NPR News Now - NPR News: 06-18-2025 3AM EDT

Episode Date: June 18, 2025

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Decades ago, Brazilian women made a discovery. They could have an abortion without a doctor, thanks to a tiny pill. That pill spawned a global movement, helping millions of women have safe abortions, regardless of the law. Hear that story on the network from NPR's Embedded and Futuro Media, wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. President Trump is calling for the surrender of Iran. As NPR's Franco Ordoñez reports, Trump calls Iran's supreme leader an easy target who's safe for now.

Michael O'Brien President Trump took to social media where he's calling for the unconditional surrender from Iran in its conflict with Israel, which is entering its fifth day of exchanging strikes. Trump said, quote, we have now total and complete control of the skies over Iran. In another post, he said the US knows exactly where the supreme leader is. Quote, we're not going to take him out, at least for now, but we don't want missiles shot at civilians or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Franco Ordonez in PR News, the White House.

California U.S. Senator Alex Padilla is urging Americans to stage peaceful resistance to the Trump administration's policies. Speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday, Padilla recalled his detention last week while trying to question the head of Homeland Security. We know that the cameras are not on in every corner of the country. But if this administration is this afraid of just one senator with a question? Colleagues, imagine what the voices of tens of millions of Americans peacefully protesting can do. The office of DHS secretary Kristi Noem says the Secret Service thought Padilla was an attacker, while the senator says he did identify himself.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was arrested at an immigration court on Tuesday. Lander, who's running for mayor, says he was there to observe immigration hearings and to escort some of the defendants from the building. He was accused of obstruction and taken into custody after locking arms with an immigrant and demanding to see a judicial warrant. The National Weather Service has issued its first ever heat advisory for Alaska, where temperatures are forecast to remain in the mid-80s for the next several days. Shelby Herbert of member station KUAC has the story.

Unlike extreme cold, it's not easy for people in Alaska's interior to manage unusually hot weather. People in Fairbanks are scrambling to keep themselves and their pets cool. Staff at the local animal shelter are pro-offering kiddie pools and peanut butter popsicles for the pups. The state is warming two to three times faster than the global average, and the summer heat beats down on the many buildings in the region that don't have air conditioning. It's a one-two punch, according to meteorologist Jason Laney. It also tends to kind of build in with the same time as wildfire season. The heat is coupled with smoke pouring in from wildfires in Canada, so many Fairbanksans

can't even crack open a window for relief. For NPR News, I'm Shelby Herbert in Fairbanks. This is NPR News, I'm Shelby Herbert in Fairbanks. This is NPR. Parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia are bracing for severe thunderstorms and flesh flooding. National Weather Service forecasters say the storm could also produce large hail and isolated tornadoes. A line of severe storms is also hitting parts of Kansas and Oklahoma.

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is facing another lawsuit, this time for allegedly hiding assets from the Sandy Hook families who won more than a billion dollars in damages for defamation. And Piers Tovia-Smith reports that a federal trustee overseeing the settlement calls Jones's financial dealings textbook fraud. Jones has long claimed he didn't have the money to pay the families who sued him after he accused them of faking their children's deaths in 2012. Now the trustee in Jones' bankruptcy case is trying to prove that Jones at least used to have it, but tried to hide it by giving it to his father, his ex-wife, and his kids'

trust. The trustee wants the federal bankruptcy court to undo five million dollars worth of last-minute sales and transfers of cars, condos, cash, and a ranch. Lawyers for Jones did not respond to requests for comment. Chris Maddie, attorney for the family, says it's no surprise Jones would lie to hide his assets, but added, quote, he won't get away with it. Tovia Smith, NPR News. For the second year in a row, the Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions. The Panthers clinched the title by beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 last night in Game 6 of the final. U.S. futures are flat and after hours trading on Wall Street. On Asia Pacific markets, stocks

are mixed up a fraction in Tokyo and Shanghai. This is NPR News. These days there is a lot of news. It can be hard to keep up with what it means for you, your family, and your community. Consider this from NPR as 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.