NPR News Now - NPR News: 06-18-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: June 18, 2025

NPR News: 06-18-2025 2AM EDTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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. weird, funny stuff, too. Download us. This American Life. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. President Trump says Iran's supreme leader is an easy target, but safe for now, as the conflict between Israel and Iran continues. Trump says there are no plans to kill Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but says that could change. As NPR's Franco Ordonius reports, the president had previously distanced himself from Israeli

military action. Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies,

NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies, NPR's Franco Ordonies thin. He's really blurring the lines of U.S. interests and Israeli interests. These are deliberate choices of words. It's very different than just offering Israel's support. Danielle Pletka And P.R. is Frank Ordonez. The Gaza Health Ministry says Israeli force aspired into a crowd waiting for food aid, killing at least 51 Palestinians and wounding over 200 others. The Israeli military says the soldiers were responding

to a crowd approaching an aid truck in the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis, and that Tuesday's incident is being investigated. A three-dutch panel at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has heard arguments on the legality of President Trump's deployment of California National Guard troops. That story from Steve Fetterman in Los Angeles. For more than one hour, the three members of the court heard arguments for and against. Attorney Brett Shumate said President Trump had the legal right to deploy the troops to protect federal buildings and employees.

Federal personnel continue to face disdained mob violence in Los Angeles, expressly aimed at preventing federal officers from enforcing federal law. But attorney Samuel Harbert, representing California, said the move illegally took power from the state. It would defy our constitutional traditions of preserving state sovereignty. A district court judge ruled last week that Trump did exceed his powers by deploying the troops. The White House immediately appealed the ruling to the Ninth Circuit.

For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has lifted an overnight curfew imposed last week to control mass protests over immigration raids. Bass says the restriction protected local businesses and prevented vandalism and looting. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is said to be alert and recovering after suffering an allergic reaction. And Paris Giles Snyder reports. Homeland Security Department says Secretary Noem was taken to a hospital in Washington, D.C. out of an abundance of caution.

Noem is 53 years old and as Homeland Security Secretary, she is one of President Trump's more visible cabinet members. She's in charge of a department responsible for enforcing the nation's immigration laws and has taken on an active role in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The Homeland Security Department also handles airport security, disaster response, and national and cybersecurity issues.

Trial Snider, NPR News. This is NPR. The Congressional Budget Office has revised its estimate on the cost of President Trump's massive tax and spending proposal. The nonpartisan agency says the proposal would raise deficits by $2.8 trillion over the next decade. That's nearly $1 trillion more than the CBO's deficit forecast for this year. The social platform X is suing New York over a law requiring social media companies to disclose how they deal with extremism and other problematic content.

The York passed the Stop Hiding Hate Act last December. X, formerly called Twitter, argues that the statute forces the platforms to disclose highly sensitive and controversial protected speech. The Florida Panthers are this year's Stanley Cup champions. They beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in game six to win the NHL title for the second year in a row. And PRS Becky Sullivan has more. The series was a rematch of last year and it couldn't have been closer to start. Three of the first four games went to overtime, but the Panthers outlasted the Oilers with convincing wins in games five and six to decide the series four games to two.

The Oilers had hockey's best player, the 28-year-old Connor McDavid, and the league's leading goal scorer this season, Leon Dreisaitl. But in goal, Edmonton flip-flopped between two different goaltenders, both of whom struggled, while Florida could lean on the stalwart backstop Sergei Bobrovsky. The Oilers staged a memorable comeback in Game 4 but could not finish the job, falling short in the series yet again. The Panthers had reached the Stanley Cup final three years in a row. Now they've won their second consecutive cup. Becky Sullivan, NPR News. This is NPR.