NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-24-2025 9AM EDT

Episode Date: May 24, 2025

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Politics is a lot these days. I'm Sarah McCammon, a co-host of the NPR Politics Podcast, and I'll be the first to tell you what happens in Washington definitely demands some decoding. That's why our show makes politics as easy as possible to wrap your head around. Join us as we make politics make sense on the NPR Politics Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. President Trump is significantly downsizing his national security council. NPR's Quill Lawrence reports a large number of staff have been abruptly terminated. 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 US 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 Walz, 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.

Today marks the second day of a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine. Hundreds of prisoners exchanged as part of a deal reached last week in Istanbul, where the two sides failed to reach a ceasefire agreement. NPR's Joanna Kikissis is in Kyiv. 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. Today, SWAP came hours after Keefe came under a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack. International students at Harvard facing uncertainty amid an attempt by the Trump administration to revoke the school's ability to enroll foreign students. The judge has put the move on hold for now pending Harvard's lawsuit. Justice Department says it's reached a deal with Boeing to drop criminal prosecutions over two fatal crashes of 737 MAX jets, despite the objections of family members of some of the

crash victims. Here's imperious Joel Rose. The Justice Department says it's reached an agreement in principle that would allow Boeing to avoid criminal prosecution. Boeing agreed last year to plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to defraud regulators about the safety of its planes after the crashes of two 737 MAX jets that killed 346 people. But a federal judge rejected that plea deal over concerns about the selection of an independent monitor. Now, prosecutors under the Trump administration say they've reached a non-prosecution agreement with Boeing. That would include more than $440 million for a crash victims fund.

But some family members of victims say they're outraged by the deal and plan to keep fighting it in court. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. And from Washington, you're listening to NPR News. Federal judge in Boston ordering the Trump administration to facilitate the return of a Guatemalan man who was deported to Mexico. The judge says the man who said he feared for his safety because he is gay was not given due process.

The judge issued his ruling after the Justice Department acknowledged error in the man's case. Major power outage has hit southeastern France. The electric utility RTE says some 160,000 homes in the region lost power after a high voltage line fell. Police are investigating whether the cause of the outage stemmed from a possible arson attack at a substation near Cannes, where the famous Cannes Film Festival is preparing to award its top prize tonight. For many single people today, knowing someone's political views may determine whether or not

to start a relationship. NPR's Alaina Moore reports that new data reveals how Americans feel about dating in politics. A majority of Americans under 45 say it's important to date or marry someone who shares their political views. That's according to the latest NPR-PBS News Marist poll. It's something that appears to matter less and less among older generations. Six in ten of 18- to 29-year-olds feel that way, compared to just a third of those over 60.

One reason that politics has become more salient is for a lot of people it becomes an easy shorthand for character or values. Daniel Cox is with the American Enterprise Institute. He also says that older generations may have prioritized factors such as religion or employment. For younger people today, political views are high on that list. Alaina Moore, NPR News. And I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News.

Conductor Robert Fron says a good melody captures our attention. And then it moves you through time. Music is architecture in time. If you engage in the moment with what you're listening to, you do lose a sense of the time around you. How we experience time. That's on the TED Radio Hour from NPR.