NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-25-2025 12AM EDT

Episode Date: May 25, 2025

NPR News: 05-25-2025 12AM EDTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A lot of short daily news podcasts focus on just one story. But right now, you probably need more. On Up First from NPR, we bring you three of the world's top headlines every day in under 15 minutes. Because no one story can capture all that's happening in this big crazy world of ours on any given morning. Listen now to the Up first podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. President Trump delivered the commencement

address for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point today. During his speech, the president congratulated the cadets for joining what he called the most elite and storied military academy in human history. I've been here many times going to high school, not so far away, a good place, also a military academy. Not quite of this distinction, but it was a lot of fun for me. And I just want to say hello, cadets. And on behalf of our entire nation, let me begin by saying congratulations to the West Point Class of 2025. You are winners, every single one of you.

Thank you. Trump also credited his administration with rebuilding the military and restoring its strength. He also criticized past administrations for involving the military in nation-building crusades and for implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. This was Trump's first military commencement speech of his second term. In a two-day forum, Senate Democrats questioned former officials about several health agencies about potential human impacts of Trump administration job cuts. NPR's Ritu Chatterjee reports, mental health was a focus for several lawmakers.

Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin asked about the recent cuts and proposed changes to the substance abuse in Mental Health Administration, or SAMHSA. How will the firings of SAMHSA staff and the proposal to shift SAMHSA into a new agency that we know very little about harm the progress that we've been seeing in reducing overdose deaths. The former chief of staff of SAMHSA, Trina Dutta, said it would push states to find other sources of funds for mental health and substance use care and could further reduce access to care.

Rita Chatterjee, NPR News. Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners on Saturday. NPR's Hanna Palomarenko reports the swap came as Russia launched a combined ballistic missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight, injuring at least 15 people. In Kiev, emergency services worked to clear rubble and extinguish fires. According to the Kiev city administration, it was one of the largest attacks on the capital. Yuri Ignat is a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force. The main means of air attack was directed at the capital from different directions, he said.

Ignat added that the Russians have modernized their ballistic missiles, making them harder to intercept. Hanna Polomarenko, NPR News, Kyiv. This is NPR. Dan Storper, the founder and CEO of the music label Puntemayo World Music died this week of pancreatic cancer. He was 74. NPR's Chloe Veltman reports Storper released hundreds of albums featuring artists from Cuba, South Africa and many other places. Puntemayo Music started off as a Latin American handicraft shop in New York City in 1975,

after Dan Staulper travelled to Colombia's Putumayo River Valley. In 1993, he started releasing compilations of music from around the world. This song by the Dominican Republic group Juan Luis Guerra is the opening track on Putumayo's inaugural Best of World Music Volume 1 World Vocal album. Putamayo releases many albums arranged by genre or country. In a 2011 NPR interview, Stauper explained this is intended to take the listener on a musical journey. Hopefully it's guaranteed to make you feel good.

Stauper said he was always on a quest to find great music. Chloe Veltman, NPR News. A federal judge in Boston is ordering the Trump administration to facilitate the return of a gay Guatemalan man that the U.S. deported to Mexico. Attorneys for the man argue that he wasn't given due process. The Justice Department admitted an error had been made. The man fled to Guatemala last year after getting death threats over his sexuality. Mexico has since returned him to Guatemala, where he is now hiding.

I'm Windsor Johnston, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.