NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-22-2026 4AM EDT

Episode Date: May 22, 2026

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Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. Comic Stephen Colbert took the stage at New York City's Ed Sullivan Theater one last time last night, joking that Pope Leo the 14th canceled and then introducing Paul McCartney as his final guest. Who's going to be my last guest now? Hey, shit, what about me? McCartney presented Colbert with a photo of the Beatles on the same stage where the band made its U.S. television debut in 1960. CBS canceled the late show, citing financial reasons.

Many of Colbert's fans say it's because of his criticism of President Trump. President Trump says he's postponing signing an executive order on AI that was supposed to take place Thursday. The announcement came after weeks of shifting rhetoric from the Trump administration on AI. Here's NPR's deepest shiveron reporting. Trump was set to sign an executive order on AI that would have added some safeguards around the development of the technology. But now the president is delaying it. Trump says it's because he didn't like certain aspects of the order and how it could block innovation. We're leading China. We're leading everybody.

And I don't want to do anything that's going to get in the way of that lead. The administration has been oscillating on how to address concerns over AI safety for weeks. Trump has had a close relationship with tech executives and wants there to be less regulation around the technology. But polling shows Americans favor regulations of AI. Deepa Chivaram and PR News. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the Trump administration wants to resolve differences with Cuba peacefully. But he told reporters Thursday that he is doubtful the U.S. can reach a diplomatic resolution with the island's current government. Rubio's remarks came a day after the Justice Department announced an indictment against former Cuban President Raul Castro.

With hurricane season just around the corner, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released its Hurricane 4th. forecast. Houston public media's Kyle McGlinigan says, you know, Noah is predicting a below-average Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane season officially begins June 1st, and Noah is predicting 8 to 14 named storms in the Atlantic this season. Of those, Noah is forecasting 3 to 6 hurricanes and 1 to 3 major hurricanes, meaning above Category 3 storms with winds at or above 111 miles per hour. NOAA administrator Neil Jacobs says a below-average prediction does not guarantee a hurricane-free season. It's very important to understand that it only takes one. We have had Category 5s make landfall in the past during below-average seasons. Noah is predicting one to 22-name storms in the

eastern Pacific and 15 to 13 tropical storms in the central Pacific. For NPR news, I'm Kyle McLennigan in Houston. Hurricane season runs from the beginning of June through the end of November. This is NPR News. Senate Republicans have left Washington for the Memorial Day holiday recess amid a backlash to President Trump's $1.8 billion anti-weaponization settlement fund that could grant money to January 6th rioters and his desire for $1 billion in taxpayer money for his ballroom project. Voting was abruptly called off Thursday on a measure to fund immigration enforcement agencies for three years. years. Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Bush has died at age 41.

From member station WFAE, Kenneth Lee reports. Richard Childers Racing announced Thursday that Bush had been hospitalized with an unspecified severe illness and would miss this weekend's Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hours later, NASCAR announced his death. Bush was in his 22nd full-time season in NASCAR and won 63 races in the Cup series. In a joint statement, his soccer. family, Richard Childers Racing, and NASCAR called him a future Hall of Famer and a once-in-a-generation talent. Bush's final victory came just last week in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Dover

Motor Speedway and Delaware. Bush has survived by his wife, Samantha, and their two children. For NPR news, I'm Kenneth Lee and Charlotte. Indy car driver Alexander Rossi still planning to start Sunday's Indianapolis 500. During a Media Day interview on Thursday, Rossi told reporters that a medical team has cleared him to drive. Three days after having surgery on his right ankle and the middle finger of his left hand, he was injured in a crash during a practice run Monday. I'm Giles Snyder in PR News.