NPR News Now - NPR News: 06-04-2025 12PM EDT

Episode Date: June 4, 2025

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A lot of short daily news podcasts focus on just one story. But right now, you probably need more. On Up First from NPR, we bring you three of the world's top headlines every day in under 15 minutes. Because no one story can capture all that's happening in this big crazy world of ours on any given morning. Listen now to the up-first podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Tariffs on U.S. imports of steel and aluminum doubled today. The White House says the higher levies will help the U.S. economy and protect jobs in the steel industry. NPR's Scott Horsley reports, economists argue they'll raise prices on everything from vehicles to consumer goods. President Trump signed

an executive order boosting the tax on imported steel and aluminum from 25 to 50 percent, making good on a pledge he issued last week while visiting a steel mill outside Pittsburgh. Trump says the higher tariffs will help to protect the domestic steel and aluminum industries. History shows it will also raise prices for the much more numerous businesses that use those metals. The 50 percent import taxes could have far-reaching effects on the cost of everything from automobiles to beer cans.

The tariffs are authorized under a 1962 law designed to protect national security. That's different from the 1977 law Trump has relied on for many of his other tariffs, which is at the center of an ongoing court battle. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. The Trump administration wants to limit how long people can get federal rental assistance. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports the housing agency is writing a rule that would also allow work requirements. The rule could be proposed by this fall, according to an internal document seen by NPR. It would expand policies that right now only a few local housing authorities have the power to enact. It's part of a broader push to promote

self-sufficiency. Though critics say there's little evidence, these policies do that. Tacoma Housing Authority in Washington State recently ended its time limits. Executive Director April Black says tenants' wages could not keep up with skyrocketing rents. There was no way that we were going to exit people from a program knowing that they would become homeless. Expanding time limits and work requirements without going through Congress could also face a legal

challenge. Jennifer Lutten, NPR News. Today marks the 36th anniversary of the fatal crackdown on democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. NPR's Emily Fang reports the Chinese government lodged complaints with the U.S. Embassy in Beijing over remarks made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the attack. Rubio said the Chinese Communist Party, quote, tries to censor the facts and praise the bravery

of demonstrators in 1989. China's official count of those killed in the military response to the 1989 protests is 241 people, but other estimates are in the thousands. Residents in Hong Kong reported increased police presence on the streets in the lead-up to the June 4th anniversary, though tough national security laws imposed since 2020 now dissuade what used to be huge commemoration events in Hong Kong. Emily Fang, NPR News. This is NPR News in Washington.

A new report estimates that having a loved one in prison or jail costs families across the country a collective $350 billion each year. NPR's Meg Anderson reports the research aims to capture the hidden costs of incarceration. The advocacy organization Forward.us surveyed more than 1,600 people to try to capture the wide range of costs when a family member is sent to prison. Families pay for emails and phone calls to their loved ones. They travel to visit them and send what they can for the commissary. And they lose income, too, from the person behind bars and when other family members

have to cut hours to care for children. Zoe Towns is the organization's executive director. That's a lot of money, I think, for anybody. I think it's important to understand that it's actually falling on those families that can least afford it. The report comes at a time when incarceration rates across the country are creeping back upward after more than a decade of decline. Meg Anderson, NPR News. Smoke from wildfires burning across central Canada is drifting into

parts of the northern U.S. triggering air quality alerts from Montana to Michigan. Officials are urging people, especially those with breathing problems, to limit outdoor activity. Schools in some areas have canceled recess and cities are opening clean air shelters. Wildfire season is just beginning but smoke is already stretching across the border and health officials say this could be the new normal. On Wall Street, the Dow up 14 points. This is NPR. On the Planet Money podcast, you've seen them, those labels that say made in China or made in France, Dow up 14 points. This is NPR.