NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-18-2025 9AM EDT

Episode Date: May 18, 2025

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These days, there's a lot of news. It can be hard to keep up with what it means for you, your family, and your community. Consider this from NPR as a podcast that helps you make sense of the news. Six days a week, we bring you a deep dive on a story and provide the context, backstory, and analysis you need to understand our rapidly changing world. Listen to the Consider This Podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew Mills says terrorism came knocking at the door of his city but after yesterday's explosion at a fertility clinic, he sought to reassure the community.

I also want to make sure that our community understands this is an isolated incident. I am confident that the community is not at an isolated incident. I am confident that the community is not at risk any longer. Police say one person was killed in a blast has been reported as a car explosion and it was heard across the city and caused widespread damage. Officials are not revealing the name of the suspect, but they say they are no longer searching for one. The governor of Kentucky is confirming at least 18 fatalities and dozens of injuries, some critical, following severe storms that cut through the state Friday night.

Karen Zahr with Member Station WUKY reports from London, one of the hardest hit Kentucky cities. Governor Andy Beshear surveyed damage from the air, then on the ground. Beshear said right now all efforts are on search and rescue and he has one fear in mind. I worry there might be a block, a whole block out there. Everybody's dead and I hope that's not the case but you see five houses in a row. They're just gone. Beshear has put in a request for an official federal disaster declaration, and several members of the Kentucky General Assembly have promised state funding would be made available for recovery.

For NPR News, I'm Karen Zarr in London. To Maryland now where the nation's only sitting black governor is vetoed a bill to create a commission to study reparations in Maryland. In Pierce, Amy Held reports a panel would have defined economic harms to descendants of enslaved people and recommend possible remedies. Amy Held In his veto letter, Governor Wes Moore writes, now is not the time for another study. Instead, he writes, it's time for action, including policies he will introduce to address barriers to black families' access to work and wealth. Maryland's Black Caucus issued their own

statement expressing disappointment, noting the measure passed with a veto-proof majority and quote, the legislature will have the final say. A Pew study from 2022 finds three-quarters of Black Americans think, descendants of people enslaved in the U.S. should be repaid in some way. A majority of all U.S. adults oppose reparations. California is among several states and cities moving forward on reparations plans. Amy Held and PR News. Health officials in Gaza say at least 300 Palestinians have been killed over the past few days, Israel pressing a new military offensive in Gaza. as negotiators for Israel and Hamas held a

fresh round of indirect talks in Doha yesterday. No breakthrough has been reported, but the BBC is reporting that Hamas is offering to release nine hostages in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire deal, the release of Palestinians held by Israel, and humanitarian aid. This is NPR. National Transportation Safety Board expected to launch an investigation after a tall masted ship struck the Brooklyn Bridge last night. Two people were killed. At least 19 others were injured. Bridget Bergen of Member Station WNYC reports on what

happened. The boat hit the bridge shortly before 8 30 p.m. according to police. All lanes on the bridge were briefly closed to traffic and the coast guard says commercial activity in the area has been suspended. Videos posted on social media show the boats masts striking the bridge and toppling over. The ship then nearly careens into the waterfront at Brooklyn Bridge Park. The officials say the ship, which had 277 crew members, is a Mexican Navy vessel that arrived in New York last week as part of a training cruise. The Coast Guard said all personnel had been accounted for. For NPR News, I'm Brigid Bergen in New York. Preliminary reports say the pilot of the ship had lost power due to a mechanical issue,

but the exact cause remains unclear. At the Vatican, tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square to see Pope Leo XIV formally installed as the leader of the Catholic Church. Pope Leo celebrating his inaugural mass, marking the official start of his papacy. He received two signs of his pontificate, a vestment known as a pallium, and the fisherman's ring. Vice President J.D. Vance led the U.S. delegation. He was one of the last foreign officials to see Pope Francis before he died.

This is NPR News.