NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-23-2025 9AM EDT

Episode Date: May 23, 2025

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Hey, it's Sarah Gonzalez. The economy has been in the news a lot lately. It's kind of always in the news and Planet Money is always here to explain it. Each episode we tell a sometimes quirky, sometimes surprising, always interesting story that helps you better understand the economy. So when you hear something about cryptocurrency or where exactly your taxes go, yes, I was. Listen to the Planet Money podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. Harvard University is again suing the Trump administration. This follows the administration's decision to revoke the university's ability to enroll international students. NPR's Alyssa Nadwarni reports Harvard is challenging this. In a statement, Harvard said the action was

unlawful. They called it retaliatory and said it threatened serious harm to the Harvard community and our country. Harvard is already suing the Trump administration over research funding cuts related to accusations of anti-Semitism on campus, and that trial is set to start in July. And Piers-Alissa Nadworni reporting. President Trump says starting June 1st, he will impose 50 percent tariffs on the European Union unless it changes its posture on trade with the U.S.

He's also threatening to impose at least 25 percent tariffs on Apple unless it makes iPhones in the U.S. Addiction experts are weighing in on the multi-trillion dollar spending bill passed by the House yesterday. The experts warn cuts to Medicaid mean that a lot of Americans will lose health insurance. NPR's Brian Mann reports this coverage helps people recover from addiction to fentanyl and other street drugs. The House bill aims to trim hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicaid spending over the next decade. The Congressional Budget Office found millions of Americans would lose health insurance

under this plan. Keith Humphrey is a drug policy expert at Stanford University, says additional bureaucracy and work requirements mean people suffering drug addiction would be most vulnerable. In that situation where you have a struggling, troubled group of people interacting with a hard to deal with bureaucracy, it is inevitable that some people will fall through the cracks. This comes as drug deaths plummeted 27 percent last year, driven in part by more spending on Medicaid under the Biden administration. The House spending bill still faces hurdles in the Senate. Brian Mann, NPR News.

The U.S. Supreme Court has given President Trump the power to fire key federal agency leaders. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports the Supreme Court vote was 6 to 3, with the Court's liberals in angry dissent. Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's Nina Totenberg, MPR's

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that the Fed is different and is insulated from at-will firing. Writing for the three dissenters, Justice Kagan blasted the majority for taking the extraordinary step of overturning a nearly century-old precedent, quote, by Fiat, without full briefing and arguments. What matters most here, she said, is that Congress provided for these leaders to serve full terms, protected from a president's desire to substitute his political allies. Nina Totenberg, NPR News, Washington.

On Wall Street in pre-market trading, Dow futures are plunging down by more than 500 points. This is NPR. The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked Oklahoma from creating the nation's first publicly funded by more than 500 points. This is NPR. The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked Oklahoma from creating the nation's first publicly funded religious charter school. The Supreme Court's tie vote meant a decision by Oklahoma's highest court stays in place, barring the charter school.

The U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett had recused herself from the decision. The Oklahoma charter school had sought taxpayer dollars. It said it would be a genuine instrument of the Catholic Church, led by church doctrine. A panel of independent food and drug administration advisors has recommended the next formula for the COVID-19 vaccines. NPR's Rob Stein has details. After a day-long meeting, the FDA advisors unanimously recommended next fall's COVID-19 vaccines, and Beers-Robb Stein has details. After a day-long meeting, the FDA advisors unanimously recommended next fall's COVID-19 boosters target a

version of the JN1 variant. The recommendation was based on data that shows that vaccines that target JN1 would protect people against the latest strains of the virus. The recommendation comes after the FDA announced a new approach for the COVID vaccines. The new strategy would likely limit the strains of the virus. The recommendation comes after the FDA announced a new approach for the COVID vaccines. The new strategy would likely limit the availability of the vaccines to those at highest risk, people age 65 and older, and those with other health problems

that make them vulnerable to serious COVID complications. Rob Stein and Pure News. Talks have opened in Rome between U.S. and Iranian negotiators. They're discussing Iran's nuclear program. Iran says it's only for peaceful purposes. The U.S. says Iran could use it to build a weapon. Both sides say they prefer to use diplomacy, but they are at odds on whether Iran can have the nuclear program at all. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.