NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-17-2025 11PM EDT

Episode Date: May 18, 2025

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This is Ira Glass, the host of This American Life. So much is changing so rapidly right now with President Trump in office. It feels good to pause for a moment sometimes and look around at what's what. To try and do that, we've been finding these incredible stories about right now that are funny and have feeling and you get to see people everywhere making sense of this new America that we find ourselves in. This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. The FBI says a bomb that exploded outside

a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, this morning was an intentional act of terrorism. The explosion killed one person and injured at least four others. It also caused major damage to the building. Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew Mills. We have a rapidly involving investigation with the massive crime scene. Our first priority was to ensure the safety of our community and we were very concerned

about secondary devices and so we spent a lot of time and effort working with the Bureau as well as the Sheriff's Office clearing the entire neighborhood making sure that there was nothing that could harm our citizens any further. The FBI says they have a person of interest and connection to the bombing, but is not releasing any details. President Trump says Walmart should, quote, eat the tariffs rather than raise its prices because of increased costs. NPR's Michael Levitt has our story.

In a post to his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said Walmart made billions of dollars last year and that the retailer should quote, not charge valued customers anything. The post comes after Walmart execs said the retailer could see increasingly high prices on their shelves in the coming months, the result, they say, of the president's trade policies. The president's rebuke of Walmart comes as he continues to make the case that his tariffs will yield long-term benefits for the economy, including a revitalized American manufacturing sector. However, stock markets have stayed volatile despite the president's assurances, and economic experts remain worried of the possibility of a recession.

Michael Levitt in PR News, Washington. Cleanup is underway in St. Louis. After severe storms barreled through that city yesterday, at least five people were killed in the city by the storms, and seven in total across the state. The Midwest Newsroom's Holly Edgell reports. Recovery and cleanup were already underway in the city's central west end on Saturday where high and low income neighborhoods were hit hard by the storms. At one intersection, business owners and volunteers swept up glass and pieces of slate roofing.

Crews removed branches from streets, sidewalks and parking lots. Rulissa Lakhine cleaned up an area near a bus shelter. I was affected by the storm, but luckily for me, my house is still standing. Just one street over, nearly every house appears affected by the storm, as neighbors work to clean up as best they can. For NPR News, I'm Holly Engel in St. Louis. The storms also killed at least 18 people in Kentucky and left 10 others in critical

condition. Israel's military launched another major offensive in Gaza on Saturday. The country's defense minister says the operation is being led with great force. Officials say the aim is to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages being held in Gaza. Residents of the enclave, meanwhile, are in the third month of an Israeli blockade of all aid to the region. Health officials say that living conditions there are growing more and more severe.

You're listening to NPR News. It's the 71st anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education that was the Supreme Court decision that required the desegregation of public schools. Despite that accomplishment though, civil rights leaders are warning that the country is now on the verge of ending desegregation enforcement. And Pairs Sandia Dirks reports. The Justice Department has already dismissed a desegregation order in a school district in Louisiana. Civil rights leaders worry more could follow.

Janay Nelson, head of the Legal Defense Fund, says ending enforcement of Brown would render the ruling toothless. Our public school system has never been fully desegregated, which means that we've never fully tapped into the promise of Brown. Studies show that overall public schools are more segregated today than they were in the 1980s, and Nelson fears that the administration's actions will make it far worse. But the Trump administration and Louisiana Republicans say the orders are no longer needed and that they bog down districts in paperwork and legal

fees. Sunthea Dirks, NPR News. Classically trained countertenor J.J. of Austria has won the 69th Eurovision Song Contest. He won with his pop opera song Wasted Love and he beat 25 other competitors for the top prize. Israel's Yuval Rafael finished in second. Thirty-seven countries sent competitors to this year's event. Scottie Scheffler finished the last five holes at Quail Hollow on Saturday and five under

par to claim a three-stroke lead in the PGA Classic underway there that gave him a 65 and the lead over Alex Noren. John Rahm, meanwhile, shot a 67 and is five strokes back. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things and other currencies. With WISE, you can send, spend, or receive money across borders all at a fair exchange rate. No markups or hidden fees. Join millions of customers and visit WISE.com. T's and C's apply.