NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-14-2025 8AM 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 Krova Coleman. President Trump has arrived in Qatar, the next stop on his Mideast trip.

Earlier today, he met Syria's new interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharah. Trump says his administration is open to normalizing relations with Syria. Yesterday, the president said the U.S. would lift sanctions on Syria. Trump is not visiting Israel on this trip but he says his relationship with Mideast countries is good for Israel. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be on Capitol Hill today telling lawmakers why he wants less money for his agency, the Department of Health and Human Services. As NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin reports, it's the first time Kennedy will be testifying in Congress since he was sworn into the job in February.

Since taking the helm at HHS, Secretary Kennedy has moved quickly to shrink the agency, firing 10,000 staffers, with thousands more taking buyouts or early retirement. Even though Kennedy says his overhaul is about administrative redundancies, some functions of the agency, including those required by Congress, are now in limbo. For instance, food safety labs are now short-staffed, with some routine inspections delayed or canceled. Lawmakers in two hearings on Capitol Hill will likely ask Kennedy about these cuts. They may also ask about the measles outbreak in West Texas, his new initiatives on autism, and the steep cuts to biomedical research.

Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR News, Washington. A new book alleges that the staff of former President Joe Biden did much to keep the public unaware of his declining health. The book is called Original Sin, President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. It's by journalists Jake Tapper of CNN and Alex Thompson of Axios. Democratic political consultant David Axelrod said that former President Biden's recent public appearances do not help Biden's

view that President Trump is not the right leader for America. If he's concerned about President Trump and some of the things that President Trump is doing, then he should want the Democratic Party to be in a position to move on and do well in the midterm elections. Him being out there does not serve that purpose. I think he's doing himself a disservice, and I think he continues to do the party in the country a disservice.

Axelrod spoke to NPR's Morning Edition. A Biden spokesperson said that Biden's office did not review the book and was not contacted for fact checks. The statement went on to say they, quote, continued to await anything that shows where Joe Biden had to make a presidential decision or where national security was threatened

or where he was unable to do his job. In fact, the evidence points to the opposite. He was an effective president. It's NPR News. The Food and Drug Administration is seeking to remove fluoride tablets for kids from the market. These are prescription fluoride supplements taken by kids to prevent tooth decay in certain circumstances.

NPR's Ping Huang reports. Under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Food and Drug Administration is starting the process of taking prescription-only fluoride supplements off the market. Dr. Paul Casamassimo with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry says these are recommended for kids who don't get fluoridated water to prevent cavities. This removes the choice.

It really removes one of the tools that we as clinicians can use to stem tooth decay. The announcement claims ingested fluoride can change the microbiome in concerning ways, even as it links to scientific papers that suggest low doses of fluoride may positively affect the microbiome. It contradicts recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and professional medical groups. Ping Huang, NPR News.

Voters in Omaha, Nebraska have elected their 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 Jeanne Stother, 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, Omaha is Nebraska's largest city but not its capital, as NPR erroneously reported earlier. Nebraska's capital is Lincoln. This is NPR. Look, we get it. Because capital is Lincoln. This is NPR.