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Episode Date: June 2, 2025

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Russian and Ukrainian officials have concluded a second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey. The short negotiations came just a day after Ukraine launched a surprise drone attack on air bases deep in the Russian heartland. NPR's Charles Maines reports from Moscow. Moscow insists it has the upper hand on the battlefield and is demanding Ukraine cede territory and ambitions to join the NATO alliance and to militarize. Yet the talks come a day after Ukraine launched surprise drone attacks on several remote Russian

air bases. The timing of the operations seem designed to show Kiev's military potential remains, even as it says it's willing to sign on to a U.S. back ceasefire. President Trump has welcomed the direct talks and signaled progress towards peace or lack thereof. We'll determine the U.S.' next steps, including possibly sanctions on Russia if Trump feels the Kremlin is dragging out negotiations. Charles Mainz, NPR News, Moscow.

The FBI is helping authorities in Boulder, Colorado, after eight people were set on fire and injured during a peaceful demonstration yesterday. Authorities say a 45-year-old suspect used a homemade flamethrower and incendiary devices against a group marching in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza. The officials allege the man yelled, free Palestine. The attack is being investigated as terrorism. The Senate returns today from its recess. Senators must soon take up the House-passed government spending bill. The

multi-trillion dollar measure eked out a victory in the House by one vote. And B.R. Tamara Keith says it's controversial because it features cuts to social programs such as Medicaid and food stamps. The big questions are how hard it will be for Senate Republicans to pass this and how many changes they'll make to the House version. There's a lot of pressure on Senate Republicans because this basically contains Trump's entire domestic agenda, all in one bill, tax cuts, immigration spending, cuts to Medicaid and other programs.

NPR's Tamara Keith reporting. Stocks opened lower this morning as companies that rely on steel and aluminum braced for higher tariffs. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped nearly 400 points in early trading. President Trump says he plans to double the existing tariff on imported steel and aluminum from 25 to 50 percent. Stocks of steel producers rose on the news, but the much larger number of businesses that

use steel and aluminum are warning of higher prices on everything from six packs of soda pop to building materials and washing machines. The White House is relying on a national security statute to justify the steel and aluminum tariffs so they don't face the same legal challenge that's called many of the President's other import taxes into question. OPEC and its allies agreed over the weekend to boost oil production, but not as much as forecasters expected. Crude oil prices are up today, but retail gasoline prices are down.

Scott Horsley, MPR News, Washington. On Wall Street, the Dow is now down 390 points. This is NPR. A California State Parole Board has recommended parole for one of cult leader Charles Manson's followers. Patricia Krenwinkel is serving a life prison term for her role in the grisly murders of pregnant actor Sharon Tate and six other people in 1969. Krenwinkel is 77.

She was previously denied parole by California Governor Gavin Newsom. Heavy wildfires in central and western Canada have forced more than 25,000 people to flee in three provinces. Most of the evacuations are in Manitoba. That province lies to the north of Minnesota and North Dakota. The smoke from the wildfires is seeping south. Most of Minnesota is under an air quality alert. The Tyre Corporation, Goodyear, is celebrating the 100th anniversary tomorrow of its fleet of blimps. From member station WKSU in Akron, Ohio, Kabir Bhatia has more. Goodyear was already making airships for the military when it launched

its first officially branded Goodyear blimp on June 3, 1925. Goodyear Assistant Chief Pilot Adam Basran says they have a fleet of three. Each blimp rotates between air docks in Florida, California and Ohio to ensure equal exposure to the elements. Down in Papano they have salt air pretty close to the base. Out in LA it's a sunnier environment so there's UV issues. And here at Winkfoot Lake we have an extended downtime in the winter. The Goodyear blimp is largely used as an advertisement for the company. Despite the name, the current models are technically classified as semi-rigid airships. For NPR News, I'm Kabir Bhatia

in Akron. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington. The news can feel like a lot on any given day, but you can't just ignore it when big, even world-changing events are happening. That's where the Up First podcast comes in. Every morning and under 15 minutes, we take the news and pick three essential stories so you can keep up without getting stressed out. Listen now to the Up First podcast from NPR.