NPR News Now - NPR News: 06-04-2025 6AM EDT

Episode Date: June 4, 2025

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President Donald Trump is testing the power of the presidency in ways that are stressing global financial markets, federal courts, and changing the United States relationship with the rest of the world. What is Trump trying to do and is it working? Trump's Terms keeps you up to speed. It's a short podcast where we curate NPR's coverage of the Trump administration. Trump's Terms. Listen in the NPR app wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. A few hours ago, U.S. tariffs on imported steel and aluminum took effect. They've doubled from 25 to 50 percent.

President Trump claims he'll protect U.S. jobs. Critics say it will cost more to buy sodas and new homes. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has sent a letter to U.S. trading partners. It warns today is the deadline to make their best offers in negotiations over the steep tariffs that President Trump proposed in April. NPR's Tamara Keith reports the pause on these tariffs will expire next month. Facing market backlash, President Trump paused the bulk of the tariffs, saying that would

allow time to negotiate bespoke deals with each trading partner. But well over halfway through the pause, the deals have been slow to come together. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt insists that will change soon. This letter was simply to remind these countries that the deadline is approaching and the president

expects good deals and we are on track for that. I will emphasize. She said administration officials are in active talks with key trading partners. The tariff pause is set to end on July 8th. Tamara Keith, NPR News. Billionaire Elon Musk has caused a sensation on Capitol Hill. Writing online, he sneered at the multi-trillion dollar spending bill narrowly passed by the House last month. Musk calls it a quote, disgusting abomination,

and he told lawmakers who voted for it that they should be ashamed. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who shepherded the bill through the House, has brushed off the criticism. With all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong about the one big beautiful bill. The bill is now in the Senate,

where Majority Leader John Thune says he hopes Musk reconsiders. Thune says he wants Musk to see updated figures that suggest the legislation could lead to economic growth. But other senators have echoed complaints about the bill's spending and its cuts. They've hinted they could withhold their votes. For the second year in a row, fewer students are dropping out of college. NPR Sequoia-Carrillo reports that is according to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

More than 43 million Americans have completed some college without ever earning a degree. While the number is still high, the trend may be turning around. Nearly all higher education institutions saw fewer stopouts between January 2022 and July 2023, compared with the same period a year earlier.

Adults are also returning to the classroom. During the 23-24 school year, 42 states and the District of Columbia saw an increase in re-enrollment for students. Doug Shapiro, the executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, said over one million adults returned to campuses last year, the most they've ever recorded.

Sequoia Carrillo, NPR News. On Wall Street and pre-market trading, Dow futures are up by about 50 points. You're listening to NPR. Federal immigration agents have detained the family of the suspect in the Boulder, Colorado attack from this week. The Homeland Security Secretary says authorities will investigate whether the suspect's wife or five children had any role in the fiery attack that injured 12 people. The suspect is facing attempted murder charges. Federal authorities claim he is illegally in the U.S.

South Korea's new president, Lee Jae Myung, has pledged to reunite a politically polarized nation and pursue pragmatic foreign policy. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul, he won snap elections held to replace his predecessor who was impeached for illegally imposing martial law.

E.J. Myong delivered his inaugural speech in parliament. He promised to restore peace, security, livelihoods, and a democracy damaged by martial law. E. beat his conservative rival 49% to 41%. Voter turnout was 71%, the highest since 1997. The White House called South Korea's election free and fair, but added that the U.S. is concerned and opposed to Chinese interference and influence in democracies around the world. Conspiracy theorists, including Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer, have also hinted at Chinese meddling in the election, but like the White House, have offered no evidence.

Anthony Kuhn in PR News, Seoul. The National Weather Service has posted more air quality warnings for more states today. They're getting smoke from Canadian wildfires. It is seeped south. Cautions are up from northern Minnesota and Michigan to Iowa. There are more air quality warnings in northern Ohio, too. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington. Do you ever look at political headlines and go, huh? Well, that's exactly Coleman, NPR News in Washington.