NPR News Now - NPR News: 06-17-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: June 17, 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. Shea Stevens Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. President Trump is heading back to the United States from the G7 gathering in Calgary to deal with the crisis in the Middle East. Israel says it has largely eliminated Iran's air defenses and says it can now bomb much of that nation without restriction. But

NPR's Greg Mibrey reports that Iran is unleashing waves of missiles on a nightly basis, and some of them are landing. Israel is shooting down about 90 percent of Iran's incoming ballistic missiles, and that's roughly what was expected. Several of these missiles hit in Israel on Monday morning, killing civilians in apartment buildings and causing a huge blaze at an oil refinery. Israel has two of its own defense systems for ballistic missiles. One is called the Arrow, the other is David Sling. Both are geared for these missiles that fly very high and very fast. The best-known system, of course, is Iron Dome, but that's designed for short-range

rockets. NPR's Greg Myhre reporting. A federal judge in Boston says the National Institutes of Health's decision to cancel roughly 800 research grants was illegal. From member station GBH in Boston, Greg LeMoult reports that the terminated grants focused on topics the Trump administration dislikes, including diversity and transgender issues. The federal judge ruled the NIH's terminations of those grants were arbitrary and capricious, and he ordered the agency to start paying for that research again. Attorney Rachel Mirapol, the ACLU, represented plaintiffs in the case.

The judge looked at the agency's explanation for why it would not fund these categories of research and said that they were wholly without reason and without reasoning. The judge went on to say the government's actions in the case amounted to racial discrimination and discrimination against the LGBTQ population, saying he's never seen anything like this in his 40 years on the bench. And he invited the plaintiff's attorneys to offer evidence of harm to those populations so he could weigh in on that. For NPR News, I'm Craig Lemault in Boston. Investigators are combing through numerous notebooks so he could weigh in on that. For NPR News, I'm Craig Lemault in Boston.

Investigators are combing through numerous notebooks belonging to the suspect in the weekend attacks on political figures in Minnesota. As NPR's Odette Youssef reports, they say Vance Belter had a list of dozens of Democratic officials and abortion rights supporters. Videos of Vance Belter sermonizing in Africa and his reported connection to the Christ for the Nation's Institute in Texas suggest that Belter may be involved with a new apostolic reformation. NAR is a decentralized, neo-charismatic movement that seeks to establish top-down, Old Testament

biblical governance across the globe. Fred Clarkson is with political research associates. Fred Clarkson, NAR Professor, New York University There's been a decided uptick in the rhetoric and vision of violence in the United States from apostolic leaders for some time. Some NAR leaders were involved in organizing and fomenting anger among Trump's base in the period leading to the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Odette Youssef, NPR News. This is NPR.

The death toll from flooding in West Virginia has risen to at least six in the state's northern panhandle. Governor Patrick Morrissey says two other people are missing. At least 60 homes and dozens of businesses and roads were damaged by flooding in the state. Bankrupt oxycontin maker Purdue Pharma has reached a multi-billion dollar settlement with all 50 states. Under the deal, the Sackler family, which owns Purdue, will pay a portion of the

settlement. It will also relink its control of the company. A report from the Pew Research Center finds that nearly half of all Americans have some connection to the Catholic Church. But NPR's Jason DeRose reports that it doesn't mean that always align with church teachings. Jason DeRose, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, Another 9% said they had some other connection, such as a Catholic parent or spouse. When it comes to what's essential to their faith, the report found that 7 in 10 said a personal relationship with Jesus, half responded devotion to Mary, and just under half said helping the poor or receiving the Eucharist. Less than a third of Catholics said opposing abortion, caring for immigrants, or belonging

to a parish was essential. Jason DeRose, NPR News. US futures are lower in after hours trading on Wall Street following Monday's gains. On Asia Pacific markets, shares are mostly lower, but up a fraction in Tokyo. This is NPR News. On the indicator from Planet Money, we like to zoom in on big economic issues, like tariffs This is NPR News.