NPR News Now — April 27, 2026, 4PM EDT

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Theme: Hourly update on major U.S. and global news events

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a concise roundup of top national stories, with a focus on the attempted assassination of President Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, the implications for U.S. political security and rhetoric, diplomatic efforts from the UK, tech industry pushback on military AI use, shifting dynamics between Microsoft and OpenAI, public school teacher pay, and severe weather threats in the Midwest.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Attempted Assassination of President Trump (00:33–02:13)

• Details of the Incident

  • A man identified as Cole Allen was arrested following a shooting outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner. The incident took place at the Washington Hilton.
  • Lakshmi Singh (00:38): "Being charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump."
  • An agent was wounded during the incident, but it's unclear if the injury was due to the assailant or "friendly fire."
  • This marks the third apparent assassination attempt on Trump since his 2024 presidential campaign.

• Charges Announced

  • Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche (00:49):

    "The second count is interstate transportation of a firearm to commit a felony. This is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. And the third count is discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, which is punishable by a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a maximum of life and the 10 years is consecutive to any other sentence imposed."

• White House Reaction & Security Review

  • White House is "reexamining security protocols and practices."
  • White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt (01:47):

    "I definitely wouldn't say changes are out of the question. ... We view it as a great responsibility to ensure maximum safety of the president and the vice president and the entire cabinet."

  • Levitt additionally claimed that "Democratic politicians rhetoric helps foster political violence," but did not address whether President Trump would consider changes to his own rhetoric.

2. U.S.-UK Relations: King Charles III State Visit (02:13–02:31)

• President Trump is hosting King Charles III and Queen Camilla in the first official state visit of his current term.
• The King aims to "repair US-UK ties."
• Notably, no public comments are expected on any connections between British royals and Jeffrey Epstein.

3. Google Employees Protest Pentagon AI Use (02:31–03:27)

• Over 600 Google employees submitted a letter to CEO Sundar Pichai, demanding that Google refrain from AI contracts with the Pentagon, particularly those related to military and surveillance applications.
  • Letter Content (Bobby Allen paraphrased at 02:45):

    "We want to see AI benefit humanity, not see it being used in inhumane or extremely harmful ways."

• The letter expresses fears about AI being deployed for "autonomous weapons and mass surveillance."
• Anthropic, the maker of Claude, is in legal dispute with the Trump administration over safeguards in defense tech contracts.
• The letter urges Google to "reject any contracts that involve classified work," citing possible human rights violations.

4. Microsoft and OpenAI Diminish Partnership (03:27–03:52)

• Microsoft announced it will no longer share revenue with OpenAI, and OpenAI will cease granting Microsoft exclusive licensing rights.
• Their close partnership has drawn regulatory scrutiny amid competition and antitrust considerations.

5. Teacher Salaries and Strain from Inflation (03:52–04:49)

• New National Education Association review shows the average U.S. public school teacher salary rose to nearly $75,000 last year.
• Despite nominal increases, inflation has effectively cut teacher pay by nearly 5% over the past decade.
  • Cory Turner (04:06):

    "After adjusting for inflation, NEA researchers estimate that teachers real earnings actually declined by nearly 5% over the past decade."

• Student–teacher ratios hold steady at about 15:1.
• Federal contribution to public school funding has dwindled to just 7%.

6. Severe Weather Threat in the Midwest (04:49–05:08)

• The Midwest is being hit with rain, hail, destructive winds, and increased tornado risk.
• St. Louis, in particular, is under close watch for "multiple supercells capable of all hazards, including tornadoes, large hail and wind gusts."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Todd Blanche on Sentencing (00:49):

  "The third count is discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, which is punishable by a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a maximum of life, and the 10 years is consecutive..."

• Caroline Levitt on White House Responsibility (01:47):

  "We view it as a great responsibility to ensure maximum safety of the president and the vice president and the entire cabinet."

• Google Employee Letter as Reported by Bobby Allen (02:45):

  "We want to see AI benefit humanity, not see it being used in inhumane or extremely harmful ways."

• Cory Turner on Teacher Salaries (04:06):

  "...teachers real earnings actually declined by nearly 5% over the past decade."

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:33–02:13: Attempted assassination of President Trump & security review
• 02:13–02:31: U.S.–UK relations and state visit of King Charles III
• 02:31–03:27: Google employee protest against Pentagon AI use
• 03:27–03:52: Microsoft and OpenAI business update
• 03:52–04:49: Inflation's impact on U.S. public school teacher pay
• 04:49–05:08: Midwest severe weather alerts

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