NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-22-2025 5PM EDT

Episode Date: May 22, 2025

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Know that fizzy feeling you get when you read something really good, watch the movie everyone's been talking about, or catch the show that the internet can't get over? At the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, we chase that feeling four times a week. We'll serve you recommendations and commentary on the buzziest movies, TV, music, and more. From lowbrow to highbrow to the stuff in between, catch the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR. stuff in between, catch the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR. Jack Spear Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The Supreme Court has effectively blocked the creation of the country's first-ever religious charter school. Zach Boblitt, a member of station KWGS, reports it leaves

in place an Oklahoma court's finding that such a school would violate separation of church and state. Zach Boblitt The Supreme Court's deadlock means that Oklahoma's St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School is still not allowed to open, for now. The ruling also means another case can be brought to the court, as no legal precedent has been set. Republican Oklahoma Attorney General Gettner Drummond says the Supreme Court's lack of decision is a positive for Oklahomans.

The Supreme Court's 4-4 vote is an affirmation of the Oklahoma Supreme Court's finding that in at least Oklahoma, the rule of law continues to rule. Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the case without explanation. She does have ties to attorneys representing St. Isidore. For NPR News, I'm Zach Boblitt in Tulsa. And this just in, the Supreme Court has granted the Trump administration's emergency request to let him fire the heads of two independent agencies, the National Labor Relations Board and the Merit Systems Protection Board.

President Trump's self-described big beautiful bill squeaked through the House early today. The package of new spending and tax cuts passed by a single vote as House Speaker Mike Johnson managed to crowl his fellow Republicans with no support from Democrats whom he chastised after the vote. House Democrats voted against all of that. So everything that I just said, they voted the opposite. Clearly proves they actually, they must want the largest tax increase in U.S. history on the American citizens. They must want open borders. They've proven that over and over.

They must want Medicaid for illegal immigrants. More than a thousand-page bill includes funding for border security and other administration priorities among the last-minute changes to the legislation, boosting the state and local tax deduction and speeding up work requirements for Medicaid," Measure Next heads to the Senate. President Trump is hosting an exclusive dinner tonight at his Washington, D.C. area golf club. Attendees are top investors in Trump's meme coin, and pure Scott Newman reports. Companies tied to President Trump own about 80 percent of his meme coins.

But on the guest list for this dinner are the next 220 top investors. An elite group at the very top will also get a private tour of the White House conducted by the president himself. Norm Eisen was an ethics advisor to President Barack Obama. Foreigners and foreign governments are going to take advantage of that situation to put money in, expecting things in return. The White House says the President is working to secure good deals for all Americans, not for himself.

Scott Newman, NPR News, Washington. Stocks close on a mixed note today. The Dow was down a point. The NASDAQ was up 53 points. You're listening to NPR. The British government has signed a deal to give up sovereignty over the Chagos Islands and Indian Ocean Archipelago south of South Africa that has been called Britain's last colony. The islands are home to one of the most important U.S. military bases in the

world. St. Peter's-Thatton-Alcosab reports. The Chagos Islands were separated from Mauritius in 1965, when Mauritius was still a British colony. Britain then bought the islands for $4 million. A thousand miles away from any mainland, they include the island of Diego Garcia, home to a joint US-UK military base. Under this deal, all of the other islands are being handed over to Mauritius, but Diego Garcia will stay in British-American hands for 99 years.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said much of what the military base was used for is secret, but… The strategic location of this base is of the utmost significance to Britain. Starmer said the base was important for defeating terrorists and reducing risks to British and US servicemen and women. Fatima Al-Khassab, NPR News, London. The Senate has moved the block. California has proposed first-in-the-nation rule banning the sale of new gas-powered vehicles

by 2035. Lawmakers today passed a resolution to roll back the state's vehicle emission standards, including a rule that limits tailpipe emissions from medium and heavy-duty vehicles. A third measure would overturn rules on the emissions of smog-forming nitrogen oxide pollution from trucks. All three changes were previously approved by the House. Critical futures prices settled lower today, oiled down 37 cents a barrel to 61.20 a barrel in New York.

I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.