NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-26-2025 4PM EDT

Episode Date: May 26, 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, wherever you get your podcasts. Noor Rahm Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Rahm. President Trump says the U.S. will delay 50 percent tariffs on goods from the European Union to buy more time for negotiations. Trump says the agreement came after a phone call

with the president of the European Commission. President Trump We had a very nice call and I agreed to move it. I believe June 9th would be, July 9th would be the date. That was the date she requested. Could we move it from June 1st to July 9th? And I agreed to do that and that she said we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out. In a social media post on Friday, Trump had threatened to impose 50 percent tariffs on European Union

goods, accusing the bloc of being very difficult to work with on trade. The tariffs were set to go into effect this week. China has been hewing to a fast-paced diplomatic schedule this week in Southeast Asia, where the country's top economic official is meeting with Malaysian officials. NPR's Emily Fang reports it's a bid to shore up the country's regional trade relationships. China is still in the middle of a temporary and partial reprieve from high US tariffs and while both the US and China say they're continuing trade negotiations, China is also strengthening its bilateral relationships with various

Southeast Asian countries. Earlier this month China's premier Li Qiang met with officials in Indonesia, including the president, and stressed jointly tackling global risks together. And this weekend, he's in Kuala Lumpur, where he's called for expanded trade with Malaysia. Xi Jinping, China's leader, also personally made a trip to Southeast Asia earlier this year as cumulative U.S. tariffs climbed to more than 100 percent. Emily Fang, NPR News. Charles Wrangel, a longtime member of Congress, died today at the age of 94. NPR's Jacqueline Diaz has more.

Former United States Congressman Charles Wrangel served 46 years in the House of Representatives. He was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. He also made history as the first African American member of Congress to lead the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Born and raised in Harlem, Wrangel represented what is now New York's 13th congressional district from 1971 to 2017. He played a big role in getting major legislation passed, including President Obama's Affordable Care Act. Before his time in Congress, he served in the New York State Assembly and

as an assistant U.S. attorney. He was also a veteran of the Korean War, earning a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. Jacqueline Diaz, NPR News. Congress is in recess for the Memorial Day holiday. When lawmakers return, the Senate is to take up a huge tax cut and spending bill passed last week by the House. The legislation would spend more money on defense and less on Medicaid and other programs that benefit lower-income Americans. Wealthier Americans would benefit more from reduced taxes. This is NPR News.

Texas is one step closer to requiring public schools display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Legislation is expected to clear a final vote in the next few days. Governor Craig Abbott has indicated he'll sign it into law. It's almost certain to be challenged in court as violating the Constitution. A similar law passed in Louisiana and is being litigated in federal court. Later this week, the European Space Agency will transmit an iconic piece of classical music into space. NPR's Rebecca Hirscher has more. Johan Strauss' Waltz, titled By the Beautiful Blue Danube, was featured in the classic 1968 film 2001 A Space Odyssey, and it's evoked space ever since.

On May 31st, the European Space Agency plans to transmit a live performance of the piece into deep space, using a transmitter in Spain that usually works on missions to Mars and the Sun. The event commemorates the founding of the European Space Agency 50 years ago and the birth of the composer Strauss 200 years ago. Rebecca Herscher, NPR News. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the summer movie hit Jaws. A British South African swimmer noted the occasion by swimming around Martha's Vineyard. Lewis Pugh swam for hours over 12 days and finished today. He told the AP he hosted changed the public's perception of sharks, that the film aligned them as cold-blooded killers.

I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington.