NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-22-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: May 22, 2025

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This is Ira Glass, the host of This American Life. So much is changing so rapidly right now with President Trump in office. It feels good to pause for a moment sometimes and look around at what's what. To try and do that, we've been finding these incredible stories about right now that are funny and have feeling and you get to see people everywhere making sense of this new America that we find ourselves in. This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. Two staff members with the Israeli Embassy

in Washington, D.C. were shot and killed outside an event in downtown D.C. late Wednesday. NPR's Becky Sullivan has the story. The shooting took place shortly after nine o'clock. As a museum event hosted by a pro-Israel advocacy group. The American Jewish Committee was coming to a close. Two people were killed. It's a Metropolitan Police Chief, Pamela Smith.

The suspect was observed pacing back and forth outside of the museum. He approached a group of four people, produced a handgun, and opened fire, striking both of our decedents. Police said they had tentatively identified the shooter as 30 year old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago. Said he was not previously known to police. American and Israeli officials alike condemned the shooting. An FBI official said it would be investigated for ties to terrorism or it's a hate crime. Becky Sullivan in PR News, Washington. The House and Senate are holding marathon sessions to finalize a massive tax and spending

bill. The House is on track to pass a plan that's being denounced by Democrats like Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost. Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are making it worse, gutting Medicaid and food assistance to give tax cuts to billionaires in special interests. Indiana Republican Erin Halgen disagrees. The bill requires states to have skin in the game on SNAP. The bill requires states to be more responsible about how Medicaid is funded.

The bill provides needed tax relief for seniors. These are good things. House Speaker Mike Johnson says he's determined to get a tax and spending bill approved by Monday. During a White House meeting Wednesday, President Trump accused South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, of allowing the genocide of white farmers. NPR's Maura Liason has more.

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 an 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, Ramaphoso also brought some friends of Trump, South African golfer Ernie Elves 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 Eliason, NPR News. Federal regulators are restricting the number of flights in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport. The temporary changes will limit arrivals to 28 per hour, and no more than 28 planes may

take off from Newark each hour, until mid-June. In the meantime, the FAA plans to make some upgrades at the airport and communications tower that manages Newark Airspace. This is NPR. The Trump administration has accepted a luxury jet from the nation of Qatar. The gifted plane is to be used as Air Force One during President Trump's term.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says his department will take measures to ensure that the aircraft meets security requirements. President Trump says the Qatari plane will save tax dollars, while critics say it violates constitutional restrictions on foreign gifts. Colleges and universities around the nation saw a dramatic decline in student enrollment during the coronavirus pandemic. But NPR's Janae Ujong-Lee reports that enrollments are slowly

ticking back up. Janae Ujong-Lee, NPR slowly ticking back up. A new report shows a continued enrollment growth since last spring. That's across undergraduate and graduate programs. Good news today for enrollments across the board. Particularly strong results at community colleges in vocational and skilled trade programs. That's Doug Shapiro. He's the executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, which tracks college enrollment nationwide. While overall community college enrollment remains below pre-pandemic numbers, vocational and skilled trade programs in particular have seen a strong growth and have now surpassed their enrollment from spring 2020.

Four-year colleges, on the other hand, have seen growth in enrollment, but at a more measured pace. Janet Wujongli, NPR News. A rare May nor'easter threatens to strike New England over the Memorial Day weekend. The storm is expected to dump up to two inches of rain on some areas and wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour. Nor'easters usually occur in late fall and winter. This is NPR News. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things and other currencies. late fall and winter. This is NPR News.