NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-21-2025 10PM EDT

Episode Date: May 22, 2025

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You're listening to the NPR Network. Live from NPR News, I'm Lachie. A living, breathing record of your neighborhood, the country, the world. Told by thousands of local journalists who live in the places where stories unfold. Backed by a national newsroom that puts it all in perspective. Hear the whole country's story.

Hear ways of thinking that challenge your own. Hear the bigger picture with NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. South African President Seir Ramaphosa was in the Oval Office today where President Trump accused South Africa without evidence of allowing a genocide of white farmers. More from NPR's Marla Iason.

Trump played a video for Ramaphosa that he said proved his point. But Ramaphosa pushed back saying that the majority of crime victims in South Africa are black, not white, and he brought up some white friends who would vouch for him. I would say if there was Afrikaner farmer genocide, I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here, including my minister of agriculture. He would not be with me. In addition, Ramaphosa also brought some friends of Trump, South African golfer Ernie Ells

and billionaire Johan Rupert. Ramaphosa said his country does have a crime problem and he asked Trump to help solve it by making a deal, selling South Africa drones and other security equipment. Mara Eliasen, NPR News. Federal regulators are temporarily limiting the number of flights at Newark Liberty International Airport after a series of tech outages. NPR's Joel Rose spoke to one air traffic controller who says they had concerns about those systems long before the recent failures. There had been warning signs before radar and communication systems went dark at the facility that manages the Newark airspace, according to an air traffic controller who

works there. The controller asked NPR not to use their name because they're not authorized to speak publicly by their employer, the Federal Aviation Administration. They say the FAA rejected earlier requests from Newark air traffic controllers to reduce the number of planes using that airspace, but they say the FAA is now more receptive to their concerns. The controller was on duty during one of the recent tech outages and described their initial reaction as disbelief, followed by frustration and anger. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.

The retrial of former movie producer Harvey Weinstein continued today in a Manhattan courtroom with the day-long cross-examination of a woman who says Weinstein raped her. Reporter Ilya Merritt says more. Jessica Mann was an aspiring actress in 2013 when she asserts Weinstein forced her to have sex with him in a hotel room. Defense attorney Arthur Idala focused his questions for Mann on evidence suggesting a more complicated relationship that mixed sex, friendship, and the film business. He prompted Mann to read aloud one message, sent less than a month after the alleged rape,

in which he asked Weinstein's assistant for help getting an audition for a film. In other messages to Weinstein around that time, she wrote, I appreciate all you do for me, and hope to see you sooner than later. Prosecutors are expected to rest their case next week, then it's the defense's turn. Weinstein's team has not ruled out putting him on the stand. Weinstein's 2020 conviction was overturned on procedural grounds last year. is NPR. The Pentagon is confirming it's taken possession of a Boeing 747, given to the U.S. as a gift by Qatar that President Trump has said he wants to use as Air Force One. A Pentagon spokesperson saying today the department will work to ensure proper security measures are taken regarding the plane in order to make it safe for the President to use. The administration claims the gift is in accordance with all federal rules and

regulations. Pope Leo XIV is calling for humanitarian aid to reach the Gaza Strip and for an end to the heartbreaking toll on its people. More from NPR's Ruth Sherlach. Pope Leo XIV appealed to allow what he called dignified humanitarian aid to Gaza and called for an end to the hostilities whose quote heartbreaking price is being paid by children, the elderly and sick people. He spoke at his first general audience in St. Peter's Square. Pope Leo has addressed the situation in Gaza several times during his new papacy. His predecessor Pope Francis in the months before he died had ramped up criticism of

Israel's military campaign in Gaza. More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's war against Hamas, and months of blockade has brought Gaza's population to the brink of famine. In January, Pope Francis had described the situation there as, quote, shameful. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News, Rome. NASA's Perseverance rover continues to come up with new and interesting science from the surface of Mars in its latest selfie. Taking one of its robotic cameras, the rover captured a twirling dust storm a few miles behind it. Perseverance has been collecting Mars rock

samples over the past four years. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things and other currencies. With WISE, for years. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.