, residents are praising President Trump for striking a deal with Hamas to release a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen held in Gaza.

Hamas says it will release Israeli soldier Edan Alexander today. And Piers General Estrin reports from a public square in downtown Tel Aviv. Israelis are gathered in front of a large screen in downtown Tel Aviv awaiting Alexander's release. Many are criticizing their government's leaders for not securing the release of scores of other Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. Around 20 are believed to still be alive. Yehuda Cohen's son is a hostage in Gaza.

We have no trust of any official in our country. We need you. We need the United States. In Gaza City, President Ahmad Abu Hadid praised President Trump. Trump has shown Israel that the U.S. is stronger. Without the U.S., there would never be any solutions, he said. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv with Anas Baba in Gaza City.

On Wall Street, the Dow is up a thousand points. This is NPR. About 50 white South Africans are arriving in the Washington, D.C. area this morning. President Trump gave them refugee status, claiming they faced persecution in South Africa. That claim has been sharply disputed by the South African government. It says there is no evidence of this. South African officials say the Trump administration has been taken in by disinformation. Schools and airports are reopening across border areas of India and Pakistan as a ceasefire continues to hold.

President Trump announced the ceasefire Saturday. It halted days of fighting between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. NPR's Diya Hadid reports from Mumbai the fighting killed more than 70 people. The days of fighting were the most serious between India and Pakistan since the two sides went to war in 1971. It began after militants killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in a part of Kashmir held by India in late April. India blamed Pakistan. Pakistan denied any connection. The ceasefire does not reverse other tit-for-tat measures that India and Pakistan announced after the late April attack. Most importantly, India says it's continuing to suspend a water treaty

that it broken decades ago with Pakistan. Pakistan describes that treaty as existential. Diya Hadid, NPR News, Mumbai. Pope Leo XIV met with journalists today at the Vatican. He spoke about the work of communication and the role it plays in creating a peaceful society. Leo also reiterated the Catholic Church's solidarity with imprisoned journalists in war-torn regions. This is NPR. A lot of short daily news podcasts focus on just one story. But right now, you probably need more.

On Up First from NPR, we bring you three of the world's top headlines every day in under 15 minutes. Because no one story can capture all that's happening in this big, crazy world of ours on any given morning. Listen now to the Up First podcast from NPR.