NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-15-2025 12AM EDT

Episode Date: May 15, 2025

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Hey, Sam Sanders here with KCRW personally inviting you to check out my new podcast It's an entertainment show that tries to figure out what makes the culture tick and tell the stories behind creators. We love New episodes are out every Friday wherever you get your podcasts Listen to the Sam Sanders show part of the NPR podcast network Live from NPR news in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. President Trump is urging the nation of Qatar to use its influence to convince Iran to seek a nuclear agreement with the United States. Trump made the appeal after discussing the matter with Gulf nation leaders earlier

in Saudi Arabia. I want to make a deal with Iran. 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 is also urging other nations to join the U.S. in ordering new sanctions aimed at third parties helping Iran find materials

needed for its ballistic missile program. The president was speaking in Qatar, which has been an intermediary between the U.S., Iran, and Iran's proxies. On Capitol Hill, Homeland Security officials are testifying this week about the White House's budget requests. NPRC Minnibu Steele reports on Wednesday's comments from the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Todd Lyons, the acting ICE director, testified about the need for more federal funding. The agency is currently running out of resources to keep pace with President Trump's goal to increase arrests and deportations.

He said in particular they're running out of space to hold people in detention. We are forecasting to move forward on 100,000 beds. beds, but however we don't have that money now. Congress could provide more dollars in the months to come. The administration has requested about 175 billion dollars for border security funding generally. Ximena Bustillo and PR News, Washington. A federal appeals panel has ruled that the Federal Voting Rights Act does not allow private citizens or groups to file lawsuits claiming racial bias in elections. At issue is Section 1983, a provision that allows lawsuits for certain violations of constitutional rights. The ruling by the

Eighth Circuit applies to seven mostly Midwestern states under its jurisdiction. Another appeals court has issued a different ruling on the same matter, which could end up being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. In Texas, lawmakers are trying to clarify rules on when doctors can legally offer patients an abortion. That story from NPR's Katie Ariddle. Since Texas outlawed nearly all abortion in 2021, maternal mortality rates have increased significantly. Now, a bipartisan

group of lawmakers is trying to pass a law that makes it clear. If a woman is facing life-threatening circumstances, a doctor can perform an abortion to save her life. Todd Ivey is an obstetrician in Houston. I'm hopeful. I'm very hopeful. And again, it's not a perfect bill, okay? But I think it is a first step to taking better care of women in our state. Not all doctors are as optimistic. Some have expressed concern that the law will make things even more confusing. Katie Riddle, NPR News. U.S. futures are lower in after-hours trading on Wall Street.

This is NPR. A U.S. delegation is in Turkey for a NATO meeting and to check on a gathering in Ankara between Russian and Ukrainian officials. The Kremlin's list of the Russian leaders who will be in attendance does not mention President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says that Putin must be involved in negotiations to end Russia's war in Ukraine. Zelensky has also suggested that Western leaders should follow through on their threats to sanction Putin if he skips meetings in Turkey. Some San Franciscans went on a search this week of a chest containing about $10,000 worth

of buried treasure. NPR's Chloe Veldman says Tuesday's hunt was prompted by an anonymous post sharing cryptic clues on Reddit. The clues led a lot of people on Reddit to Sutro baths, a historic swimming pool complex by the Pacific Ocean. Eamon McLaughlin went there with his friends. He read out the clues. 18 bold letters preserved in a clearing cite a dark room's view of brave surfers reeling from dry ruins gate to solar storm house. His group didn't find the treasure, but another group did.

Austin Terrio, TJ Lee and Eric Bari say they located the chest after just over an hour of searching. It contained a big gold nugget in a corked bottle with sand in it, a Panama Pacific Exposition bronze coin and three collectible Barry Bonds baseball cards among other finds. All of it buried under a bush near a hiking trail intersection more than five miles away from Sutro Baths. Chloe Valtman, NPR News. On Asia Pacific market shares are lower at this hour, down 1% in Tokyo. This is NPR News. Hey, we here, that's NU'FASTA! You've probably seen clips from the Jennifer Hudson show Spirit Tunnel on TikTok or Instagram,

the ones where celebrities dance down the hallway to a clever song. These videos can reveal a lot. Do they have rhythm? And how famous are they, really? We're breaking down the inescapable internet trend. Listen to the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR.