NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-14-2025 6AM EDT

Episode Date: May 14, 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. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. President Trump addressed Arab leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council today,

meeting in Saudi Arabia. He told them he wants to reach a deal with Iran, but Trump has conditions. I want to do something if it's possible. But for that to happen, it must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons. They cannot have a nuclear weapon. Trump also says he's dropping U.S. sanctions on Syria.

Syrian rebels came to power last fall after toppling Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Trump met Syrian transitional leader Abed al-Shar, on the sidelines of his Saudi Arabian visit. Trump says his administration is also considering normalizing relations with Syria's new government. Next, Trump will visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirms that he will be in Turkey tomorrow and he'll be prepared for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It's not clear if the Russian leader will make the trip. Ukraine is pushing Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire so that talks to stop the war in Ukraine can begin. NPO's Joanna Kikissis has more. Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, Zelensky said that if Putin does

not show up in Turkey, it will send a clear signal. Russia is not ready for any kind of negotiation. Zelensky says he will be in Turkey's capital, Ankara, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and would move to Istanbul if Putin insists on meeting there. If Putin makes this step and says he's ready for a ceasefire, Zelensky said, then this opens the way to discussions on ending the war. Joanna Kokissis, NPR News, Kyiv. President Trump says that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend tomorrow's talks

in Turkey. There are continued concerns about air traffic control issues at Newark Liberty International Airport. NPR's Joe Hernandez reports that on Monday night, the radar facility that serves the New Jersey airport only had three air traffic controllers on duty. The FAA confirmed that at least three controllers were scheduled each hour at the Philadelphia radar facility that directs traffic in Newark's airspace. The New York Times said an agreement between the FAA and the Air Traffic Controllers Union dictates that 14 controllers should have been working during most of that time. Neither the FAA nor the Union responded to questions about that agreement.

Delays and cancellations have plagued Newark's airport in recent weeks due to staffing shortages, technical problems, and runway construction. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a plan last week to overhaul the National Air Traffic Control System, which some estimates say could cost billions. Joe Hernandez, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Voters in Nebraska's capital, Omaha, have made history. The city will soon have its first black mayor, as NPR's Giles Snyder reports.

The Omaha mayor's office is ostensibly nonpartisan, but the results from Tuesday's election are seen as an upset victory for Democrats. Omaha voters chose challenger John Ewing over incumbent mayor Jean Stothert, the city's first woman to occupy the office. The race initially turned on local issues. The Trump administration loomed over voters late in the campaign.

NPR's Giles Snyder reporting. A Los Angeles judge has resentenced the Menendez brothers to 50 years to life in prison. They were originally given life terms for the murders of their parents. From LAist News, Frank Stoltz reports this could create a way for them to be released on parole. In resentencing Eric and Lyle Menendez, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jessic said the two had done amazing work behind bars rehabilitating themselves and helping others. The brothers were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the shotgun murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. The new sentence makes them immediately eligible for parole. Both brothers addressed the court

with the now 57-year-old Lyle Menendez alluding to the alleged sexual abuse the two suffered at the hands of their father, but saying there was no excuse for the killings. For NPR News, I'm Frank Stoltz in Los Angeles. Two wildfires in northeastern Minnesota have scorched 30 square miles not far from Duluth. Dozens of homes and cabins have been destroyed. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington. You're listening to the NPR Network. Live from NPR News, I'm Lach Coleman, NPR News in Washington.