NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-27-2025 12AM EDT

Episode Date: May 27, 2025

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On NPR's Thru Line, witnesses were ending up dead. How the hunt for gangster Al Capone launched the IRS to power. Find NPR's Thru Line wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. French President Emmanuel Macron says he hopes President Trump's anger towards Russia will translate into action. Macron's remarks came after Trump criticized Russian leader Vladimir Putin for his massive air assault on Ukraine, calling him crazy, warning of possible sanctions.

Here's NPR's Eleanor Beardsley. Macron said he hoped Trump's indignation would result in the U.S. coming together with the Europeans for a much bigger sanctions package, one that could, quote, dissuade Russia and finally bring an end to the conflict. He added, I believe that President Trump realizes when President Putin told him on the phone he was ready for peace that he was lying. Over the last three nights, the Kremlin launched its largest missile and drone assault on Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war.

Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Maersk now says that Germany, Britain and France will no longer impose restrictions on the use of their long-range weapons. He said Ukraine can now defend itself by attacking military facilities in Russia. Eleanor Beardsley in PR News, Paris. British police say a 53-year-old man is in custody, believed to be the driver of a minivan that plowed into a crowd of soccer fans celebrating Liverpool's Premier League Championship. More than 45 people were injured, including at least four children. Community violence interrupters are scrambling for alternative sources of

funding. NPR's Martin Costey reports on the money crunch following the Trump administration's cancellation of federal grants in April. The Trump administration cut about $170 million in grants to community safety groups, including violence interrupters, people trained to work with young people in a neighborhood who are in danger of being drawn into violence. Akilah Sherrells, a pioneer in this kind of work, says the timing is terrible. Black and brown organizations who are providing direct services in neighborhoods that have traditionally experienced high levels of violence are being cut right before the summer.

And summertime is traditionally, you know, when violence spikes in neighborhoods. The Justice Department calls the grants discretionary and not aligned with administration priorities, but it also says groups may appeal to try to have the grant money restored. Martin Kosty, NPR News. The trial of four Russian nationals accused of raising money for the terrorist group Islamic State underway in the German city of Hamburg, in Pierce Rob Schmitz reports. The charges against the four Russian defendants include being members of a foreign criminal organization and supporting a foreign terrorist organization. The four are alleged to have used their social networks to raise nearly $200,000 for the Islamic State group.

The case is one of several underway in Germany against those collecting donations for Islamic State. German security officials say the threat posed by Islamist extremists in Germany is serious, even though a recent report showed the majority of politically motivated crimes in Germany are committed by right-wing extremists. Rob Schmitz, NPR News, Berlin. And you're listening to NPR News. Officials in Louisiana are reporting progress in recapturing the inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail ten days ago. Louisiana State Police say authorities have recaptured three more of the ten who broke out. One was arrested by local police in Baton Rouge. Police caught up with two others in Walker County, Texas. That leaves two who are still on the run. Recovery efforts

are ongoing in London, Kentucky, where a powerful tornado touched down more than a week ago. 19 people were killed. Karen Czar of member station WUKY reports on the federal response. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump signed off on Kentucky's request for disaster assistance for six counties impacted by the May 16th storms.

Daniel Bernardi, public information officer for FEMA, said the approval paved the way for individual federal disaster assistance, including a one-time payment of $770 from the Serious Needs Assistance Program. It's for serious needs like food, water, gasoline, baby formula, breastfeeding equipment, that kind of thing. As of this morning, FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers are open in two of the six counties, approved for assistance.

For NPR News, I'm Karen Zahr in London, Kentucky. Singer Billie Eilish has won the top honor at the American Music Awards in Las Vegas. She's been named Artist of the Year during Monday night's ceremony selected by fan votes. Eilish also won all seven categories in which she was nominated including album of the year, song of the year and favorite touring artists. This is MPR News. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things and other currencies.

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