NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-25-2025 3PM EDT

Episode Date: May 25, 2025

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We've all been there running around a city looking for a bathroom but unable to find A very simple free market solution is that we could just pay to use a bathroom But we can't on the planet money podcast the story of how we once had thousands of pay toilets And why they got banned from planet money on NPR wherever you get your podcasts Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Rahm. A group of senators has begun to meet to discuss the budget bill President Trump helped push through the House last week.

NPR's Amy Hald reports it's the Senate's turn to reckon with competing concerns from moderate and conservative Republicans. Amy Hald The bill includes $3.8 trillion in tax cuts that skew to the wealthy and will add trillions to the deficit. That's a problem for fiscal hawks. We have to reduce the deficit. Senator Ron Johnson, Republican from Wisconsin, spoke to CNN. We need to focus on spending, spending, spending.

The bill calls for about $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, largely on social safety net programs. House Speaker Mike Johnson tells CNN now is not the time for the Senate to meddle much with the bill. Because remembering that we've got to pass it one more time to ratify their changes in the House, and I have a very delicate balance here. Senate Majority Leader John Thune says they will put their stamp on the legislation. Amy Held and PR News. Events in Minneapolis are underway today

to mark five years since the police killing of George Floyd. Matt Sepick of Minnesota Public Radio has more. A religious service gospel concert and candlelight visual round out a weekend of public gatherings to honor Floyd and the racial justice movement that his murder ignited. The 46 yearold black man died after a white policeman kneeled on his neck and back for more than nine minutes.

Former officer Derek Chauvin is serving concurrent state and federal prison sentences of around 20 years. Matt Sepick reporting, events honoring Floyd are being held at what is now called George Floyd Square, the intersection in Minneapolis where he was killed. Russia has launched one of its biggest attacks on Ukraine so far. George Floyd Square, the intersection in Minneapolis where he was killed. Russia has launched one of its biggest attacks on Ukraine so far.

President Zelensky called for more pressure on Moscow, saying the silence of U.S. and others only encourages Vladimir Putin. The BBC's Sasha Schlifter reports. It was a second straight night of relentless bombardment. Nearly 400 drones and missiles were launched across Ukraine. More than a dozen people were killed, including three children. A clearly angry and exasperated President Zelensky wrote, the world may be taking a weekend off, but the war continues. America's silence, he said, the silence of the rest of the world

only encourages Putin. And without really strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped. BBC's Sasha Schlachter, Ukraine and Russia ended a three-day prisoner exchange today in all a thousand combatants and civilians were freed by each side. Health officials in Gaza say that at least 23 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes last night into today. The Israeli military is vowing to destroy Hamas and seize full control of Gaza. It says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas because it operates in densely areas. This is NPR News.

The Texas House of Representatives is expected to pass a bill that would require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. It specifies it must be the King James version. Governor Greg Abbott has indicated he will sign it. It's almost certain to be challenged in court as violating the First Amendment to the Constitution. A similar law passed in Louisiana and is being litigated in federal court. Gary Sinise and Isai Morales will co-host this year's National Memorial Day concert live from the U.S. Capitol this evening. It will be broadcast on PBS at 8 p.m. Eastern.

NPR's Elizabeth Blair has details. This year's concert will include special tributes to World War II soldiers and to Vietnam War Air Medevac units known as Dustoff crews. Musical performers include gospel star Yolanda Adams and country singer and veteran Scotty Hastings. Last year, longtime co-host Gary Sinise's son died from cancer. Max Sinise was a composer. The National Symphony Orchestra will perform one of his patriotic pieces. In addition to PBS, the National Memorial Day concert will stream live on YouTube.

Elizabeth Blair, NPR News, Washington. It's the day before Memorial Day. Time for the Indianapolis 500. This is the 109th running of the auto race. Seats in the grandstand sold out for the first time since 2016. There are 33 drivers, mostly veterans, but a rookie, Robert Schwartzman, won the pole position. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington. 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.