The GOP’s tug-of-war over spending cuts

Summary

Apple News Today: Episode Summary – "The GOP’s Tug-of-War Over Spending Cuts"

Release Date: May 20, 2025
Host: Shemitah Basu

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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]

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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.

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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.

Transcript

[Shemitah Basu]

Good morning. It's Tuesday, May 20th. I'm Shemitah Basu. This is Apple News today. On today's show, the upcoming GOP bill may have hurt the US Credit rating. Another airport near miss makes America's air traffic issues unignorable. And a second high profile exit at CBS News amid tensions with Trump. But first, yesterday the Supreme Court gave the administration permission to terminate the temporary protected status former President Biden had granted to about 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants. This had given them legal rights to work and live in the US as their home country was deemed unsafe or impossible to return to. The Trump administration is planning to end similar rights for 500,000 Haitians later this year. Although border crossings are down substantially, President Trump is working to fulfill his promise of deporting millions of people. According to the Brookings Institute, the best available data indicates that daily deportations are below Biden era levels, in part because of the lull in border activity. But conflicting data from government agencies makes it difficult to know the true number. One way the administration is trying to boost its numbers is by detaining people at routine and mandatory immigration check ins. The the Guardian analyzed immigration arrests made during Trump's first month in office and found roughly 1,400 happened during ice check ins or right after. That's around 8% of the total arrests made during that time. Some of the people detained have no criminal records, like Josue and Jose Lopez Diaz, brothers from El salvador who are 19 and 20 years old. They came to the US almost 10 years ago with their mom, who was fleeing poverty and gang violence. They were detained at the border. Their asylum request was denied, but the family was released into the US While their appeal process continued. And the brothers were pursuing green cards under special immigrant juvenile status for those under 21 years old who've been abused or neglected by a parent, in this case, their father. In March of this year, Josue and Jose went with their mom to a routine check in with immigration officials in Manhattan and they were both detained.

[Mark Chisano]

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.

[Shemitah Basu]

That's Mark Chisano who told the family's story for New York Magazine.

[Mark Chisano]

They were very quickly brought to a detention center in Buffalo and they stayed there a couple of weeks. Eventually they're flown down to Louisiana in this crazy trip that was many, many hours long there. Shackles the entire so intensely that they both had what they called phantom pains. Afterwards, even after the shackles were taken off, they get to Louisiana. They spend some time there and are told that they're going to be deported. At the end of the week. They get removed to El Salvador, and that's where they are now.

[Shemitah Basu]

Josue missed his high school graduation. He told Chusano that an immigration official told him to not worry about that stuff anymore because you're not from here anymore. But their mother told Chisano the United States is all they know. El Salvador is so foreign to them at this point that she doesn't know who they will live with. And she can't leave the US to go be with them because she can't leave her youngest son, a US Citizen who's eight years old, behind. He has a neurological disorder that requires constant care.

[Mark Chisano]

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.

[Shemitah Basu]

Let's turn to Congress as House Republicans race to pass a major tax and spending package before Memorial Day. In doing so, they're preparing to face a basic math problem. The scale and scope of their proposal could increase the deficit by several trillion dollars just at a time when borrowing costs appear to be climbing and concern mounting debt rises. On Friday, Moody's Credit Agency, which monitors a country's capacity to pay back its debts, downgraded the U.S. s rating from the highest AAA. It blamed, quote, successive administrations and Congress for failing to agree on a sustainable path forward. But it also sounded the alarm over this bill.

[Richard Rubin]

Part of that report clearly said, look, we're concerned that the proposals that are coming out of this Congress and administration does not make significant mean meaningful changes.

[Shemitah Basu]

That's Richard Rubin, a tax policy reporter at the Wall Street Journal.

[Richard Rubin]

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.

[Shemitah Basu]

Changing the US Credit rating is unlikely to seriously damage the economy. Only 11 countries now hold the top rating, but it's an important signifier. And as Rubin notes, incurring more national debt may lead to more expensive borrowing over time, and it may eventually give future politicians some unpalatable choices. One notable fact from Moody's report, interest payments in the US are set to consume 30% of the federal government's revenue by 2035, compared with 9% in 2021. Still, Republicans are moving forward with this bill. They advanced it out of a key House committee over the weekend, securing the votes of several who had blocked the measure just days before. And they hope to put the bill up for a vote by Thursday. Rubin says Republicans believe that core elements of this legislation, like expanding and extending tax cuts, will help spur economic growth and offset what's added to the deficit.

[Richard Rubin]

And 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.

[Shemitah Basu]

Economists largely agree that the legislation could boost economic growth, but many say not anywhere close to the level Republicans are projecting. One expert at the libertarian Cato Institute told Rubin, Republicans like to use this argument of economic growth as a, quote, magic wand to wave away problems in legislation. But while there are some self styled deficit hawks in the congressional ranks, Rubin says they will struggle to balance economic realities with political ones.

[Richard Rubin]

The way they're thinking about it is the extension of the tax cuts won't get felt much at all because it's just keeping the status quo. These things are scheduled to expire where people are very much used to them. So Republicans, 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.

[Shemitah Basu]

Today, President Trump is expected to meet with House Republicans as they try to pull their votes together as soon as they can. Now to travel where a string of high profile aviation disasters have left people wondering just how safe our air traffic control system really is. Just yesterday, we learned about another close call. Earlier this month, a passenger jet at LaGuardia Airport in New York was forced to abort takeoff to avoid a potential collision as another United Airlines plane was on the Runway. At the same time, air traffic controllers realized just in time and frantically pulled their go ahead to take off.

[Richard Rubin]

4736.

[Shemitah Basu]

Stop. Sorry about that.

[Richard Rubin]

I thought United had cleared well before that. Just stay there for a moment and.

[Shemitah Basu]

I gotta get the other United out of the way. We'll get you off the Runway. Then there was the deadly collision between an army helicopter and an American Airlines flight near Washington, D.C. in January that killed 67 people. In that case, just one air traffic controller was managing both helicopter and commercial traffic, which is a job normally done by two people. In April, air traffic controllers at Newark in New Jersey, one of the busiest airspaces in the country, lost all radar and radio contact with planes for 90 seconds. And it happened again just over a week later. Then last week, the same thing happened to air traffic controllers in Denver for about two minutes. All of these incidents have raised questions like are these staffing issues and communication outages normal and we're just now hearing about them or, or is something new happening here?

[Zach Wichter]

These safety incidents that we've seen are absolutely anomalies. Flying commercially in the US Is still the safest way to travel.

[Shemitah Basu]

Zach Wichter covers consumer travel for USA Today.

[Zach Wichter]

Experts in aviation safety often like to say that aviation safety operates on the so called Swiss cheese model, where like, there's no such thing as a 100% safe system, especially when it comes to something as complex as air travel, where there are tens of thousands of flights a day in the U.S. the idea is to try to keep the gaps in the safety system apart from each other and that these incidents only really happen when they align.

[Shemitah Basu]

Right now there are some bigger holes in that system because of how the FAA is funded.

[Zach Wichter]

None of what I'm about to say means that air traffic control is unsafe. But 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. And this is something that experts who are familiar with aviation have sort of been warning about for years, if not decades.

[Shemitah Basu]

In a recent New York Times analysis of air traffic control facilities nationwide, reporters learned that 99% of facilities are operating below the recommended staffing levels set by the FAA and the union representing air traffic controllers. And the administration has said that the U.S. air Traffic Control system is so outdated that it still relies on technology like floppy disks to function. And certain replacement parts can only be found on ebay. Here's Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaking at a press conference earlier this month, shortly after the Newark incidence.

[Richard Rubin]

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.

[Shemitah Basu]

Duffy recently announced that his department plans to build a brand new multi billion dollar air traffic control system within three years, and it would involve new hardware and software paid for by Congress. The exact price tag is unknown. Duffy has suggested he wants lawmakers to tell him what they would be able to fund. So far, the House Transportation committee has approved $12.5 billion, but Duffy says he'll need before we let you go, a few other stories we're following. President Trump claims ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine are to start immediately after he had a two hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a separate call with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. But his post on social media made no mention of the unconditional ceasefire demanded by some European leaders, nor did it reference the talks in Istanbul last week, which seemingly went nowhere. Trump instead touted the potential trade winds for Putin in the event of peace. Putin, meanwhile, stressed again the need to address, as he put it, the root causes of the war in any deal. In media news, the head of CBS News has become the second high profile person to step down as the network confronts a lawsuit from the Trump administration. CBS's corporate parent, Paramount Global, is currently involved in settlement negotiations with lawyers for Trump over the editing of an October interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Now, former CBS CEO Wendy McMahon's resignation made clear that she was not happy with the way those talks were going, declaring that the company and I do not agree on the path forward. The veteran executive producer of 60 Minutes, Bill Owens, resigned in April, saying Paramount Global was infringing on his journalistic independence. And finally, Trump signed the Take It down act into law today. It makes it a federal crime to post real and fake sex sexually explicit imagery online of people without their consent. And it requires social media companies to remove images and videos, including deep fakes generated by artificial intelligence, within 48 hours after a victim's request. The bill had bipartisan support as well as public backing from the first lady. Melania Trump the 19th has some advice on how you can request the takedown of explicit images created or shared without permission, including some resources on how to fight online abuse. You can find those links and all the stories we talked about today in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the News app right now, we've got a narrated article coming up next from Wired. This month, Airbnb will launch the first phase of a $200 million reinvention. This version of the company won't just be about booking a vacation, according to Airbnb's CEO. It'll be a hub to solicit almost any kind of service, including a single super concierge with AI that knows you well enough to plan your trips for you. If you're listening in the podcast app, follow Apple News plus Narrated to find that story and I'll be back with the news tomorrow.