NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-25-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: May 25, 2025

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With a major shift in our politics underway in this country, 1A is drilling down on what's at stake for you and our democracy. In our weekly series, If You Can Keep It, we put these changes into focus and answer your questions about the impact of the Trump administration on the U.S. Join us every Monday for If You Can Keep It on the 1A podcast from NPR and WAMU. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The massive spending bill that passed the House last week is facing opposition in the Senate. NPR's Ron Elving reports the legislation had been blocked by House conservatives, but

then Thursday an updated measure passed by a razor-thin margin. The congressman's attitude changed more than the bill did. The dates changed a bit for requiring certain Medicaid recipients to have jobs. And then there was some tinkering with the timing of certain cuts. But the Congressional Budget Office says the bill still deepens the deficit and adds $3.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years. That's NPR's Ron Elving reporting. President Trump has signed off on federal assistance for six counties in Kentucky that were devastated when a deadly tornado hit last weekend. Karen Zarr from Member Station WUKY reports at least 19 people were killed. Just days after Kentucky applied for individual assistance

from the federal government, Governor Andy Beshear announced that the request was approved. Despite political differences, Beshear had high praise for the Trump administration following natural disasters. I disagree with this president on a lot of things, but the FEMA operation on the ground under his administration has been good. In fact, it's been really good.

Beshear anticipates the latest violent storm will quote, easily be a hundred plus million dollar natural disaster. Kentucky is still recovering from storms that hit the state in February and April. For NPR News, I'm Karen Zarr in Lexington. The United Nations says it fears more than 400 Rohingya refugees died at sea while trying to flee Bangladesh and Myanmar. Michael Sullivan reports the agency is still confirming the details.

The UNHCR says it believes two boats carrying more than 500 Rohingya sank on May 9th and 10th in the Endaman Sea, with fewer than 90 people rescued. The dire conditions in refugee camps in Bangladesh and in Rohingya communities in war-torn Myanmar have led the Rohingya to make the dangerous journey despite the beginning of the annual monsoon rains that make the journey even more treacherous. The fact they'd make the journey during the monsoon, the UNHCR says, reflects the refugees' increasing desperation given recent funding cuts by donor nations, including the U.S. Human rights groups warn more such journeys are likely. For NPR News, I'm Michael Sullivan in Chiang Rai. President Trump has announced that he's cutting back the National Security Council.

The president had previously fired other members of the council and removed Mike Walz as the National Security Advisor, replacing him with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. This is NPR News. Memorials and vigils were held on Saturday, marking three years since a mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 students and two teachers dead. It took 77 minutes for police standing outside the classroom where the gunman killed the children and teachers to enter. A section of the Pacific Coast Highway that has been closed to the public since the January Palisades fire has reopened. NPR's Liz Baker reports that local businesses are hopeful the reopening will bring a much-needed holiday weekend boost.

At the Malibu Country Mart, General Manager Stephen Mcnellis watches a parking lot start to fill up with holiday weekend shoppers. More than he's seen since January. It was pretty devastating. It's just been kind of a ghost town. Now that PCH has reopened, he thinks there's a chance this weekend will help businesses get somewhat back to normal. But Frank Millerin, working in a fashion sneaker store, says he's not convinced.

A lot of that traffic is going to be people just taking in the terrible devastation and it's going to be like a parking lot probably for a little bit. Rebuilding business like rebuilding from the fires won't be done in a weekend, even a long one. Liz Baker and Pure News, Malibu. Authorities in New York City say one person is dead after a boat carrying raw sewage exploded on the Hudson River. The Department of Environmental Protection says the blast occurred when workers were performing maintenance aboard the city-owned vessel. The explosion is suspected to have been triggered by ignited methane gas. Two other workers were injured.

This is NPR News in Washington. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things and other currencies. This is NPR News in Washington.