NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-25-2025 5PM EDT

Episode Date: May 25, 2025

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Imagine, if you will, a show from NPR that's not like NPR, a show that focuses not on the important but the stupid, which features stories about people smuggling animals in their pants and competent criminals in ridiculous science studies, and call it Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me Because the Good Names Were Taken. Listen to NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Yes, that is what it is called wherever You Get Your Podcast. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. Russia launched more than 350 missiles and drones on Ukraine overnight, killing at least

12 people and injuring scores of others. Ukrainian authorities say it was the largest single Russian aerial attack since the start of Russia's war in 2022. Empires Charles Maynes has more. The Russian attack struck cities and towns across Ukraine with images posted online showing several houses and apartment buildings reduced to rubble. Ukrainian officials accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians. Yet in a statement, Russia's defense ministry said it had carried out precision strikes

against a range of military targets. The ministry also accused Ukraine of sending waves of drones into Russian airspace for the third day in a row. All of this has unfolded as Moscow and Kiev made good on a pledge to free 1,000 prisoners from both sides, the lone substantive result from recent peace talks that saw Russia refuse to join Ukraine in agreeing to a U.S.-backed ceasefire. Charles Manz, NPR News, Moscow. A group of senators has begun to meet to talk about the budget bill that President

Trump helped push through the House last week. NPR's Amy Held reports now it's the Senate's turn to reckon with competing concerns from moderate and conservative Republicans. 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.

Today marks five years since a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, sparking protests around the world. NPR's Meg Anderson reports community members are divided on what should happen to the street corner where he died. This intersection is still partially blocked off, marked by murals and protest messages. For people like Marquise Bowie, it feels like an open wound. We're only going somewhere to kind of feel sad about a black man getting killed.

I don't see that being a good thing. He says nearby businesses have suffered since Floyd's murder. For people like Janelle Austin, the intersection is a sacred memorial site. As we choose to never forget what happened, it helps us understand how to move forward. She says returning to business as usual is not an option. The mayor has sided with the

former, the city council with the latter. That means for the foreseeable future, this intersection will stay as it is. Meg Anderson, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Gary Sinise and Esai Morales will co-host this year's National Memorial Day concert live from the U.S. Capitol this evening. The show will be broadcast on PBS at 8 p.m. Eastern. And here's Elizabeth Blair has more. 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. At the weekend box office, Disney's Lilo and Stitch took the top spot this holiday weekend with an estimated $145 million in ticket sales, making it the second biggest opening of the year after a Minecraft movie. Lilo and Stitch is a faithful remake of the 2002 original story

of a six-legged alien and a Hawaiian girl that's created a big cult following in the decades since. In second place, Paramount Pictures' Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning, with $63 million, could possibly be the last in the franchise to star Tom Cruise in a nearly three-decade run. I'm Janene Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.