NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-15-2025 6PM EDT

Episode Date: May 15, 2025

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Imagine, if you will, a show from NPR that's not like NPR, a show that focuses not on the important but the stupid, which features stories about people smuggling animals in their pants and competent criminals in ridiculous science studies, and call it Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me because the good names were taken. Listen to NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Yes, that is what it is called wherever You Get Your Podcast. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The U.S. Supreme Court is now weighing arguments related to lawsuits challenging President

Trump's attempt to reinterpret the Fourteenth Amendment, which allows birthright citizenship. But at the center of this case is a broader question for whether a judge can universally block a president's policy. More from NPR's Amanda Bustillo. The administration argued before the justices that individual judges should not be able to universally block the president's ability to revoke birthright citizenship. President Trump has long maintained that the Constitution does not guarantee birthright citizenship. So on day one of his presidential term, he issued an executive order barring automatic citizenship for any baby born in the U.S. whose parents entered the country illegally or who are here legally but on temporary visas.

But lawyers representing 22 states and immigrants argued that even if in some instances universal injunctions are cumbersome, in this case it is necessary since citizenship benefits are universally applied. A decision in the case is expected later this summer. Ximena Bustillo, NPR News, Washington. A month after Missourians place protections for abortion rights in their state's constitution, Republican lawmakers are preparing to ask voters there if they've changed their minds. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum reports the move is already sparking backlash. Missouri Republicans like Senator Adam Schnelting want to repeal a measure that legalized abortion

up to fetal viability and replace it with a ban with exceptions for medical emergencies and rape and incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Missouri's women need the protections that are contained in this bill. Missouri's babies, Missouri's children. But during a rally on the Missouri Capitol steps, speakers such as Nancy O'Brien said they were prepared to defend protections voters already support. Every Missourian deserves to have agency and control over their own body. Missourians will likely vote in 2026 on whether to ban most abortions or keep abortion rights

protections. For NPR News, I'm Jason Rosenbaum in Jefferson City. For the first time, doctors have treated a baby born with a rare but devastating genetic disorder with a gene editing therapy tailored to a specific condition, NPR's Rob Stein is more. The baby was born at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in August with a genetic disorder that causes toxic ammonia to build up in his body. That can cause brain damage and even death. So doctors race to tailor make a gene editing treatment to correct his genetic defect. And after receiving three infusions beginning in February, the child appears to have improved. Doctors say the baby will have to be followed

for much longer to know how well the treatment ultimately works, but they hope this is the beginning of using bespoke gene editing treatments to help children born with very rare genetic disorders. Rob Stein, NPR News. The Dow is up 271 points today. This is NPR. In the latest incident involving failed air traffic control systems, controllers in Denver now say they had to scramble to use backup frequencies after their main communications system went down for 90 seconds earlier this week. Testifying during a House hearing today, the Federal Aviation Administration's head of air traffic control, Frank McIntosh, said the outage took place Monday, though officials say radar at

the airport remained online. The latest failure follows other incidents that have occurred recently at Newark Airport in New Jersey. Walmart says higher prices from tariffs are coming. As soon as this month, the world's largest retailer says two-thirds of what it sells in the U.S. is made, grown, resembled here, but the sweeping tariffs on all imports, especially from China, are too high for the company to absorb. And Baris Alina Seljuk reports.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillan says the company will focus on protecting food prices as much as possible, and he hopes the Trump administration lifts tariffs on foods like bananas and avocados that don't grow in large numbers in the U.S. McMillan also thanked the Trump administration for striking a deal with China that eased tariffs for a few months to 30 percent rather than 145 percent. But he was also pretty direct speaking to investors. Even at the reduced levels, the higher tariffs will result in higher prices. Walmart's finance chief says price increases will become noticeable later this month and

into the summer. Walmart joined many other companies in noting the difficulty forecasting for the year because it's unclear how tariffs might change in the future. Alina Seluk, NPR News. Crypto futures prices lost ground today oiled down a dollar and 53 cents a barrel to 61.62 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.