NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-24-2025 2PM EDT

Episode Date: May 24, 2025

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As NPR's daily economics podcast, the indicator has been asking businesses how tariffs are affecting their bottom line. I paid 800,000 today. You paid $800,000 in tariffs today. Yes. Wow. And what that means for your bottom line. Listen to the indicator from Planet Money.

Find us wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. The Supreme Court is temporarily blocking a watchdog group from accessing records from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. NPR's Bobby Allen reports. BOBBY ALLEN The nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is suing the Trump administration to uncover details about Doge's

dealings in the U.S. government. The lawsuit argues Doge is exceeding its legal authority and asks that internal communications, financial disclosures and other documents be released to the public. A federal district judge found Doge is likely subject to Freedom of Information Act requests. But after an appeal, Chief Justice John Roberts is pausing that ruling, meaning Doge records do not have to be turned over as the appeals process continues. It's a win for the Trump administration, which has stated Doge is operating transparently despite most of its activities being shrouded in secrecy. Those activities have resulted in tens of thousands of federal workers being fired and

the unwinding of entire government agencies. Bobbi Allen in PR News. In another lawsuit, a federal judge has blocked, for now, the Trump administration's attempt to revoke Harvard's ability to enroll foreign students. For Member Station GBH, Kirk Carapazza reports. The Department of Homeland Security said Harvard couldn't enroll foreign students because it didn't provide disciplinary records from campus protests. Harvard called the move unlawful and retaliatory, and a judge agreed,

issuing a temporary restraining order letting the university sponsor 7,000 international students, most of whom pay full tuition. Geraldo Blanco directs the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College. The top universities in the United States, now they all are under this cloud of uncertainty that their ability to enroll international students could be revoked just by a signature. Blanco says these attacks on Harvard and other selective schools could have lasting effects on U.S. higher ed. For NPR News, I'm Kurt Carripezza in Boston.

Today marks the second day of a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. Hundreds of prisoners were released as part of a deal reached last week in Istanbul where the two sides failed to reach a ceasefire agreement. NPR's Juenica Kisses is at the border where the exchange took place. This is the 65th prisoner exchange since the beginning of the full-scale invasion but it's the biggest one. It's happening over three days to accommodate a thousand Ukrainians. And this exchange came out of the talks in Istanbul between Ukrainian and Russian representatives.

It's the only breakthrough from these talks. It's the one area where Russia and Ukraine can cooperate. However, there are still thousands of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia. Many are civilians. Some of these were freed already in the first day of this exchange. Most of the families we met here, though, were waiting for soldiers. NPR's Juenica kisses. Meanwhile, the war continues. At least 15 people were wounded overnight in a Russian attack on Kiev. This is NPR News. German police said today it appears there was no political motivation for yesterday's knife attack at a train station in Hamburg.

Eighteen people were stabbed. They're said to be in stable condition. The suspect, a 39-year-old woman, is in custody. Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado has died at the age of 81. He was celebrated around the world for his powerful portrayals of nature and humanity. Julia Cornejo has this remembrance. Sebastião Salgado traveled the globe to capture places ravaged by the human hand and places left untouched.

His silvery black and white pictures reveal the depths of the Amazon, the plight of refugees, the human struggle to survive,, the plight of refugees, the human struggle to survive and the sheer might of nature. Last year, when he won the Sony World Photography Awards for outstanding contribution, he told the BBC the stories were what mattered most. In having the opportunity to be there, to look the things from inside that to know people to be in touch of the planet This only the photographs have that is a huge privilege in a statement Salgado's family said he fought tirelessly quote for a more just humane and ecological world through his lenses For NPR news. I'm Julia carneiro in Rio

Southeastern France was hit by a major power outage today as the Cannes Film Festival was preparing to hand out its top prizes. Officials say about 160,000 homes and businesses lost electricity. The festival says it switched to an independent power supply and the show is going on. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News. On NPR News.