NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-28-2025 7AM EDT

Episode Date: May 28, 2025

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World news is important, but it can feel far away. Not on the State of the World podcast. With journalists around the world, you'll hear firsthand the effects of U.S. trade actions in Canada and China, and meet a Mexican street sweeper who became a pop star. We don't go around the world. We're already there. Listen to the State of the World podcast from NPR every weekday. Live from NPR News in Washington on Korova Coleman, the Trump administration has appealed

another immigration-related decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. This time the administration is hoping the justices allow for the deportations of migrants to South Sudan. NPR's Hima Nabustia reports the Homeland Security Agency says some countries will not take the migrants back. The administration arranged for South Sudan, a politically unstable country in Africa, to take them in. But a Massachusetts federal judge ruled anyone deported to anywhere that's not their country of origin needs more time to contest their deportation. Specifically, migrants should get an interview where they have a chance to say they may face violence or persecution if sent to a specific country. Trump officials hope the Supreme Court overrules this Massachusetts order, which applies nationwide. They argue the pause

on these so-called third party deportations hurts foreign policy and national security and intrudes on the executive branch's immigration policy powers. Hymanna Bustiyo, NPR News, Washington. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz today in Berlin. NPR's Rob Schmitz reports, Zelensky is seeking more military support as Russia escalates its bombing campaign in Ukraine. Since becoming Germany's chancellor a few weeks ago, Friedrich Merz has plunged into diplomatic efforts to try to secure a ceasefire and keep Western support for Ukraine intact.

Hours before Zelensky's visit to Berlin was announced, Merz said Germany was for the first time lifting range restrictions on weapons supplied to Kiev. The announcement drew immediate condemnation from Russia. Merz's foreign minister was also set to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss Russia's escalation in Ukraine. Zelensky says Ukraine is ready to hold peace talks at the highest level, including a trilateral meeting with himself, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and President Trump. Rob Schmitz, NPR News, Berlin. In the U.S., the latest results from a long-term study find that cash aid to low-income mothers did not improve their child's development in the first four years of life.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports the landmark project has tracked hundreds of poor children across the country. Researchers have compared babies whose mothers got more than $300 a month in cash aid with those who got just $20. They made headlines after the first year when the extra money appeared to boost brain activity. But now, three years later, they find no developmental differences. The study measured things like language, executive function, and social-emotional problems. Past research has linked higher scores on all of those with higher family income, but it was not clear if the money itself made the difference. The study was published in the National Bureau of Economic Research. The cash aid continues for two more

years when researchers will assess its impact again. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington. You're listening to NPR. The private company SpaceX launched its ninth Starship rocket yesterday. The massive rocket blasted off well, but later broke apart, officials think it was lost over the Indian Ocean. Home insurance companies in Texas are using aerial photos and artificial intelligence to decide if they want to keep insuring homes.

From member station KUT, Audrey McGlinchey reports homeowners are increasingly upset. Since 2023, the state of Texas has investigated at least a dozen complaints over the use of aerial photos. One resident, Elena Callahan, got a letter saying the insurance policy on her home near Houston would not be renewed unless she got a new roof. But Callahan says her roof is five years old and in good condition. Callahan worries her insurer was looking at the wrong house. She asked but never got copies of the aerial images. Where's the images? What images are they using? The use of aerial photos is one tool that insurers are using as more companies are choosing not to renew policies amid worsening storms. Federal data show that between 2020 and 2023,

the non-renewal rate in Texas nearly doubled. For NPR News, I'm Audra McGlinchey in Austin. A group of climate scientists is going to launch a 100-hour live stream event today. The group says this event is nonpartisan. It is intended to highlight the value that climate science brings to Americans and to the world. Some of the speakers will include scientists who have been fired from U.S. agencies, such

as the National Weather Service. The live stream event will conclude this Sunday, June 1st. That is also the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.