NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-20-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: May 20, 2025

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When the Star Wars prequels came out, they were polarizing. Many fans of the original trilogy hated the phantom menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. Though many younger fans loved them then and love them still. So we're re-watching them with fresh eyes 20 years later. From Jar Jar Binks to the climactic nooooo that broke the internet in half, listen on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens.

President Trump is suggesting, without evidence, that former President Joe Biden delayed sharing his diagnosis of prostate cancer. And Paris Marliason has the story. Trump initially said he thought Biden's new health challenge was, quote, very sad. But then he seemed to accuse Biden of hiding the information about his cancer. I'm surprised that it Wasn't you know, the public wasn't notified a long time ago because to get to stage nine That's a long time Biden's cancer is stage four not stage nine Trump may have been confusing that with Biden's Gleason score of nine. A Gleason score measures the aggressiveness of cancer cells.

The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force does not recommend that men over the age of 70 get routine prostate-specific antigen screening because the potential harms outweigh the benefits. Trump's latest comments were in line with his repeated attacks on Biden's physical and mental health. Mara Liason, NPR News. Mara Liason, NPR News. The top federal prosecutor in New Jersey says the misdemeanor charge against the mayor of Newark is being dropped. But NPR's Giles Snyder reports that the Justice Department is pursuing charges against another Democrat, this time in

the House of Representatives. New Jersey House Democrat Lam New Jersey House Democrat, LaMonica MacGyver is pushing back saying the salt charge against her is purely political and aimed at deterring lawful legislative oversight. The charge stems from a clash with ICE agents outside a migrant detention facility in Newark earlier this month. Newark Mayor Ros Baraka was arrested. The trespassing charge against him is being dropped. Danielle Pletka, NPRiles-Snyder reporting.

Another round of tornadoes has struck the nation's midsection, claiming more than two dozen lives. At least four tornadoes were confirmed in Oklahoma and Nebraska on Monday. The hardest hit area was in southeastern Kentucky, where the city of London is cleaning up from storm damage while bracing for more dangerous weather. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says he's awaiting Russia's proposal on how to end the war from Kiev, and PR's Polina Litvinova has more. Zelensky said he spoke with President Trump twice, before and after Trump called Russian

President Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian president said his country is willing for peace, but won't agree on territorial concessions. No one will withdraw our troops from our territories, he said. There will be no ultimatums, and no one will surrender their land, their territory, their people, their homes. Zelensky also asked Trump about sanctions if Russia doesn't agree to end the war, adding that American banking and energy sanctions would cause significant economic challenges for Russia.

Polina Litvinova, NPR News, Kyiv. This is NPR. CBS News chief Wendy McMahon has resigned as the new network battles a lawsuit over a 60-minute interview. President Trump alleges the interview was edited to benefit then-Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign. McMahon has told staffers she and network leaders disagree on a path forward, including whether to settle Trump's lawsuit against the network. Their departure comes weeks after the top producer of 60 Minutes stepped down, saying that the organization had lost its editorial integrity. Three witnesses testified at the sex trafficking trial of Sean Combs in New York Monday, as NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento reports,

and a note that this report contains mention of physical assault. Two of the prosecution's witnesses testified that they saw Sean Combs violently beat his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. The first, Dawn Richard, is a singer who worked with Combs from 2004 to 2011. The second, Kari Morgan, was Ventura's best friend for nearly two decades. Both say they witnessed Combs behaving violently toward Ventura on more than one occasion. Afterwards, a man named David James took the stand.

He worked as a personal assistant for Combs from 2007 to 2009. James will continue testifying Tuesday about his experience as Combs' employee. The rapper and entrepreneur faces charges that include sex trafficking by coercion and racketeering conspiracy. Isabella Gomez-Ramiento, NPR News. U.S. futures are flat and after hours trading on Wall Street, Asia-Pacific markets are lower.

This is NPR News. These days, with all the information coming at you, it can be hard to know what's accurate, This is NPR News.