NPR News Now - NPR News: 05-31-2025 12AM EDT

Episode Date: May 31, 2025

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These days, there's a lot of news. It can be hard to keep up with what it means for you, your family, and your community. Consider This from NPR is a podcast that helps you make sense of the news. Six days a week, we bring you a deep dive on a story and provide the context, backstory, and analysis you need to understand our rapidly changing world. Listen to the Consider This podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. President Trump announced Friday that he's going to double the current tariffs on imported steel to 50%. The increase could further push up prices for the metal, which is used in many products,

from cars to home construction and even kitchen appliances. Empress Franco Ordoñez has more. He walked onto the stage to his campaign music and he delivered a very political speech. I mean, he tacked Biden, he touted how much he loves tariffs, and it was actually when he was talking about his tariff agenda when he stopped to say that he had another big announcement to deliver. And he told the crowd that he's doubling tariffs on foreign steel imports. Later, Trump also said he was doubling tariffs on aluminum imports as well.

The Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to revoke, at least for now, a Biden-era program that gave migrants from unstable countries temporary legal status in the U.S. As NPR's Adrian Florida reports, the decision means half a million people could now face deportation. The court's order was brief and unsigned, but its ramifications were clear. The government can, for the time being, move forward with expelling about 500,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua who benefited from the program known as humanitarian

parole. The Biden administration had temporarily allowed them into the U.S. as long as they had a private sponsor. President Trump tried to revoke their status on his first day in office, but lower courts blocked him. The program's ultimate fate is still being litigated, but for now the justices have said deportations can proceed. Justices Katanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor dissented, citing, quote, the devastating consequences of allowing the government to precipitously upend the lives of close to half a million people. Adrian Pleriva, NPR News.

Senators Lindsey Graham, a Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, are visiting the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. MPR's Hannah Palamarenko reports that Ukraine's president and a bipartisan delegation discussed imposing new sanctions on Russia, as well as trade and defense cooperation. Thank you for coming in Kiev for evidence. President Zelensky thanked the U.S. lawmakers for co-sponsoring a bill that would impose 500 percent tariffs on goods from countries that purchase Russian oil products. It has already received the support of more than 80 U.S. senators.

Senator Lindsey Graham said in Kiev these sanctions could break Russia's military machine. Russia is playing a game at the expense of the world, not just the United States. We're going to change that game for Russia. The game that Putin's been playing is about to change. The senators emphasized that if Putin does not agree to serious peace talks to end the war in Ukraine, these sanctions could come into effect. Hanna Polomarenko, NPR News, Kyiv. Stocks closed mixed on Friday.

The Dow Jones industrials were up 54 points. The Nasdaq closed down 62. The S&P was basically the same. This is NPR News. The death toll continues to rise following head of the flooding earlier this week in central Nigeria. Officials say more than 100 people have been killed as Michael Koloki reports many others are also missing. Rescue efforts are underway to find those who are missing following torrential rains in the country's Niger State. Many residents have been displaced after floodwaters damaged their homes, while transportation

has been hindered after roads in various areas were submerged. Nigeria is prone to flooding during the country's rainy season, which lasts from April to October. This year, authorities have warned of heavy downpours in at least 15 of the country's 36 states. Three years ago, more than 600 people were killed and over a million others displaced, following severe flooding in various parts of the country. For NPR News, I'm Michael Koloky in Nairobi. The UN Security Council voted on Friday to extend an arms embargo on South Sudan.

Increasing political tensions in that African nation have led the UN to warn that the country could fall into another civil war. The arms embargo, along with travel bans and the freezing of assets on some South Sudanese will now remain in effect until June of 2026. South Sudan is the world's newest country. Milo Seigo shot a 666 on Friday and leads the and leads the U.S. Women's Golf Open at Erin

Hills in Wisconsin after two rounds. Her two-day total of 8-under-136 gives her a three-stroke lead going into weekend play. Nellie Korda, meanwhile, is in second place after posting a 67. She's the world's top-ranked player. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things and other currencies. player. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.