NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-12-2025 7PM EDT

Episode Date: May 12, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Cutter has offered President Trump a plane that could replace Air Force One, and Trump says he's not one to turn down that kind of offer. The president is on his way to the Middle East today and will be visiting Cutter later this week. Here's NPR's Deepa Sivaram. In remarks from the White House, Trump said Air Force One jets were old and that replacements from Boeing had been delayed and that maintenance of the existing planes was very costly.

And I could be a stupid person and say, no, we don't want a free, very expensive airplane. But I thought it was a great gesture. Trump says the plane would be decommissioned after his term for his presidential library. And he says he would not use the plane after leaving office. The White House says the plane would be a, quote, donation to the Department of Defense, the legal details of which are still being worked out. Congress is also looking to weigh in on the matter.

Deepa Sivaram, NPR News. The Episcopal Church says it will end its decades-long partnership with the U.S. government after being asked to resettle a group of white Afrikaners who arrived in the U.S. today. As Jack Jenkins of Religion News Service reports, the Trump administration has controversially deemed them refugees. The Episcopal Church presiding bishop, the Most Reverend Sean W. Rowe, explained in a letter that the request crossed a moral line, citing the church's, quote, steadfast commitment

to racial justice and reconciliation, and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. The Biscual Church is part of the Anglican Communion, a global religious body. Famous leaders include the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the celebrated opponent of apartheid in South Africa. Roe also voiced frustration with the U.S. government for essentially freezing the refugee program since January. Afrikaners are among the very few allowed in since Trump took office.

For NPR News, I'm Jack Jenkins in Washington. This story was produced through a collaboration between NPR and Religion News Service. A 90-day cooling-off period and reset of President Trump's tariffs with China following a weekend meeting in Switzerland, U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Besson announced the agreement. Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, Greer noted how much tariffs are coming down. Our reciprocal tariff rate will go down to 10 percent on the United States side, so it goes down 115 percent.

We enter into a 90-day pause period for negotiations. Although that still leaves tariffs significantly higher than they were before the trade fight began, President Trump calls the de-escalation a victory and says he'll talk soon with Chinese President Xi Jinping. A new Biden-era rule on so-called junk fees has gone into effect today in response to companies like Ticketmaster say it'll be displaying the full price of a ticket as soon as consumers start shopping. It requires ticket sellers, hotels and others to disclose upfront things like processing fees, cleaning fees and other changes. Stocks closed higher today on Wall Street, the Dow 1100 points. This is NPR.

Scientists say they've discovered a way to make white rice and pasta healthier. Michaelene Ducleff has the story. When we eat refined carbohydrates, we tend to digest them quickly, causing spikes in 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 6 to 8 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. Mike, getting more women into the construction and building trades has been seen by some as a way to help the industry overcome labor shortages, though there are worries. Trump administration's efforts to quash DEI initiatives could slow that effort. It's because a number of community-based organizations that work with women have been critical in helping steer more women into the professions.

The administration has cut funding to a number of those groups. Companies also are scrambling to figure out how to avoid violating federal government policies on DEI. Critical futures prices bounced to a two-week high today. As the U.S. and China said they'll slash tariffs for a 90-day period, the decision providing some relief to companies and raising hopes for an end to the trade fight, oil up 93 cents a barrel to $61.95 a barrel. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.