NPR News Now - NPR News: 06-16-2025 1AM EDT

Episode Date: June 16, 2025

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These days, there is a lot of news. It could be hard to keep up with what it means for you, your family, and your community. Consider This from NPR is a podcast that helps you make sense of the news. Six days a week, we bring you a deep dive on a story and provide the context, the backstory, and analysis you need to understand our rapidly changing world. Listen to the Consider This podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. The man suspected of killing one Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another has been taken into custody.

57-year-old Vance Belter was arrested in a rural area of Sibley County, which is southwest of Minneapolis. Police have accused him of two separate shootings on Saturday morning. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says it's time for the country to deal with political violence. A moment in this country where we watched violence erupt, this cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences. Now is the time for us to recommit to the core values of this country. And each and every one of us can do it.

Talk to a neighbor rather than arguing. Debate an issue. Shake hands. Find common ground. Former Democratic State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were both killed during the first shooting. President Trump says he believes Iran and Israel could work out a truce to end days of intense air strikes there but as NPR's Greg Meyry reports Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu appears committed to an extended operation. President Trump said on Truth Social that quote we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel and end this bloody conflict but he didn't offer details. Israel's Netanyahu in an interview with Fox News vowed to

press ahead with attacks intended to knock out Iran's nuclear program and its stockpile of ballistic missiles. So far, Trump has tried to strike a middle ground. He's supportive of Israel, and the US military is helping Israel defend against Iranian attacks. But the president says the US is not involved in airstrikes against Iran, and he doesn't want the US dragged into another Middle East war.

Greg Myhre, NPR News, Washington. Israel and Iran, meanwhile, traded missile attacks for a third day on Sunday. Iran says three of its generals were killed in that exchange. At least five people are dead in the northern part of West Virginia after torrential rains dropped as much as four inches of water in about a half hour period on Saturday night. Officials say the flooding has damaged roads and bridges and they're checking natural gas lines and other infrastructure as well. In San Antonio, at least 13 people died in flash floods hitting the area this past week. Now cleanup is underway. MPR's Jordan Marie Smith has more.

First responders said they rescued at least 70 people after heavy rainfall hit the San Antonio area on Thursday. The fire department said over a dozen cars were caught in rapidly rising flood waters. Four inches of rain fell in a single hour and over seven inches fell in total. A tribute event is being held on Wednesday for people who were killed in the floods. Over the weekend, flash flooding in West Virginia also killed multiple people, the state's governor said. Jordan Marie Smith, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News. Wall Street will be watching the Federal Reserve this week for its

outlook on inflation and interest rates. As MPR's Maria Aspin reports, President Trump has been urging the Fed to cut rates. The Fed has been keeping a close eye on inflation, especially after President Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on almost all imports. But their effects haven't fully kicked in yet. Consumer prices rose just 0.1% from April to May. That gave the president more ammunition. He's been repeatedly pressuring the Fed to cut interest rates, which would bring down the prices that the U.S. government pays for its debt and that consumers pay for credit cards and other loans.

Trump has also threatened to fire Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, despite having no legal authority to do so. Last week, Trump said he wouldn't fire Powell, but called him a numbskull. The Fed is widely expected to hold interest rates steady on Wednesday. Maria Aspin, NPR News. President Trump is directing immigration officials

to prioritize deportations from democratic-run cities. In a social media post Sunday, Trump said ICE should have a goal of the single largest mass deportation program in history. He named several cities that should be targeted, including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. White House official Steve Miller, meanwhile, says they're aiming for at least 3,000 arrests a day, up from the current 650. The British spy agency known as MI6 has appointed its first female leader. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Sunday that Blaise Metrueli will be the next director of the Foreign Intelligence Agency. She currently is the director of the agency's Technology and Innovation Department.

I'm Dale Willman, NPR News. On the indicator from Planet Money, we like to zoom in on big economic issues like tariffs Same deal, Wilman, NPR News.