NPR News Now - NPR News: 06-05-2025 3PM EDT

Episode Date: June 5, 2025

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Shortwave thinks of science as an invisible force, showing up in your everyday life, powering the food you eat, the medicine you use, the tech in your pocket. Science is approachable because it's already part of your life. Come explore these connections on the Shortwave podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The Supreme Court has unanimously sided with a woman in Ohio who says she suffered discrimination at work because she's straight. NPR's Andrea Hsu reports the ruling is expected to make it easier for members of majority

groups to prove discrimination. Marlene Ames had been working for the Ohio Department of Youth Services when in 2019, she was passed over for a new job in management. The position went to a lesbian woman instead. Subsequently, Ames was demoted from her job as program administrator, and a gay man was hired in her place. Ames sued, alleging discrimination because she's straight. The lower court sided with her employer, citing a legal standard that requires white people, men, and those who are not gay to meet a higher bar when bringing a discrimination case. Justice Katanji Brown Jackson, who wrote the opinion for the court, agreed with Aime's

that there cannot be different standards for different groups of people. Andrea Hsu, NPR News. Bitterly partisan politics continue to play out between the current and former administrations. This week, President Trump issued a memo ordering a formal investigation into former President Joe Biden. The probe is expected to target Biden's cognitive decline and alleged mishandling of classified materials. Speaking in the Oval Office today, Trump also took aim at Biden for his use of an auto pen for official documents. I think the biggest scandal of the last many years is the auto pen. And who's using it? I happen to think I know, okay, because I'm here and I'm not a big open person, fortunately.

I'm glad. I'm very glad. It's an easy way out. At the same time, the person whose job it was to speak for the Biden administration, former White House press secretary, Kareen Jean-Pierre, announced she's leaving the Democratic Party calling the system broken. She's promoting a new memoir. Republicans say health care cuts in President Trump's massive tax cut and spending package would only impact healthy working age adults. But low income seniors also stand to lose coverage. Alex Olgan has more. Medicaid, the joint federal and state health insurance program, helps 12 million low income

seniors like 79-year-old Aline Shaheed afford health care. The Jacksonville, Florida resident is in a wheelchair and relies on Medicaid to help pay for her monthly Medicare premiums, doctors visits, drugs and home health aids. Everything revolves around having the home health aid. She is the lifeline to my independence. The Congressional Budget Office projects changes to the application and renewal process could cause a tenth of these people to lose Medicaid. Shahid says if that happens, she'll probably be forced to move into a nursing home. For NPR News, I'm Alex Olgan.

On Wall Street, the Dow is up 27 points. This is NPR News. Jury deliberations are underway in the retrial of Harvey Weinstein. The former movie producer is facing sexual assault charges in New York. The retrial follows the overturning of his 2020 conviction due to procedural errors. The number of immigrants in detention has gone up in recent months. NPR's Meg Anderson reports detention facilities are now over capacity and the government is intensifying its hunt for more space. Meg Anderson The federal government is holding almost 50,000

people in immigration detention, about a 20 percent increase since January. But the administration says its work is far from over and they're looking to the private prison sector for more space. Two of the largest private prison companies, GeoGroup and CoreCivic, have announced they're adding more than 6,000 beds in at least seven different states. Immigrant rights advocates have raised concerns about the government's reliance on private prisons for detention, saying profit comes at the expense of humane conditions. Representatives for GeoGroup and CoreCivic said those criticisms are baseless. Meg Anderson, NPR News.

Today marks World Environment Day. This year's theme is beat plastic pollution. The global campaign is urging individuals, businesses, and governments to reduce plastic usage and promote sustainable alternatives. Stocks are trading mixed on Wall Street at this hour, the Dow up 30 points, the Nasdaq Composite trading lower, down 78. I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News in Washington.