NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-21-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: May 21, 2025

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World news is important, but it can feel far away. Not on the State of the World podcast. With journalists around the world, you'll hear firsthand the effects of US trade actions in Canada and China, and meet a Mexican street sweeper who became a pop star. We don't go around the world, we're already there. Listen to the State of the World podcast from NPR every weekday. Lyle from NPR News. I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump is hosting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

A short time ago when remarks turned to a Q&A with reporters at the White House, Trump was asked why he granted refugee status to a group of white South Africans while the U.S. revoked the protected status of Afghans, Venezuelans and others. We have many people that feel they're being persecuted and they're coming to the United States. So we take from many locations if we feel there's persecution or genocide going on. Trump's closest advisor, Elon Musk, who is in the room, has also been outspoken about

alleged violence against white South African landowners. Musk is a South African native. However, South Africa's Ramaphosa and others have flatly denied Afrikaners are being targeted. He had said that the group that arrived in the US last week does not fit the definition of a refugee. Members of the Freedom Caucus who've been demanding deeper spending cuts in Trump's budget bill are expected the White House today and Pierce Deerter Walsh reports the GOP leadership struggle to garner enough votes to get the legislation passed including Trump's tax cuts. The tax cuts are really the

central plank in the bill. The bill permanently extends the 2017 tax cuts that are going to expire at the end of December. It adds new tax breaks like no tips on overtime, no tax on tips, things that Trump campaigned on. Those tax breaks expire in four years after Trump leaves office. And Pierre Stiergell-Walsh, it's a challenging time for the nation's big retailers, meanwhile, and Pierre Scott Horsley reporting on the differing fortunes of two big chains. The discount retailer Target reported disappointing sales and earnings for the most recent quarter and lowered its forecast for the full year. The chains become a target for both sides in the culture wars, prompting boycotts.

Like other retailers, Target is also wrestling with the rising cost of tariffs. The home improvement chain Lowe's had slightly better news for investors with profits that outpaced Lowe's expectations. Lowe's sales dropped during the quarter, but not as much as had been feared. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. The EU says it'll review its political and economic agreement with Israel over what it calls a catastrophic situation in Gaza. Here's NPR's Rob Schmitz. The EU's top diplomat, Kaya Khalis, said the aid Israel has allowed into Gaza is welcomed, but she called it, quote, a drop in the ocean. She says Israel must allow more aid to immediately enter Gaza without obstruction and at a level

that is needed. For more than 11 weeks, Israel has blocked aid from entering the Gaza Strip before allowing a small amount in the past few days. The UN warned this week of imminent mass starvation, saying 14,000 babies in Gaza are at risk of dying in the next two days. Khalis says because of this, the EU will review the 25-year-old EU-Israel Association Agreement, which oversees both political dialogue and the free exchange of goods. It's NPR News.

The Justice Department is backing away from cases against police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky, reversing course on the use of consent decrees to help ensure accountability for law enforcement agencies. This only days before the anniversary of the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota, nearly five years ago. The DOJ says it'll also close investigations of police in six other jurisdictions, including

in Phoenix, Trenton, and Memphis, Tennessee. There has been a surge in sports betting recently that's powered by artificial intelligence. Tech experts and addiction counselors concerned about this. Major online platforms have not spelled out clear rules on AI gambling. NPR's Windsor Johnson reports experts are calling for discussion around online betting and its risks. Google Trends data show searches for AI sports predictions have jumped more than 4,000 percent in recent weeks as TikTok creators share videos of themselves using tools like chatGPT

to pick game winners. Some say they've made thousands of dollars that way, but researchers say those claims are potentially dangerous. Robert P. Shoemaker is a computer science expert at the University of Texas at Tyler. The rise of misleading marketing, such as influencers promoting untested or exaggerated AI systems, can further erode critical thinking and encourage risky behavior. With younger users increasingly trusting influencer content, mental health experts warn that AI could give sports bettors a false sense of confidence. Windsor-Johnston NPR News.

The Dow is down 343 points. It's NPR.