NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-20-2025 6AM EDT

Episode Date: May 20, 2025

NPR News: 05-20-2025 6AM EDTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Politics is a lot these days. I'm Sarah McCammon, a co-host of the NPR Politics Podcast, and I'll be the first to tell you what happens in Washington definitely demands some decoding. That's why our show makes politics as easy as possible to wrap your head around. Join us as we make politics make sense on the NPR Politics Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is awaiting the Kremlin's proposal on how to end Russia's war in Ukraine. NPR's Polina Litvinova reports Zelensky spoke after talking with President Trump yesterday.

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. Zelensky, President of Ukraine, said that 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. President Trump is headed to Capitol Hill today. He'll talk to House Republicans at their weekly meeting. Lena Latvinova, NPR News, Kyiv. President Trump is headed to Capitol Hill today.

He'll talk to House Republicans at their weekly meeting. He'll encourage them to support the budget bill under consideration. Democrats oppose it. And Republicans have such a narrow majority in the House, they have almost no votes to spare. A handful of GOP fiscal conservatives worried about the deficit are calling for steeper cuts. After three years of negotiation, member states of the World Health Organization have voted

to adopt a pandemic agreement today. NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports the United States did not show up at the meeting in Geneva. Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert,

NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's Jonathan Lambert, NPR's began working on plans to ensure that the world responded better to the next pandemic. Now, member states have voted overwhelmingly to adopt an agreement aimed at just that. The 30-page treaty covers a range of topics, from preventing spillover of viruses to protecting health care workers. The treaty won't go into effect for at least a year as countries have to work out a few contentious details, most notably language that would obligate rich countries

to share vaccines and treatments. Because of the Trump administration's withdrawal from WHO, the U.S. won't be part of the accord. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News. The acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey says she is filing federal assault charges against a U.S. congresswoman from that state. This follows a confrontation earlier this month

outside a federal immigration center in Newark. NPR's Giles Snyder says the Democratic congresswoman from New Jersey has now spoken out. New Jersey House Democrat LaMonica McIver 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 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. NPR's Giles Snyder reporting. On Wall Street and pre-market trading, Dow futures are lower. This is NPR. The Department of Homeland Security says it sent a charter flight of migrants from Houston to Honduras and Colombia. The agency says 64 people voluntarily decided to self-deport back to their

home countries. DHS says this was not a federal immigration operation. The migrants received travel help and a stipend of a thousand dollars. But CNN is reporting some of the people sent out of the US were children who are legal American citizens. CBS News chief Wendy McMahon is resigning. She says she doesn't agree with corporation leadership on quote the path forward. And Piers David Folkenflick reports CBS is in talks to settle President Trump's lawsuit over an episode of the network's program, 60 Minutes. NPR's David Falkenflick reports CBS is in talks to settle President Trump's lawsuit over an episode of the network's program, 60 Minutes.

Trump sued the network last fall as a private citizen after it aired an interview with his rival then Vice President Kamala Harris. CBS broadcast two versions of an answer she gave about the war in Gaza, a shorter one on Face the Nation and a longer one on 60 Minutes. Trump claimed that amounted to election fraud. Legal experts tell NPR that Trump has a weak case thanks to the First Amendment's free speech protections. McMahon has opposed any settlement involving an apology.

But CBS's owner is trying to complete a sale, one that requires the approval of the Federal Communications Commission, which is led by a Trump ally. David Folkenflick, NPR News. Today is primary election day in the state of Pennsylvania. Voters are choosing candidates for some of the top jobs, such as mayor and district attorney. These races are drawing interest in cities such as Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia.

I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News. Imagine, if you will, a show from NPR that's Coleman, NPR News.