NPR News Now - NPR News: 06-06-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: June 6, 2025

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This is Ira Glass with This American Life, each week on our show. We choose a theme, tell different stories on that theme. All right, I'm just going to stop right there. You're listening to an NPR podcast, chances are you know our show. So instead, I'm going to tell you we've just been on a run of really good shows lately. Some big epic emotional stories, some weird funny stuff too. Download us. This American Life. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan. At the Supreme Court Thursday, the court issued major decisions on guns, reverse discrimination in employment, and tax exemptions for religious charities. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports.

The reverse discrimination case was brought by an Ohio woman who claimed that she didn't get a promotion and then was demoted because she's straight and her replacements were gay or lesbian. Justice Katanji Brown Jackson, writing for a unanimous court, said that a federal appeals court violated the federal equal employment law by requiring majority group employees, white or straight, to meet a higher bar to prove their case. The decision could have widespread effects in 20 states and the District of Columbia, where until now the courts have set a higher bar for members of a majority group in bringing

employment discrimination suits. Nina Totenberg, NPR News, Washington. Prosecutors in Boulder, Colorado have charged the man who they say is responsible for Sunday's attack in that city with 118 criminal counts, including attempted murder, the use of an explosive device and animal cruelty. Mohamed Sabri Salman is also facing a federal hate crime charge. Here's Boulder County District Attorney Michael Doherty. The charges reflect the evidence that we have regarding this horrific attack that took place and the seriousness of it.

So the defendant's charged with attempted murder in the first degree as to 14 different victims. Each one of those counts carries a sentence of 16 to 48 years. During a rally Sunday in support of the Israeli hostages in Gaza, authorities say Sullivan yelled free Palestine and used a homemade flame thrower and Molotov cocktails to attack the mostly Jewish demonstrators in what was described as a peaceful event. Twelve people were hurt.

President Trump and China's leader, Xi Jinping, had their first known phone call Thursday. Since Trump took office again, the call came as both countries traded accusations that the other violated a trade truce. NPR's Emily Fang has more. The two leaders appeared prepared to patch up a teetering truce that had paused high tariffs on both sides. China's Xi Jinping invited President Trump to visit China, an invitation Trump said he reciprocated to the Chinese leader. The two men last met in 2019.

And both countries also agreed to begin another round of trade negotiations as quickly as possible. Xi Jinping called on the US to remove what he called negative measures against China, likely referring to new US export controls on important semiconductor-related software which Chinese companies need. Xi told Trump that, quote, the US should seek truth from facts when looking at the progress made on trade. Emily Fang, NPR News, Washington. On Wall Street, stocks moved lower on Thursday. Traders say they're looking forward to Friday's highly anticipated report on the health of

the job market. This is NPR News. An effort by Republicans in the California State Senate to repeal new clean air legislation has failed, and starting July 1st, gasoline prices are expected to increase as regulations take effect at the same time as the state's motor fuel tax increases by two cents a gallon. California already has some of the most expensive fuel in the country, 473 a gallon, well above the national average of 315. A woman who was dating Shawn Combs up until his arrest last year testified in the hip-hop moguls trial. NPR's Isabel Gomez Sartiado-Toe reports this is the second alleged victim in the government sex trafficking case against Combs.

Speaking under the pseudonym Jane, Combs ex-girlfriend told the court she began dating him in 2021. She said she fell in love with Combs quickly. Soon into the relationship, he began asking her to participate in sexual encounters with male escorts. According to Jane, she willingly went along with Combs' fantasies for the first few months, but then she no longer wanted to Jane, she willingly went along with Combs' fantasies for the first few months. But then she no longer wanted to participate, and when she expressed this to Combs, she said, he was dismissive. She said she felt obligated to keep having these encounters because Combs financially supported her.

Jane's testimony will continue into next week. Isabella Gomez-Armiento and PR News. As environmental crews look to clean up a 2,000 gallon diesel fuel spill in Baltimore's inner harbor, workers are also rescuing some of the wildlife, including birds and turtles. Officials are using oil skimmers and are flushing some of the contaminated water into the storm system for the city of Baltimore. From Washington, this is NPR News. I'm Dan Ruhman. Support for NPR.