NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-24-2025 3PM 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. President Trump is overhauling the National Security Council, the foreign policy experts who advise the president. Earlier this month, Trump had replaced the National Security Adviser Michael Waltz with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Now, dozens of employees were fired yesterday. Some told at 4.30 p.m. they

should leave by 5. NPR's Greg Myrie has more. The NSC has grown over the years. There are periodic calls to scale it back. One of Trump's national security advisors in his first term, Robert O'Brien, recently wrote this in an op-ed. One source, for example, told NPR that the Middle East section at the NSC is being reduced from 10 staffers to five. So it appears to be an attempt to streamline the national security process, though again, we don't know precisely because it was done without notice or explanation. NPR's Greg Myrie, a federal judge has struck down President Trump's executive order, targeting the law

firm of Jenner and Blank. This is the second time a court has permanently blocked one of Trump's punitive orders against a major law firm. NPR's Ryan Lucas reports. In his 52-page ruling, U.S. District Judge John Bates says Trump's executive order violates the First Amendment and is unconstitutional. Bates says Trump picked Jenner because of the causes it champions, the clients it represents, and the lawyer it once employed.

He also says that Trump's targeting of Jenner and other law firms, quote, seeks to chill legal representation the administration doesn't like, thereby insulating the executive branch from the judicial check fundamental to the separation of powers. This ruling follows a similar one earlier this month from another federal judge striking down Trump's order targeting the law firm Perkins Cooey. Judges also have temporarily blocked Trump's orders against two other big law firms, but have yet to decide whether to block them permanently. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.

Kentucky has been approved for its third major disaster declaration this year. For Member Station WEKU, Stan Engold has more. Cleanup and recovery efforts are well underway in the town of London, Kentucky, where 17 people were killed in last week's tornado. More help has arrived in the form of individual federal assistance from FEMA. Earlier this week, James Poindexter was going through the wreckage of his damaged home. He said others in his neighborhood lost more than he did, and volunteers are helping everyone. It's about all of them. I mean, I was trying to get all their stuff, belongings and stuff that's scattered through

the neighborhood. He gave me this picture of my daughter. I mean, I'd never seen it again if he wouldn't have gave it to me. FEMA officials say the help is immediately available for victims of the May tornadoes. Much of the aid infrastructure was already in place due to two deadly flooding incidents earlier this year in Kentucky that also received major disaster declarations. For NPR News, I'm Stan Engold in Richmond, Kentucky. This is NPR News.

Ukraine and Russia exchanged more prisoners of war today, each releasing 307 soldiers. Hundreds of combatants and civilians were brought home yesterday. Ukrainian President Zelensky said on his Telegram channel that another swap is scheduled for tomorrow. Meanwhile, the war continues. Russia launched a drone and missile attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, overnight. Officials say at least 15 people were injured.

Movie theaters will be setting records this weekend with a one-two punch that NPR's Bob Mondello says is becoming a Hollywood habit. Two years ago, Barbenheimer showed that two films, if they had different audiences, could succeed on the same weekend. Last year, it was Glick-It, with Gladiator targeting guys, Wicked going for women and girls, this weekend it's Lilo and Stitch, and Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning. Smart people on every side are close to panicking. As with the others, the feminine side of the equation will make more money, but both films will do well. Not sure what to call the phenomenon. Stitch and Impossolilo, maybe? But together, by Monday, the two films are expected to take in close to a quarter of a billion dollars at American box offices.

Bob Mandelo, NPR News. Its Memorial Day weekend, AAA estimates that 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home this year. That would break a record set in 2005. Gas Buddy says drivers will find gas prices at their lowest levels in four years. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News.