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

Episode Date: May 24, 2025

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When Malcolm Gladwell presented NPR's Throughline podcast with a Peabody Award, he praised it for its historical and moral clarity. On Throughline, we take you back in time to the origins of what's in the news like presidential power, aging, and evangelicalism. Time travel with us every week on the Throughline podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President Trump is significantly downsizing his National Security Council. NPR's Quill Lawrence reports a large number of staff were terminated abruptly this afternoon.

Trump appears to be cutting the size of the National Security Council back to where it was during his previous term, according to sources that spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations. One U.S. official who lost their job said news of terminations came at 4.30 p.m. with instructions to leave the office by 5 p.m. The National Security Council is made up of subject matter experts that advise the president on a broad range of issues. Trump previously fired other members of the council at the suggestion of far-right activist Laura Loomer. His first

national security adviser, Mike Waltz, was removed from the job less than 100 days in after he accidentally leaked military plans to a journalist. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is currently also acting as national security adviser. Quill Lawrence, NPR News. President Trump has signed several executive orders aimed at giving a boost to nuclear power. NPR's Jeff Bromfield reports some worry the orders could affect safety in Americans reactors. Some of the orders encouraged the building of new test reactors and mining uranium but the most controversial calls for the reorganization of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The NRC was set up as a

powerful independent watchdog. Trump's executive order calls on it to speed for the reorganization of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The NRC was set up as a powerful, independent watchdog. Trump's executive order calls on it to speed approvals and reconsider radiation safety standards. Alison McFarland is a former NRC chair. She says having the White House interfere with nuclear regulations is a bad idea. I'm very concerned this will affect nuclear safety in the U.S. Very concerned. But supporters of the order say it will help speed development of new reactors that could power things like data centers used for artificial intelligence. Jeff Brumfield, NPR News.

A luxury jetliner gifted to the U.S. government by cutters waiting for a specialized overhaul to become the next Air Force One. That's after the U.S. officially accepted the gift earlier this week. But as NPR's Kat Lonsdorf reports, it will likely take a significant amount of money and time to overhaul the plane. President Trump has suggested the plane could be converted quickly. But experts say it will likely take years to rework it to meet the current standards set for Air Force One.

Doug Berkey, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, says the plane from Qatar is likely more luxurious than the current Air Force One. Doug Burkey, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, says the plane from Qatar is likely more luxurious than the current Air Force One. But there's no way it has any of the necessary communications or self-defense features required. Installing those is not an easy thing. I mean, you have to deconstruct the aircraft a fair amount to do that. That will cost hundreds of millions. In the meantime, Boeing already has two planes in production to replace Air Force One, but they're long delayed. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Washington. Stalks are going into the long holiday weekend on a bit of a downer amid the

latest Trump tariff threats. The Dow dropped 256 points. The NASDAQ fell 188 points today. This is NPR. than 88 points today. This is NPR. Musician Billy Joel is canceling all his scheduled concerts because of a medical diagnosis. NPR's Jennifer Madasko has more. A statement on Billy Joel's website says that he has a brain condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus. Excess fluid collects in the brain, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance. Joel is undergoing physical therapy, and his doctor has advised him to stop performing while he recovers, the statement said. He had been scheduled to perform concerts across the country with other artists including Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks, and Sting. Joel has been performing steadily since the 1970s, however until

recently he hadn't released new pop music in decades. That drought ended early last year with his new single called, Turn the Lights Back On, which he performed live at the Grammy Awards. Jennifer Vanasco, NPR News, New York. A Paris jury has found the ringleader and seven other individuals guilty in the 2016 armed robbery of Kim Kardashian. Two other individuals were acquitted in the case. Sentences being read by the court ranged from time in prison to fines. The stiffest sentence went to the 69-year-old ringleader of the operation, who received eight years in prison, though five of those were suspended. Three other individuals

in the case were also sentenced to prison time. The group was found guilty of forcing their way into an apartment where Kardashian was staying in 2016, tying her up and stealing jewelry worth millions of dollars. Critical futures prices moved higher today. Some buyers moved in ahead of the long holiday weekend to oil up 33 cents a barrel to 6153 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things and other currencies. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.