NPR News Now - NPR News: 06-18-2025 11PM EDT

Episode Date: June 19, 2025

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The House of Representatives has approved a White House request to claw back two years of previously approved funding for public media. The rescissions package now moves on to the Senate. This move poses a serious threat to local stations and public media as we know it. Please take a stand for public media today at GoACPR.org. Thank you. Ordonez, NPR News, The White House. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens.

Minor mental groups are challenging a Trump administration order to keep a Michigan coal-fired power plant operating this summer. NPR's Jeff Brady reports the plant near Grand Rapids was scheduled to shut down last month. Just eight days before the J.H. Campbell coal fired power plant was scheduled for retirement, Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed an order to keep it running through late August. Wright argues burning coal is more reliable than wind power.

When your child is born premature and you place that child in a life saving incubator, it's not OK to say it's going to turn on when the wind starts blowing. But grid analysts say electricity from the coal plant wasn't needed to keep the power on. The Sierra Club, Earthjustice and others argue Wright doesn't have the authority to override local grid decisions. They're asking the Energy Department to reconsider the order or they'll take the matter to court.

Jeff Brady, NPR News. Danielle Pletka President Trump still has not announced whether he'll order U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. But as NPR's Franco Ordonez reports, Trump convened his national security team in the Situation Room earlier today. Jeff Brady Speaking from the Oval Office, President Trump says he has some ideas about what to do about Iran's nuclear sites that are hidden deep inside a mountain, but that he likes to make decisions just before they're

due because things change, especially with war. We're the only ones that have the capability to do it, but that doesn't mean I'm going to do it. Trump says ultimately the decision boils down to not allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I'm not looking to fight, but if it's a choice between fighting and them having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do. Trump says the Iranians want to meet and even offer to come to the White House, but he says it may be too late. Franco, Ordonez, NPR News, The White House.

Home building is in a slump amid economic uncertainty and high mortgage rates. As NPR's Laura Wamslave reports, the latest findings on housing starts and building confidence. Housing starts dropped nearly 10 percent in May. The drop-off was concentrated in buildings with five or more units, which declined 30 percent compared to a month earlier. Those figures are from the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Permits and starts for single-family homes

rose slightly last month, but builders are worried about the future. A survey by Wells Fargo and the National Association of Home Builders found that confidence among single-family home builders dropped another two points this month to one of the lowest readings since 2012. With more homes for sale than buyers in many markets, nationally it's been a slow spring

for existing home sales. Laurel Wamsley, NPR News, Washington. Laurel Wamsley, NPR News, Washington. On Wall Street, stocks closed mixed today with the Dow Jones industrials losing 44 points, the NASDAQ gained 25. This is NPR. The State Department has resumed the process of taking applications for student visas, but the Department says that all applicants must unlock their social media accounts for review, and consular offices must keep an eye out for posts and messages that the Trump administration deems hostile to the United States. The Supreme Court is temporarily allowing nuclear waste storage in rural Texas and New

Mexico. The decision reverses an appeals court decision that invalidated a private company's license to operate a nuclear facility in southwest Texas. It tentatively allows the companies to operate for 40 years with the possibility for renewal. The Food and Drug Administration has approved Lena Capivir for the prevention of HIV. As NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports, the twice-yearly shot provides near total protection against getting an HIV infection. Last year, HIV researchers were stunned by two clinical trials that showed Lenincapavir was nearly 100% effective at preventing HIV.

While existing treatments like pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP are also highly effective, they require people to take pills every day, which can be a challenge for some. Gilead Sciences, which manufactures the new drug, set a list price of about $28,000 a year. To provide more affordable options, the company is partnering with six generic manufacturers to provide access to 120 lower-income countries. But steep cuts to foreign aid could make it harder for this powerful new drug to reach those in countries with the highest HIV burden.

Jonathan Lambert, NPR News. This is NPR. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things and other currencies. With WISE, you can send, spend, or receive money across borders all at a fair exchange rate. No markups or hidden fees. Join millions of customers and visit WISE.com. T's and C's apply.