NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-28-2025 5AM EDT

Episode Date: May 28, 2025

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This is Ira Glass, the host of This American Life. So much is changing so rapidly right now with President Trump in office. It feels good to pause for a moment sometimes and look around at what's what. To try and do that, we've been finding these incredible stories about right now that are funny and have feeling and you get to see people everywhere making sense of this new America that we find ourselves in. This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. There are reports of injuries in Gaza

after the Israeli military opened fire when large crowds overran a new aid distribution site set up by Israel and a US-backed group. One official in Geneva, a UN official, says dozens of people were wounded. As authorities in Washington, D.C., continue to investigate last week's fatal shootings of two Israeli Embassy staff members,

family and friends gathered in Kansas yesterday to mourn one of the victims. As Salisa Kolakal reports, the two were shot outside the Capitol Jewish Museum in what's being investigated as a hate crime and an act of terrorism. Sarah Milgram was born and raised in Prairie Village, Kansas. Milgram and her partner, Yaron Lishiski, were fatally shot after attending an event for the American Jewish Committee.

The couple met through their jobs at the Israeli embassy and were about to get engaged. Jay Lewis, president of Kansas City's Jewish Federation, remembered Milgram as a bright young woman dedicated to her Jewish faith. At her core, Sarah dedicated her life personally and professionally to strengthening her community, to building bridges, and to bringing people closer together. Her beloved, Lishiski, was a devout Christian from Israel. The man accused of ending their lives is charged with first degree murder.

For NPR News, I'm Salisa Kolokol in Kansas City. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russian President Vladimir Putin is making it clear he's not interested in ending the war with Kiev. NPR's Polina Litvinova in Kiev reports on Zelensky's latest remarks. In recent days, Russia has launched more than 900 drones on Ukraine. Zelensky says it's a sign that Russia wants to continue the war. In his address, he asked Ukraine's allies

for new sanctions. Russia deserves full-scale pressure, he says, everything that can be done to limit its military capabilities. Meanwhile, Russian forces have occupied four villages in the northeastern Sumy region. Local authorities report the Russians are trying to advance to take more territories under control. Polina Litvinova, NPR News, Kyiv. Last night's launch of SpaceX's Starship on another crewless test flight started out well.

But the mood at the SpaceX starbase near Brownsville, Texas quickly changed when the vehicle's cargo doors would not open properly, preventing the deployment of more Starlink satellites. A short time later, the test flight ended when the spacecraft made an uncontrolled reentry doors would not open properly, preventing the deployment of more Starlink satellites. A short time later, the test flight ended when the spacecraft made an uncontrolled re-entry into Earth's atmosphere and broke apart. This was the ninth test flight of the Starship vehicle. NASA hopes to one day use Starship to get astronauts to and from Mars. This is NPR News. An explosion at a chemical plant in eastern China has left at

least five people dead and more than a dozen others injured. As NPR's Alwin Cao reports from Beijing, several people are still unaccounted for. A massive explosion sent a towering plume of gray and orange smoke into the sky, shattering windows and prompting a major rescue operation. Sabre Custer CCTV says the blast happened just before noon at a workshop run by Shandong Youdao Chemical, a company that makes pesticides and pharmaceuticals. So far, the cause remains unknown.

Hours after the blast, thick smoke still hang over the site as firefighters work to control the smoldering wreckage. Residents nearby were checking damage to their homes and bl the wind, worried about toxic fallout. While workplace safety in China has improved, serious accidents remain a concern. The incident has drawn comparisons to the 2015 Tianjin explosions, where over 100 people were killed after blasts tore through a chemical warehouse. Al Wenzhao, NPR News, Beijing. Olympic gymnastics champion Mary Lou Retton is facing a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence in her West Virginia hometown. Police say Retton failed a field sobriety test after she was stopped in Fairmont earlier this

month. Police say they stopped Retton after receiving a report of a person in a Porsche driving erratically. Retton won five Olympic medals at the Games in Los Angeles in 1984, including gold. She was the first American female gymnast to win the all-around competition. Wall Street Futures are on the downside this morning. I'm Dave Mattingly in Washington. A lot of short daily news podcasts focus on just one story. I'm Dave Mattingly in Washington.