NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-15-2025 9AM EDT

Episode Date: May 15, 2025

NPR News: 05-15-2025 9AM EDTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Look, we get it. When it comes to new music, there is a lot of it, and it all comes really fast. But on All Songs Considered, NPR's music recommendation podcast, we'll handpick what we think is the greatest music happening right now and give you your next great listen. So kick back, settle in, get those eardrums wide open, and get your dose of new music from All Songs Considered, only from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. President Trump has arrived in the United Arab Emirates. It's the last leg of his four-day Mideast tour. Trump started the day in Qatar, where he highlighted new business deals that includes a $96 billion

purchase by Qatar from U.S. aircraft maker Boeing. And Piers Ehebetraoui reports it's Boeing's biggest deal ever. The White House says Qatar's order of up to 210 Boeing airplanes could support a million jobs in the US. It's business deals like this that brought Trump to the Gulf this week, where big defense and tech deals were also inked in Saudi Arabia. But looming over the trip is also what Trump has yet to achieve. A ceasefire in Gaza that ends Israel's offensive and releases hostages held by Hamas.

When asked about those efforts in Qatar, Trump told reporters, there's practically no building standing in Gaza anymore and, quote, it's not like you're trying to save something. He said he wants to make Gaza a, quote, freedom zone. Arab states have rejected plans to permanently displace Palestinians outside the territory. Meanwhile, Israel's planning a major ground offensive to take territory and push Palestinians south. Aya Batraoui, NPR News, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments today on the Trump administration's push to end

birthright citizenship in the U.S. This right is specified in the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment. NPR's Joel Rose reports a new poll shows a majority of Americans oppose Trump's view. The NPR Ipsos poll finds that fewer than a third of Americans want to end birthright citizenship. The long-standing principle that any child born on U.S. soil is automatically a citizen. But the poll also finds that other parts of the White House's immigration crackdown do have broader support.

For example, President Trump's push to quickly deport alleged gang members without giving them a chance to contest those allegations under an 18th century wartime law called the Alien Enemies Act. Almost half of poll respondents say they're in favor of that. 40% of Americans support President Trump's push for mass deportation of everyone in the country without legal status, a slight drop from 44% support three months ago. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. High housing costs along with high mortgage rates are keeping home ownership out of reach for many middle-income families. NPR's Scott Horsley reports on the latest findings from

the National Association of Realtors. A typical family with income of about $75,000 a year can only afford about one out of five homes on the market. That's actually a slight improvement from a year ago, but it's still a much tougher housing market than before the pandemic, when the same family would have been able to afford nearly half the homes for sale. Although the number of for-sale signs has been growing, there's still a significant housing shortage, keeping prices high, and with mortgage rates hovering around 6-3-quarters percent, the typical monthly payment remains a budget buster for many would-be buyers.

While some pricey cities like Austin and Denver have seen progress on housing affordability, about one in four of the largest metro areas have gotten less affordable over the last year. Scott Horsley in Pear News, Washington. On Wall Street, in pre-market trading, Dow futures are lower. This is NPR. Authorities in northern Minnesota say wildfires have destroyed about 150 structures, including homes and cabins.

Three main wildfires have scorched about 58 square miles of forest. None of the wildfires is contained. A former girlfriend of hip-hop mogul Sean Diddy Combs has finished two days of testimony at Combs' federal sex trafficking trial in New York. And Pierce Isabella Gomez-Sarmiento reports she described how she ended her relationship with the rapper. A note, this report mentions physical and sexual assault. Cassie Ventura spent hours testifying about the violence, blackmail, and isolation she

experienced during her more than 10 years dating Combs. Prosecutors showed multiple photos of Ventura's bruises and injuries from what she said were beatings by Combs. Ventura also testified that Combs raped her in 2018 after she ended the relationship. In tears, she told the court she decided to speak out about the abuse years after the breakup because she was tired of carrying the shame. The defense concedes that Combs was violent and abusive but says that doesn't make him guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering.

Isabella Gomez-Armiento, NPR News. Combs has pleaded not guilty to five criminal counts. Historical researchers have discovered that a copy of the Magna Carta that's owned by Harvard University is actually real. The original British document from the 1200s is the foundation of other countries' constitutions. Harvard bought the document decades ago for less than 30 bucks. It's estimated now to be worth millions of dollars. I'm Cuarva Coleman, NPR News. Does the idea of listening to political news freak you out? Well, don't sweat it. I'm Cuarva Coleman, NPR News.