NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-19-2025 10PM EDT

Episode Date: May 20, 2025

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Hear ways of thinking that challenge your own. Hear the bigger picture with NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President Trump spent a big chunk of today engaging in telephone diplomacy, having separate calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. Trump saying in terms of winding down Russia's war with Ukraine, holding talks at the Vatican could give them extra significance and help things along. But Trump also acknowledged leaders involved have to come to an agreement.

Big ego's involved, I tell you. Big ego's involved. But I think something's going to happen. And if it doesn't, I'd just back away and they're going to have to keep going. Trump at one point quoted a European situation. The president declined to say what would prompt him to walk away from his efforts to broker an end to the war, though he has indicated his frustration with both sides in the past. President Trump suggested without evidence today, former President Joe Biden had delayed

sharing his diagnosis of prostate cancer. As for comment about the diagnosis, Trump said he thought it was quote, very sad, but it really pivoted his suggestions. Biden had been less than forthcoming. Biden has stage four cancer. However, the US Preventative Services Task Force does not recommend men over the age of seven to get routine prostate specific antigen PSA screening because the potential harms outweigh the benefits. The task force recommends men ages 55 to 69 discuss PSA screening with their doctors. Port officials here on the West Coast say

they expect to see an uptick in cargo traffic from China now that President Trump has temporarily lowered tariffs, but NPR's Scott Horstley reports they're not expecting the kind of traffic jam that raised shipping prices during the pandemic. Shipments into the usually busy Port of Los Angeles slumped earlier this month as triple digit tariffs brought trade between the US and China to a near standstill.

Now that those tariffs have been temporarily reduced, importers are hustling to bring in cargo that had been stranded in China. Even with that partial recovery though, the port's executive director, Gene Soroka, is not expecting a huge crush of new cargo. What probably comes out of this are lower inventory levels across the board, less selection for American consumers and maybe higher prices.

The tariffs that remain in place are still the highest in nearly a century. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. First, it was the head of its flagship news magazine. Now, the CEO of CBS News is saying so long to the network. CEO Wendy McMahon announcing she's quitting amid an ongoing dispute between CBS and parent company Paramount Global over settling a lawsuit with President Trump over a 60 minutes interview. McMahon in an interview said it's quote become increasingly clear she and the company disagree. McMahon has indicated she opposes settling with Trump.

Trump remains in discussions or Trump remains in some discussions rather with CBS parent company Paramount. Stocks waiver but managed to close higher on Wall Street today. The Dow is up 137 points. The NASDAQ closed up four points. You're listening to NPR. Just days after tornadoes killed more than two dozen people in Kentucky and Missouri, officials in Kansas and Texas were evaluating damage from an overnight twister that touched

down there. National Weather Service, meanwhile, says it's predicting days of dangerous weather across the central U.S. with heavy rain, thunderstorms and the prospect of more tornadoes. Officials in Reno County, Kansas say a powerful tornado hit there late yesterday, damaging homes, trees and utility poles. As fighting continues between the warring parties in Sudan's conflict, the head of the country's army has appointed a new prime minister, Michael Koloki, as more. Sudan's army chief, Abdel Fattah Burhan, has appointed Kamil Idris, a former United Nations official, as Prime Minister of the country's military-led government.

This is the first time a Prime Minister has been appointed in Sudan since a coup four years ago ousted civilian leadership in the country. In 2023, fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. Civilians caught up in the ongoing conflict are suffering the most, being killed and uprooted from their homes. According to the United Nations, the fighting has also disrupted regional trade, leading to economic hardship in neighboring countries.

For NPR News, I'm Michael Kaloki in Nairobi. Memorial Day is a week away, but already travel predictions are coming from people like Auto Club AAA. AAA projects about 45 million people will travel at least 50 miles or more over the Thursday through Monday holiday period, most by car. Drivers wanting to beat the rush, according to transportation data firms, should leave early Thursday morning. Airports are expected to be busy Friday. You're listening to NPR. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things and other currencies. are expected to be busy Friday. You're listening to NPR.