NPR News Now - NPR News: 06-25-2025 6PM EDT

Episode Date: June 25, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The NATO summit wrapped up today with higher defense spending commitments and alliance members in high spirits. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports the head of NATO called President Trump a strong leader. NATO allies have agreed to boost defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product, up from 2 percent over the next 10 years. In his closing press conference, NATO Secretary General Mark Ruta said along with Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine, President Trump played a role in waking NATO members up.

He was totally right that Europe and Canada were not providing to NATO what we should provide and that the US was spending so much more on defense than the Europeans and the Canadians. Ruta said now NATO is correcting that. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, The Hague. A top Justice Department official in line for a job as a federal judge says he is not a henchman or enforcer for the president. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports on testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Emil Bove is a former lawyer for President Trump who's been running daily operations at the Justice Department. Now he's been nominated for a job as a federal appeals court judge in New Jersey. Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are raising questions about his loyalty to Trump and his decisions at DOJ, including a move to walk away from a corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Bovi said he worried the mayor could not govern while fighting criminal charges, but the nominee refused to answer whether he talked with Stephen Miller or others in the White

House before dropping that case. A judge ultimately dismissed the charges but said abandoning the case smacked of a bargain. If Senate Republicans stick together, Boevi could win confirmation by a simple majority. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington. Democratic Socialist Zeran Mondami is poised to become the Democratic Party's nominee for Mayor of New York City. NPR's Stephen Fowler has more on what it might mean for the National Party. At a time when the Democratic brand is facing deep unpopularity with voters, Mamdani's

success is notable. Tom Jensen of Democratic-aligned firm Public Policy Polling said a big part of that came from increased turnout and support from voters under 45. What we really just found the key was, was he was engaging young people in a level that's extremely unusual for something like a primary election for mayor. After losing the White House, the Senate and failing to retake the House, the Democrats are searching for good signs anywhere they can. Stephen Fowler, NPR News.

FICO scores are those numbers anyone shopping for a mortgage or car loan quickly learns about. It's a number calculated by your past credit history that can determine not only whether you're credit worthy, but also what interest rate you're charged. The buy now pay later loans have become increasingly popular. Currently, installment loans do not show up in a score.

Now FICO says it plans to begin incorporating them. Americans in 2023 purchased more than $116.2 billion in goods that way. In some cases, the company says consumers who have such loans could actually see higher scores. You're listening to NPR. The National Science Foundation will have to move out of its headquarters in Virginia. That's because the Department of Housing and Urban Development will be moving in. As NPR's Nell Greenfield-Boyce explains, it's just the latest big change for staffers at the science agency. The head of the NSF resigned earlier this year, shortly before the Trump administration

called for axing more than half the agency's budget. Now NSF's approximately 1,800 workers have learned that HUD will be taking over their building. Michael Peters is the Public Buildings Service Commissioner of the U.S. General Services Administration. At a press briefing, he said that HUD's current home is dilapidated and requires too much money to maintain, that this move will improve life for HUD staffers.

We're gonna continue to support the National Science Foundation as we support every agency. He said the timing of the transition and where NSF will go is still being worked out. Nell Greenfield-Boise, NPR News. Electric vehicle maker Tesla continues to take heat for the involvement of the company's controversial boss, Elon Musk, in the Trump administration. That's what I'd hope by some investors. Anger over Musk's involvement in Doge would have faded by now. European sales plunged for a fifth straight month in May.

According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, Tesla sales last month dropped 28 percent compared to the same period a year ago. Musk angered many Europeans by embracing not just Donald Trump, but many far right-wing politicians in elections there. A mixed close on Wall Street today, the Dow fell 106 points to 42,982. The Nasdaq was up 61 points. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News Now Plus at plus.npr.org. That's plus.npr.org.