NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-14-2025 7AM EDT

Episode Date: May 14, 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 Korova Coleman, President Trump continues his Mideast visit. Today he met with Syria's new interim leader. This comes after the former Syrian regime collapsed last fall after years

of civil war. NPR's Eya Batraoui reports that earlier Trump announced the US will lift decades of sanctions on Syria. The meeting included Trump, the Saudi Crown Prince, and Turkey's president joining over the phone for half an hour with Ahmed Al-Sharaa, a man who just months ago was on the US designated list of terrorists with a $10 million bounty on his head for ties with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. But since rebel forces ousted longtime President Bashar Assad from power, Al-Sharaa has switched from militia leader to statesman in a suit. And this new Syria says it's ready to build a relationship with the US.S. Trump says he heard from the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Turkey urging

him to lift sanctions in order to give Syria a chance at rebuilding and pull it back from Iranian and Russian influence. U.S. sanctions were mostly hurting average Syrians, with an effect so far-reaching, hospitals couldn't import spare parts for machines or even fix their elevators. Aya Beltraoui, NPR News, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. House Republicans are pushing to finish work on an enormous budget bill. They're seeking to slash $1.5 trillion in savings or cuts. Some conservative Republicans say cutting Medicaid would help achieve this.

They're also looking at shifting some funding for food assistance from the federal government to the states. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries says most of the benefits of the budget restructuring will go to the wealthiest 1% of Americans. And they want to pay for it by sticking us with additional debt, trillions of dollars, and by enacting the largest health care cut in American history, along with the largest cut to food assistance in American history along with the largest cut to food assistance in American history. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune says

Republicans in his chamber are willing to work with a new House budget. And when it comes over here we will be prepared for various contingencies, obviously one of which could be taking up the House bill and then offering a Senate substitute. House Republicans hope to pass the budget bill by Memorial Day. Federal scientists say that last month was the second warmest April on record. NPR's Lauren Summer reports that continues a trend of near record temperatures. April was 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than average globally

compared to records going back to 1850. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, that puts its second to April of last year, which remains the hottest ever recorded. Snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere was also the smallest recorded, tying with last year. As humans emit greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, the planet is steadily heating up. The hottest 10 years in modern record keeping have all been in the last 10 years. But no, it doesn't expect 2025 to come in as the hottest.

That's because a shift away from the natural climate pattern of El Nino has a slight cooling effect on the planet. Lauren Summer, NPR News. This is NPR. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will testify before House and Senate committees today. He'll be asked about the restructuring of the Federal Health Agency. It's responsible for ensuring the safety of medication, public health, and medical research for Americans. Federal health officials have opened the first comprehensive review

of the Nutritional Content of Infant Formula since 1988. NPR's Maria Godoy reports the Food and Drug Administration and other agencies say they want to ensure the safety of baby formula. The FDA is seeking public input to help determine whether existing nutrient requirements for infant formula should be revised or expanded based on the latest scientific data. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of all babies receive formula at some point in their first three months of life. A recent study found many formulas contained

high amounts of added sugar, and an investigation from Consumer Reports found some formulas contain concerning levels of arsenic and lead. The FDA says it will also increase testing for contaminants in formula as part of Operation Stork's speed. Maria Godoy, NPR News. It's already 74 degrees in San Antonio, Texas this morning and it will get hotter today. The National Weather Service has put parts of southern and central Texas under extreme

heat warnings. Temperatures will hit the triple digits by this afternoon. Separately, heavy rain in the mid-Atlantic has led to flash flooding in parts of western Maryland and neighboring West Virginia. Some areas got more than six inches of rain. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News. Does the idea of listening to political news freak you out? Well, don't sweat it. The NPR News.