NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-25-2025 9PM EDT

Episode Date: May 26, 2025

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When Malcolm Gladwell presented NPR's Throughline podcast with a Peabody Award, he praised it for its historical and moral clarity. On Throughline, we take you back in time to the origins of what's in the news, like presidential power, aging, and evangelicalism. Time travel with us every week on the Throughline podcast from NPR. 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. NPR's Charles, 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 in agreeing to a U.S.-backed ceasefire. Charles Manz, NPR News, Moscow. When the Senate returns from its Memorial Day holiday, it's expected to take up President Trump's huge tax cut and spending bill that was narrowly passed by the House last week by just one vote. The bill includes $3.8 trillion in tax cuts that skew to the wealthy and about $1.5 trillion

in spending cuts largely on social safety net programs. And Piers Mara-Lyson has more. It was a big win for Trump. It showed his rock solid hold on the Republican Party. Now this bill goes on to the Senate, which will want to make changes. But it's certain that this tax cut bill is going to become exhibit A in the midterm elections. It does skew to the wealthy with cuts to Medicaid. And both Democrats and Republicans think the politics of this bill is going to work for

them in the midterms. Danielle Pletka And Piers Mara-Lyson reporting. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson warned senators not to meddle with the bill, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune says they will put their own stamp on it. The Republican-led Texas State House of Representatives passed a law today requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in all public school classrooms in the state. Houston Public Media's Andrew Schneider says the measure is all but certain to lead to a First Amendment court challenge.

Republican State Representative Candi Noble sponsored the measure in the House. The displaying of the Ten Commandments in our Texas classrooms will bring back this historic tradition of recognizing America's foundational heritage in both our educational and judicial systems and remind students of the importance of this cornerstone of American and Texas law. During debate, several Democrats said roughly a third of Texans are neither Christian nor Jewish and do not consider the Ten Commandments foundational to their belief systems. Following a final concurrence by the state Senate

the bill will go to Governor Greg Abbott who is expected to sign it. For NPR News, I'm Andrew Schneider in Houston. You're listening to NPR News. King Charles will open Canada's Parliament Tuesday, becoming only the second monarch in Canada's history to do so. His mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, was the first to participate in the historic ritual in 1977. Charles heads to the country tomorrow at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney, and the two-day visit is meant to underscore Canada's sovereignty after President Trump repeatedly said he wanted to make the country the 51st state of the United States. Britain

and Canada are constitutional monarchies, and King Charles is king of both. Authorities in Kenya have begun moving critically endangered black rhinos to a new sanctuary and bid to try to ensure their survival. Michael Koloki has more from Nairobi. Michael Koloki The Kenyan government, in conjunction with the Zakes Foundation, a conservation agency, have begun the process of relocating 21 black rhinos from various wildlife sanctuaries in the country to a newly established rhino sanctuary in northern Kenya.

Rebecca Miano, Kenya's wildlife minister says the goal is to secure the future for the species in Kenya, which is home to just over 1,000 black rhinos. Priced for their horns, rhino poaching is still a significant threat across Africa. Black rhinos, recognized as a critically endangered species, have also faced the threat of an increased loss of habitat. For NPR News, I'm Michael Kaloki in Nairobi. Wall Street is closed tomorrow in observance of Memorial Day. I'm Janene Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

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