NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-21-2025 9AM EDT

Episode Date: May 21, 2025

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We've all been there running around a city looking for a bathroom but unable to find A very simple free market solution is that we could just pay to use a bathroom But we can't on the planet money podcast the story of how we once had thousands of pay toilets And why they got banned from planet money on NPR wherever you get your podcasts Live from NPR news wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will meet President Trump for talks at the White House today amid deteriorating ties between the countries.

Kate Bartlett reports from Johannesburg. D-Day in D.C. was the headline in one local newspaper today. South Africans are watching anxiously as Cyril Ramaphosa meets President Trump, worried it could be a repeat of the Oval Office showdown earlier this year with Ukrainian leader Zelensky. Trump has repeatedly attacked South Africa, falsely accusing Ramaphosa's government of taking land from white farmers. But Ramaphosa was upbeat speaking to reporters in Washington on Tuesday, saying the talks will focus on trade. He is also expected to speak to Trump's South African-born adviser, Elon Musk, about bringing his Starlink satellite service to the country.

For NPR News, I'm Kate Butler in Johannesburg. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has come under criticism during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing yesterday. She was there to discuss her agency's budget. But Noem blundered in one answer. New Hampshire Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan asked Noem to define habeas corpus, a key constitutional right. Noem incorrectly replied. Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country and suspend their right to let me stop

That's been there. He's Corpus. Excuse me. That's that's incorrect president. He's corpus Excuse me habeas corpus is the legal principle that requires that the government provide a public reason for Detaining and imprisoning people if not for that protection the government could simply arrest people and imprisoning people. If not for that protection, the government could simply arrest people, including American citizens, and hold them indefinitely for no reason. Nome then said she supported habeas corpus but insisted the president can suspend it whenever he wants.

Senator Hassan said not without approval from Congress. The U.S. has imposed more tariffs under the Trump administration, but collecting those tariffs is another matter. As MPR's Emily Fang reports, historically, the U.S. has not done very well at enforcing import taxes. Emily Fang, MPR's Emily Fang, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin,

MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MPR's Matt Lappin, MP there will be more exporters trying to trans ship. That's the practice of routing goods through a third country facing lower US tariffs to pay less customs duties. There is going to be more incentive for companies

to attempt to skirt the law. US small businesses say they've been trying to get the US government to enforce existing tariffs and stop exporters from trans shipping. But the Department of Justice and agencies like Customs and Border Protection are historically understaffed and under-resourced on trade fraud, meaning potential trade fraud cases worth hundreds of millions of dollars in customs levies go unresolved. Emily Fang, NPR News. On Wall Street in pre-market trading, Dow futures are down nearly 400 points. It's NPR. Virginia Democratic Congressman Jerry Connolly has died at his home this morning,

according to an online statement by his family. He was 75 years old. Connolly disclosed last November he had cancer of the esophagus. And late last month, Connolly announced he would not seek re-election due to the illness. He had stepped down from his role as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.

Recently, there's been a surge in sports betting that is powered by artificial intelligence. Tech experts and addiction counselors are concerned. Major online platforms have not spelled out clear rules on AI gambling. NPR's Windsor Johnston 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 warned that AI could give sports betters a false sense of confidence. Windsor-Johnston NPR News.

Fresh tornadoes broke out across several states yesterday. Tornado damage has been reported in Alabama and in Tennessee. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News from Washington.