NPR News Now - NPR News: 06-18-2025 9AM EDT

Episode Date: June 18, 2025

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On NPR's Thru Line, schoolhouses are less expensive than rebellions. We've been debating the government's role in education since the Civil War. A tenth of our national debt would have saved us the blood and treasure of the late war. How the Department of Education tried to fix a divided nation. Listen to Thru Line wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. NPR has learned that Israeli officials believe the U.S. will join its military attack on Iran. Israel and Iran have fired missiles and drones at each other for six days. President Trump has said Iran's supreme leader would

be a, quote, easy target. But some lawmakers are opposed. Virginia Senator Tim Kaine has introduced a resolution. He says under the Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war. I told myself when I came to the Senate that if I ever had the chance to stop this nation from getting into an unnecessary war, I would do everything I could to stop us from getting Or I would do everything I could to stop us from getting into an unnecessary war. I happen to believe that the United States engaging in a war against Iran, a third war in the Middle East since 2001, would be a catastrophic blunder for this country. Senate Majority Leader Republican John Thune has dismissed the immediate need for a war

powers resolution. The Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has updated its estimate on the cost of the tax and spending bill that's now in the Senate. And Piers Elena Moore reports the CBO says that over a decade, it would add about $2.8 trillion to the deficit. That's a higher number than what the CBO originally projected the bill would cost. The new estimate factors in expected economic growth from the bill, but it also includes costs from increased interest rates. The CBO's projection deals with the House bill passed

narrowly last month, and the Senate may make changes that could increase the estimate again. But the estimate also undermines GOP promises that their tax cut plan would grow the economy. Republicans have tried to discredit the nonpartisan CBO, but the latest figures could create further issues for some Republican fiscal hawks who have criticized the bills. Alana Moore, NPR News, Washington. A growing number of high-paying jobs no longer require a college degree. NPR's Windsor Johnson reports they're known as new collar rolls and they focus on skills over diplomas. Think cybersecurity analysts, cloud support specialists,

project managers, and wind turbine technicians. Many of these jobs offer salaries of 80 to more than $100,000 a year, plus flexible hours and options to work remotely. These companies are using skills-first models, looking for hands-on experience, certifications, and problem-solving ability over academic credentials. Tech companies, manufacturers, and clean energy firms are leading the way, offering short-term training programs instead of four-year degrees. Experts say the trend is opening new doors for job seekers, especially those priced out

of college or looking for a faster path to financial stability. Windsor-Johnston, NPR News. On Wall Street in pre-market trading, Dow futures are up by more than 30 points. This is NPR. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is said to be alert and recovering after suffering an allergic reaction yesterday. NPR's Giles Snyder reports Noem was hospitalized. The Homeland Security Department says Secretary Noem was taken to a hospital in Washington, D.C. out of an abundance of caution. Noem

is one of President Trump's more visible cabinet members. As Homeland Security Secretary, she has taken on an active role in the administration's immigration crackdown. And Piers Giles-Snyder reporting. As summer heats up, people around the country are looking for places to cool down. For those in Manhattan, a new analysis shows one good place could be an elevated park called the High Line, and Piers Alejandro Barunda reports. The High Line was once an elevated railway.

Now it's a park high above New York City streets, filled with native plants and even trees. All that vegetation cools the park down a lot compared to the nearby streets. Jen Brady is a data analyst at Climate Central. In some areas, it's over eight degrees cooler because it's dense trees in the middle of a dense neighborhood. The skinny highline stretches about a mile and a half up Manhattan's west side.

Brady says its unique shape lets it act as a refuge for people along its whole length. And she says knowing how effectively it cools the area should encourage other cities to build similar green spaces Alejandro Ronda NPR news the National Hurricane Center says that Hurricane Eric is off Mexico's southern Pacific Coast Now has winds of about 75 miles per hour. Eric could make landfall tomorrow as a major hurricane This is NPR as a major hurricane. This is NPR.