NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-17-2025 8PM EDT

Episode Date: May 18, 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 Janene Herbst. In California, federal and local officials are investigating a car explosion near a Palm Springs fertility clinic that's killed one person.

Steve Futterman has more. The explosion damaged the clinic along with several other nearby buildings. The Palm Springs Fire Chief says the blast appears to be an intentional act of violence. According to the Mayor, it's unclear if the person killed was connected to the blast. The U.S. attorney who represents the Palm Springs area says the FBI is on the scene and investigating whether the explosion was deliberate. The FBI has deployed bomb technicians. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is also sending agents to Palm Springs. On its website, the clinic describes itself as the area's first and only

full-service fertility center. Its services include in vitro fertilization and egg freezing. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. At least 18 people are dead in Kentucky after severe storms and tornadoes last night. As Stan Engolt with Member Station WEKU reports, officials expect that number to continue to climb. Governor Andy Beshear says he has spoken with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and officials with FEMA and that they have vowed to help. He's also made an official request for a federal disaster declaration. Beshear, a Democrat who has often butted heads with the Trump administration, says politics

have no place in natural disasters like this one. For the two events that we've already had this year, we've seen a White House and a FEMA organization that has performed well and has done what we've asked. FEMA officials are already on the ground helping with flooding disasters. This is the third major natural disaster to hit Kentucky this year. For NPR News, I'm Stan Engold in Richmond, Kentucky. And at least seven people are dead in Missouri from those storms. President Trump says he'll talk with Russian President Putin Monday morning to be followed

by a call with Ukrainian President Zelensky this days after Putin skipped peace talks with Ukraine and Turkey. And here's Danielle Kurtzleben has more. Danielle Pletka In a social media post, Trump said that he will talk to Putin by phone at 10 a.m. Monday, then talk to Zelensky and quote, various members of NATO. This past week, Ukrainian and Russian officials met in Turkey for their first direct peace talks

since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Zelensky had called for Putin to attend, but the Russian president did not go. On the campaign trail last year, Trump repeatedly said he would broker a peace deal between the two countries within 24 hours of taking office. Fighting has continued instead, and Trump has talked about wanting

peace. After Russia sent missiles and drones to Ukraine in April, Trump posted on social media, Vladimir, stop. Danielle Kurtz-Lehmann, NPR News. And JJ of Austria won Eurovision 2025 this year. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. It's the 71st anniversary of Brown v. the Board of Education, the Supreme Court decision that required the desegregation of public schools. But civil rights leaders warn that the country is on the verge of ending desegregation enforcement. NPR's Sandhya Dirks has more. Sandhya Dirks 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. Sonia Dierks, NPR News.

SONIA Dierks Journalism won the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Racetrack in Baltimore, the second leg of the Triple Crown. The horse entered with 6-5 odds to take the $1.2 million prize. Gosgar finished second and Sandman finished third. There is no Triple Crown winner this year because Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty didn't race today. This is the final preakness at that race course before renovations start at the track and are expected to take about two years.

In the meantime, the preakness will be held at nearby Laurel Park in Maryland. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things and other currencies. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington.