NPR News Now - NPR News: 06-17-2025 9AM EDT

Episode Date: June 17, 2025

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The U.S. faces a housing crisis and growing threats of climate change. One global city is tackling both problems at once, and U.S. cities are paying attention. These climate researchers, they kept repeating one word over and over. Vienna, Vienna, Vienna. Lessons from the social housing capital of Europe. Listen now to the Sunday story on the Up First podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. President Trump says he is seeking a, quote, real end to Iran's nuclear ambitions. But as NPR's Mara Eliason reports, it's not clear how he plans to accomplish that.

Israel wants U.S. military help to destroy Iran's underground nuclear facility, but Trump campaigned on keeping the U.S. out of foreign wars. On his way home from the G7 meeting in Canada, Trump told reporters he may send Vice President Vance and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to negotiate with Iran's foreign minister. Asked to explain his social media post calling on Tehran's citizens to evacuate, Trump said, quote, there's a lot of bad things happening there. Trump also said he didn't think Iran would strike U.S. assets in the region because of the risk of retaliation.

I think they know not to touch our troops. We'll find out. Trump has repeatedly said his bottom line is that Iran must never get a nuclear weapon. Mara Liason, NPR News. The man suspected of killing a Minnesota state lawmaker and her spouse and wounding another lawmaker and his wife now faces federal and state murder charges. As NPR's Meg Anderson reports, some of those charges can carry the death penalty if he is convicted. Vance Belter is facing six federal charges, including two counts of murder for the killings of Minnesota

state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband and charges for shooting state Senator John Hoffman and his wife. Belter allegedly went to the homes of two other state lawmakers, but was not able to get to them. Law enforcement also says a notebook in the suspect's car contained a hit list of at least 45 Minnesota state and federal lawmakers and officials, mostly or all Democrats. Meg Anderson, NPR News. The popularity of Medicaid has grown in just the last few months, according to a new poll. As NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin reports, that spike in popularity comes as Republican lawmakers finalize their tax and budget bill that could cut $800 billion from Medicaid.

Medicaid has always been quite popular. In January, a poll from the health research organization KFF found 77 percent of the public had a favorable view of the health insurance program for low-income people, just a few months later it's gone up. 83% of the public is now in favor of Medicaid. Ashley Kerzinger is KFF's polling expert. The largest uptick we saw in favorability of the past couple months was among Republicans. The findings come as Republican lawmakers rushed to finish a major legislative package that would include significant cuts to federal spending on Medicaid. An earlier poll from KFF found many Americans think Medicaid should get more funding, not

less. Selena Simon-Stuffin, NPR News. On Wall Street and pre-market trading, Dow futures are down about 230 points. This is NPR. Charleston, South Carolina is remembering one of the nation's most heinous hate crimes. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports, it's been 10 years since a white supremacist killed nine black worshipers at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Events at the church this week will honor the memory of the Emmanuel Line and the five people who survived Dylan Roupe's racist attack during Wednesday night Bible study on June 17, 2015.

Emmanuel's minister of music, Wayne Singleton, says even a decade later, the pain feels fresh. You wouldn't expect something like this to happen in your sanctuary. This is one of the safest places you should feel safe at all times. And to have someone to violate their sanctity, it really hurts. The shooter, intent on starting a race war, targeted Mother Emanuel, the oldest black congregation in the South. He's now on federal death row. Debbie Elliott, NPR News, Charleston. A federal appeals court will hear arguments today on President Trump's deployment of National

Guard troops to Los Angeles. Trump did not consult with California's governor in sending the troops, and California sued. A lower federal court judge blocked the deployment and ordered control of the troops be restored to the California governor. The federal appeals court halted that lower court order and Trump kept control. Now the appeals court will hear the merits of this case. The government says retail sales fell sharply in May. The Commerce Department says retail sales dropped nine tenths of one percent, led by a big fall in auto sales. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News.