Apple News Today: Episode Summary – "The GOP’s Tug-of-War Over Spending Cuts"
Release Date: May 20, 2025
Host: Shemitah Basu
1. Immigration Policy and Supreme Court Ruling
Shemitah Basu opens the episode by discussing a significant Supreme Court decision that allows the Biden administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants. This status had previously provided these individuals with the legal right to live and work in the United States due to unsafe conditions in their homeland. Additionally, the Trump administration plans to revoke similar protections for 500,000 Haitians later in the year.
Despite a substantial decrease in border crossings, President Trump remains committed to his promise of deporting millions. The Brookings Institute highlights that daily deportations are currently below Biden-era levels, partly due to reduced border activity. However, inconsistent data from various government agencies complicates the true assessment of deportation numbers.
To increase deportations, the administration is detaining individuals during routine immigration check-ins. Mark Chisano from New York Magazine shares the harrowing story of Josue and Jose Lopez Diaz, two Salvadoran brothers detained without criminal records during a mandatory check-in in March. Chisano explains:
"These are church kids who their pastor says are entirely free from vice. They had no criminal record, no reason to think that they wouldn't just kind of do this check in and then leave. And yet they were detained."
[02:28]
The brothers, who arrived in the U.S. nearly a decade ago seeking refuge from poverty and gang violence, faced prolonged detention and were eventually deported to El Salvador. Their mother, unable to join them due to her responsibilities toward her youngest son—a U.S. citizen with a neurological disorder—is left in a precarious position.
Mark Chisano adds:
"These brothers are so American to the point that they were being used to translate for other immigrants while in detention by ICE. So I think that's worth keeping in mind when we think about who is being detained by the Trump immigration system."
[03:47]
2. GOP's Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Credit Rating Downgrade
The discussion shifts to Congress, where House Republicans are racing to pass a substantial tax and spending package before Memorial Day. This ambitious proposal risks increasing the national deficit by several trillion dollars at a time when borrowing costs are rising and debt concerns are escalating.
Moody's Credit Agency recently downgraded the U.S. credit rating from AAA, citing:
"Successive administrations and Congress for failing to agree on a sustainable path forward."
[04:53]
Richard Rubin, a tax policy reporter at the Wall Street Journal, elaborates:
"The concern is that the more the US Government is borrowing and it'll be harder to have investment capital for new factories, new homes, new whatever. That can drive up interest rates. And those interest rates obviously go into what you're paying on credit cards and mortgages and those kinds of things."
[05:04]
Despite the downgrade, Republicans are pushing forward, believing that measures such as extending tax cuts will stimulate economic growth sufficient to offset the deficit. Rubin explains:
"They would also argue that other parts of the Trump agenda, the deregulation, oil and gas production, are also going to generate growth. And they're saying basically, if you take all of that growth, the growth caused by this bill and the growth that will happen outside this bill, that it will increase the economy so much, then throw off enough revenue and basically cover the cost."
[06:27]
Economists acknowledge potential growth from the legislation but doubt it will meet Republican projections. An expert from the Cato Institute criticizes the GOP's reliance on economic growth as a "magic wand" to bypass legislative issues. Rubin notes the challenge Republicans face in reconciling economic realities with political ambitions.
"Republicans clearly are concerned about deficits, but they also view an expiration of the tax cuts as scheduled at the end of this year, as completely untenable."
[07:39]
3. Air Traffic Control System Under Scrutiny
Shifting to aviation safety, Basu highlights a series of recent incidents that raise concerns about the state of America's air traffic control (ATC) system. Notable events include a near-collision at LaGuardia Airport and a deadly January collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight, resulting in 67 fatalities. Additionally, repeated radar and radio outages at Newark and Denver airports have fueled debates about the underlying causes—whether they stem from staffing shortages, outdated technology, or systemic failures.
Zach Wichter from USA Today provides context:
"These safety incidents that we've seen are absolutely anomalies. Flying commercially in the US is still the safest way to travel."
[09:26]
However, he points out structural issues:
"The way that the Federal Aviation Administration does funding is kind of piecemeal. It gets funded by Congress essentially every five years. And because of that structure, it's been really hard for Congress and the agency to fund tech upgrades. And it's also been really hard to fund the hiring and training of new air traffic controllers."
[10:18]
A New York Times analysis revealed that 99% of ATC facilities operate below FAA-recommended staffing levels. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged the antiquated technology in use:
"We use radar from the 1970s. Some of them are from the 80s, but most of them are from the 70s. So this technology is 50 years old that our controllers use to scan the skies and keep airplanes separated from one another."
[11:32]
In response, Duffy announced plans for a new multi-billion-dollar ATC system aimed at modernizing hardware and software, though the total cost remains uncertain. While the House Transportation Committee has approved $12.5 billion, Duffy indicated that additional funding would be necessary.
4. Additional News Stories
a. International Ceasefire Talks
President Trump announced imminent ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine following separate calls with Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. However, his recent social media posts omitted mentions of the unconditional ceasefire demanded by European leaders and failed to address the unsuccessful Istanbul talks from the previous week. Instead, Trump emphasized the potential economic benefits of peace for Putin, while Putin reiterated the necessity of addressing the war's root causes.
b. Leadership Changes at CBS News
CBS News faces internal turmoil as the network grapples with a lawsuit from the Trump administration over the editing of an October interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Paramount Global, CBS's parent company, is in settlement negotiations, prompting the resignation of former CBS CEO Wendy McMahon. She stated:
"I do not agree on the path forward."
[Timestamp not provided]
Additionally, Bill Owens, the veteran executive producer of 60 Minutes, resigned in April, citing Paramount Global's interference with journalistic independence.
c. Passage of the "Take It Down" Act
President Trump signed the "Take It Down" Act into law, criminalizing the non-consensual posting of sexually explicit images online. The legislation mandates that social media companies remove such content, including AI-generated deepfakes, within 48 hours of a victim's request. The bill received bipartisan support and backing from First Lady Melania Trump, who provided guidance on requesting takedowns and combating online abuse.
"You can find those links and all the stories we talked about today in the Apple News app."
[Closing Remarks]
5. Upcoming Stories and Closing
Basu previews an upcoming story from Wired about Airbnb's $200 million reinvention, transforming the platform into a comprehensive service hub with AI-driven concierge capabilities. Listeners are encouraged to follow Apple News Plus Narrated for access to this and other exclusive content.
This episode of Apple News Today provides an in-depth look into pressing national issues, from immigration and fiscal policy to aviation safety and media integrity, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of the current socio-political landscape.