NPR News Now - NPR News: 06-05-2025 9PM EDT

Episode Date: June 6, 2025

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Before talking to computational social scientist Sandra Matz, I asked her to spy on me. I did some snooping around your online life yesterday night, which was extremely fun to do. Our lack of digital privacy, especially in the age of AI, and what we can do about it. I'm Manusha Zomorodi. That's on the TED Radio Hour Podcast from NPR. Live from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Hurst. President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke by phone today, and as NPR's Mara Eliason reports, the call comes amid an escalating trade war between the two countries.

Trump told reporters the call, which lasted an hour and a half, went very well. He also posted on social media that the call resulted in a quote, very positive conclusion for both countries. That conclusion appears to be an agreement to resume in-person talks between Chinese officials and the U.S. Treasury Secretary, Commerce Secretary, and Trade Representative. Last month, the two countries had agreed to temporarily lower their mutual tariffs, but then the Trump administration accused China of violating that agreement by holding back imports of rare earth minerals,

which are critical to the U.S. auto industry. And China accused the U.S. of preventing it from buying computer chips for artificial intelligence and of revoking the visas without cause for Chinese citizens studying in the U.S. Mara Eliason, NPR News. President Trump is threatening to end billions of dollars in contracts and subsidies given to Elon Musk's companies. As NPR's Bobby Allen reports, this amid a growing feud between Trump and the world's richest man. President Trump says ending federal support to Musk's companies would be the easiest way

to save government money. Musk's business empire is backed by billions of dollars in government contracts, tax breaks, and other support. Much of the federal money flowing to Musk's companies supports SpaceX through Department of Defense contracts. In response, Musk wrote that SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft, which delivers US astronauts to the International Space Station and brings them home. Musk's tensions with Trump escalated when the president said Musk disliked Trump's signature tax and spending bill because it ended electric vehicle tax credits. Musk replied that it is unfair EV solar incentives would be slashed with no cuts to oil and gas subsidies.

Bobbi Allen, NPR News. A federal judge says AmeriCorps has to restore its programs in 24 states after the Trump administration gutted them. But as NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports, the decision is only a partial victory for the service agency. The judge agreed with two dozen Democratic-led states that AmeriCorps did not follow proper procedure in dismantling its programs. The agency ended grants and abruptly fired tens of thousands of mostly young service members who work in schools, national parks, and communities hit by disaster. Programs in the states that

sued could now be restarted. But the judge declined to block the firing of about 85 percent of AmeriCorps staff. She said it was too speculative to argue that the agency could not function without those jobs. And she said states made an unfounded assumption that those employees could return smoothly to the jobs they held before. Jennifer Lutton, NPR News, Washington. U.S. futures contracts are trading in mixed territory. You're listening to NPR News. The Italian government has passed a controversial law that cracks down on forms of even peaceful protest while giving significantly more power to security forces.

And here's Ruth Sherlock has more. During the vote in Italy's Senate, the session was temporarily suspended as opposition lawmakers staged a protest on the chamber floor shouting the word shame repeatedly. The decree proposed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Maloney brings harsher punishments for acts like passive resistance in prisons and migrant detention centres. It criminalises public protest actions like the blocking of roads and allows for the imprisonment of convicted pregnant women or those with babies. Amnesty International has called it draconian and protests across Italy have taken place against the decree in

recent months. Ruth Sherlock, MPI News, Rome. Consumer goods company Procter & Gamble says it's cutting up to 7,000 jobs, about 6% of its workforce over the next two years, part of a restructuring program. As the consumer goods giant says it's trying to navigate higher tariffs and slower growth. P&G, which owns Pampers, Tide and Swiffer, also says it plans to slim down on the corporate side. The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally in the store, eight years after the initial release of the Japanese video game maker's popular video game console. Even with a hefty $450 price tag, fans around the world lined up outside stores to pick up pre-orders or have the chance to buy the device. you're listening to NPR News from Washington.