NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-12-2025 6AM EDT

Episode Date: May 12, 2025

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The scary new movie Sinners from the director of Black Panther finds Michael B. Jordan playing twin brothers. It's got vampires, it's got great music, and it's a fun one to see with a big crowd. This is the most excited I've been about a movie in a very long time. We'll tell you why you should see Sinners on the biggest screen you can. Listen to the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, on KColeman, Hamas says it will release a hostage who is dual American and Israeli citizenship. Edan Alexander is expected to be transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross, then taken to an Israeli hospital.

Separately, a Hamas official speaking anonymously told NPR Alexander is being released in return for unspecified things that the U.S. has promised. No details have been released. The official hinted it might mean the release of more Palestinian prisoners and fresh aid into Gaza. Israel has released a statement. It says that the Israeli government has not committed to a ceasefire of any kind, but only to a safe corridor to allow Alexander to be released.

The U.S. and China have agreed to reduce most of their sky-high tariffs on each other for 90 days. They'll keep a base tariff on each other's goods. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Chinese economic officials in Switzerland over the weekend, and he explained the arrangement to reporters. An agreement on a 90-day pause and substantially move down the tariff levels. Both sides on the reciprocal tariffs will move their tariffs down 115 percent. Total U.S. taxes on Chinese goods will go down 115 percent to 30%. Chinese taxes on US goods will initially go down from around 125% to 10%. Stocks on Wall Street have surged in pre-market trading. Futures for the Dow Jones industrials,

the Nasdaq, and the S&P 500 are all up at least 2%. President Trump leaves today for the Middle East. And Piers Franco-Ordonez reports he'll be focusing largely on business deals as his administration struggles to broker an end to the war in Gaza. The White House says this trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates is about strengthening ties in the region and highlighting cooperation where as the press secretary puts it extremism has been replaced by commerce and cultural exchanges. Stephen Cook at the Council on Foreign Relations says the Gulf leaders know what Trump wants.

The Saudis, the Emiratis, and the Qataris are going to fall all over themselves over who can outdo themselves to welcome the president. And then they will outdo themselves over the number of deals that they can announce as the president is there or as he is departing. Cook says the lavish welcome also insulates the Gulf leaders if the U.S. seeks to pressure them to take action on something they don't want. Franco, Ordonez, NPR News. A militant Kurdish group says it's laying down its arms and will disband.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party, better known as the PKK, announced today it will disband. It's going to end its armed struggle with Turkey that was aimed at carving out a separate homeland for Kurds. That armed conflict has lasted for more than 40 years. You're listening to 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. The 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. When it comes to rice and pasta, most dieticians recommend eating brown rice and whole grains because they're more nutritious. But scientists have discovered a way to make white rice and pasta healthier. Michaelene Ducleff has more. When we eat refined carbohydrates, we tend to digest them quickly, causing spikes in

our blood sugar. Over time, those spikes aren our blood sugar. Over time, those spikes aren't good for our health. But nutritionist Mindy Patterson at Texas Women's University says there's a way to slow down the digestion of rice and pasta. If you put it in the refrigerator and cool it down, it contributes less sugar that can go to the blood. When you chill the rice or pasta for six to eight hours, it creates what's called resistant starch.

Studies have shown it can help reduce inflammation, improve gut health, and better manage your blood sugar. The trick also works with whole grains, beans, and lentils, making those foods even healthier. I'm Mikelene Ducleff. This month's full moon is peaking tonight. Full moons have nicknames, and this one is called the Flower Moon. The website EarthSky says to look for the Flower Moon just after sunset in the southeast

skies. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington. Does the idea of listening to political news freak you out? Well, don't sweat it. The NPR Politics Podcast makes politics a breeze. Washington.