NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-17-2025 1AM EDT

Episode Date: May 17, 2025

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On NPR's Thru Line, witnesses were ending up dead. How the hunt for gangster Al Capone launched the IRS to power. Find NPR's Thru Line wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. The Supreme Court Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting a group of Venezuelan migrants in Texas by using the Alien Enemies Act. The 1798 law was used by Trump to quickly deport people he says are a threat to the U.S.

MPR Sergio Martinez Beltran says the ruling presents a major problem for the administration. It is a significant loss for President Trump. Remember, he's pledged to remove millions of migrants without legal status from the US and the Alien Enemies Act is one of the tools he's using. He's already removed more than 100 Venezuelans under this law and they've been sent to El Salvador, not even their home countries, and there are still unresolved questions. The big one is whether the use of the Alien Enemies Act is legal or not.

And that's a question the courts and potentially the Supreme Court will have to answer at some point. NPR's Sergio Martinez Beltran reporting from Texas. The Department of Justice is considering dropping a criminal case against Boeing over two fatal crashes of 737 MAX jets. NPR's Joel Rose reports that lawyers for family members

of the crash victims say they were notified by prosecutors on Friday. The Justice Department is considering a deal that would allow Boeing to avoid criminal prosecution, according to family members of the crash victims. Boeing agreed last year to plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to defraud regulators about the safety of its planes

after the crashes of two 737 MAX jets that killed 346 people. But a federal judge rejected that plea deal. Now prosecutors under the Trump administration say they are looking to drop the criminal case and push instead for a non-criminal settlement with Boeing that would include about $440 million for a crash victims fund. Lawyers for some of the family members say they are outraged by the quote backroom deal and plan to fight it in court.

Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. A Georgia hospital is keeping a woman declared brain dead on life support because she's pregnant. The family says the hospital required it because of the state's strict abortion ban. Melissa Fado, member station WABE, has more. Doctors put 30 put 30 year old Adriana Smith on life support in February in order to allow the fetus to grow enough to be delivered. Smith went to the hospital for intense headaches over three months ago and was eventually found to have clots in her brain. Emory University Hospital declared her brain dead. She's currently 21 weeks pregnant, meaning removing her breathing tubes would kill the fetus. Abortion in Georgia is banned after six

weeks, roughly the time when cardiac activity begins. Emory HealthCare says the decision was made from a consensus of clinical experts, medical literature, and legal guidance, but the family is upset they did not have a say in whether she should be kept on life support. For NPR News, I'm Melissa Fado in Atlanta. Stocks finished up on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Lavage closed up 331 points. The Nasdaq was up 98 points. The S&P 500 closed up by 41 points.

This is NPR News. At least seven people have died as severe weather and a possible tornado moved through Missouri Friday afternoon. The storm tore roofs off some buildings, ripped bricks off the siding of other buildings and knocked down trees and power lines. Three people also had to be rescued after a part of a church collapsed. Pope Leo XIV has made his first address to diplomats from around the world.

In his speech to ambassadors appointed to the Vatican, MPI's Ruth Sherlock says the Pope expressed his position on a wide range of topics. The Pope spoke in support of migrants, saying their dignity must be respected. Pope Leo XIV, who is both a US and Peruvian citizen, described himself as a quote, descendant of immigrants and called for compassion and solidarity with displaced people. He addressed social issues too, stating the Church's more traditional position on marriage, affirming it as a stable union between a man and a woman. He reaffirmed the Church's position against abortion. He said there must be, quote,

respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News, Rome. The first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine since the early weeks of Russia's invasion ended Friday after less than two hours. Both sides agreed on the larger prisoner swap, but they remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting.

Afterward, Ukraine's president posted on social media a request for tough sanctions against Russia if it rejects a full and unconditional ceasefire, along with an end to the killings. 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.

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