NPR News: 05-03-2025 10PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: May 3, 2025, 10 PM EDT

Release Date: May 4, 2025

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1. President Trump Addresses Economic Slowdown Concerns

In a recent interview on NBC’s "Meet the Press," President Donald Trump addressed mounting worries about a potential economic recession. Despite acknowledging the economy's negative growth in the first quarter—prior to initiating his global trade war—Trump downplayed the severity of the situation.

Jeanine Herbst [00:00]: "President Trump is downplaying concerns about an economic slowdown."

Kristen Welker [00:39]: "Trump insisted there are others on Wall street who say, quote, this will be the greatest windfall to ever happen."

When pressed about the possibility of a recession, Trump admitted his concerns but remained optimistic about the country’s resilience:

Tamara Keith [01:05]: "Look, yeah, everything's okay. What we are, I said this is a transition period. I think we're going to do fantastically."

Trump administration officials have expressed confidence in securing new trade deals soon, although none have been finalized to date.

2. Georgia Democrats Elect New Party Chair Ahead of 2026 Midterms

As the 2026 midterm elections approach, Georgia Democrats have elected Charlie Bailey as the new party chair. Bailey, a seasoned candidate who previously ran statewide for lieutenant governor and attorney general—narrowly losing both races by less than five percent—brings significant experience to the role.

Tamara Keith [01:34]: "Bailey says the bottom line is Democrats need to win and get power to change things."

Reflecting on the party’s strategy, Bailey emphasized the necessity of effective communication of Democratic values to voters:

Bailey [01:57]: "People have full cause to be angry at the Republicans, but we have not been fighting enough and people aren't just going to know all these things. You know, we got to communicate what our values are."

Bailey has the backing of influential figures, including U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff—the only incumbent Democratic senator in a state won by President Trump. His leadership is seen as pivotal in mobilizing the party for the upcoming elections.

3. Australia’s Labour Party Secures Resounding Election Victory

Australia’s governing Labour Party achieved a significant victory in the recent general elections, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese returning to office with an increased majority. This landslide win reflects voters' preference for optimism and fairness amidst global uncertainties.

Katie Watson, BBC [02:40]: "Anthony Albanese going into these elections. It was a tight race, but Donald Trump changed that."

The election results were met with widespread celebration among Labour supporters, who expressed relief and astonishment at the swift and decisive outcome. Opposition leader Peter Dutton's attempts to emulate Trump’s strategies, such as enforcing stricter work-from-home policies for public servants, failed to resonate with voters.

Katie Watson [02:40]: "Attempts by the leader of the opposition coalition, Peter Dutton, to take from the Trump playbook... didn't work out."

4. Trump Administration Sues Denver Over Sanctuary City Policies

The Trump administration has intensified its efforts to enforce federal immigration laws by filing a lawsuit against Denver, Colorado. The Justice Department accuses the city and state officials of obstructing federal immigration enforcement in what are designated as sanctuary cities.

Jeanine Herbst [03:12]: "The Trump administration is suing Denver in the state of Colorado, accusing the city and state and their leaders of interfering with federal efforts to enforce immigration laws."

The lawsuit specifically names the governor and the mayor as defendants, arguing that Colorado’s sanctuary policies facilitated criminal activities, including allowing a Venezuelan prison gang to control a Denver apartment complex. Local officials, however, have dismissed these claims as exaggerated.

5. Sovereignty Triumphs at the 151st Kentucky Derby

The 151st Kentucky Derby concluded with a dramatic victory for the racehorse Sovereignty, piloted by jockey Junior Alvarado. Held in misty and muddy conditions due to persistent rain, the event attracted nearly 150,000 spectators to Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Justin Hicks, Louisville Public Media [04:06]: "Sovereignty and jockey Junior Alvarado took home the top prize."

Sovereignty, with starting odds of 9 to 1, secured more than $3 million of the $5 million prize purse. Trainer Bill Mott celebrated his second Derby win, further cementing his legacy in horse racing. The morning favorite, Journalism, performed strongly mid-race but ultimately finished second, followed by Baeza in third place.

Justin Hicks [04:06]: "It was a misty and muddy derby... Sovereignty started the race at 9 to 1 odds."

6. Preparations Underway for the Papal Conclave

As the Catholic Church prepares for the conclave to elect the next pope, significant preparations are in progress. This includes the installation of a famous chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, which will facilitate the burning of ballots cast by the cardinals.

Jeanine Herbst [04:41]: "Preparations are underway for the conclave to choose the next pope for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics."

The conclave is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, gathering cardinals from around the globe to select the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church.

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This summary provides an overview of the key topics discussed in the NPR News Now episode released on May 4, 2025. For more detailed coverage, listeners are encouraged to tune into the full podcast.

Transcript

[Jeanine Herbst]

Support for this podcast and the following message come from Allianz Travel Insurance. You're so excited to finally make it to Ireland, but the stomach bug you caught in Dublin wasn't exactly on your bucket list. Benefits like emergency medical coverage can have your back. Learn [e-mail] live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. President Trump is downplaying concerns about an economic slowdown. In an interview for NPCs Meet the Press, Trump says he is worried about a recession, but NPR's Tamara Keith reports he also acknowledged there could be short term pain for the country.

[Kristen Welker]

NBC's Kristen Welker asked Trump about concerns being voiced by some on Wall street that the US could be headed for a recession. The economy had negative growth in the first quarter of this year, and that was before Trump launched his global trade war. Trump insisted there are others on Wall street who say, quote, this will be the greatest windfall to ever happen.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Is it okay in the short term to have a recession?

[Tamara Keith]

Look, yeah, everything's okay. What we are, I said this is a transition period. I think we're going to do fantastically.

[Kristen Welker]

Trump administration officials say they expect to strike trade deals soon, but so far none have materialized. Tamara Keith, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Georgia Democrats have picked a new party chair ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, which could have national implic. Rahul Wally with member station WABE has more.

[Tamara Keith]

Charlie Bailey has run statewide for lieutenant governor and attorney general, losing both races by less than 5%. Bailey, like many attendees at this state party committee meeting, are focusing on what Democrats need to do to win.

[Jeanine Herbst]

People have full cause to be angry at the Republicans, but we have not been fighting enough and people aren't just going to know all these things. You know, we got to communicate what our values are.

[Tamara Keith]

Bailey had the backing of US Senator Jon Ossoff, who is the only incumbent Democratic senator running in a state won by President Donald Trump. Bailey says the bottom line is Democrats need to win and get power to change things. For NPR News, I'm Rahul Bally in Atlanta.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Supporters of Australia's governing Labour Party have been celebrating a resounding victory in the general election. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, will return to office with an increased majority. He says Australians had voted for optimism and fairness. The BBC's Katie Watson has more from the Labour Party victory celebrations that took place in Sydney.

[Katie Watson]

There was celebration relief and some disbelief, too, among Labour supporters that this win was called so quickly. This is quite the turnaround for Anthony Albanese going into these elections. It was a tight race, but Donald Trump changed that. Voters opted for an incumbent, a familiar face in an uncertain world. Attempts by the leader of the opposition coalition, Peter Dutton, to take from the Trump playbook, such as forcing public servants to stop working from home, didn't work out.

[Jeanine Herbst]

The BBC's Katie Watson reporting. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Supporters of rather the Trump administration is suing Denver in the state of Colorado, accusing the city and state and their leaders of interfering with federal efforts to enforce immigration laws in what are known as sanctuary cities. The Justice Department suit names the governor and the mayor as defendants in the latest attempt by the White House to get local governments to cooperate with President Trump's immigration agenda. The suit argues Colorado's sanctuary policies allowed a prison gang from Venezuela to take over an apartment complex near Denver. Local officials say that claim is exaggerated. Racehorse Sovereignty has won the 151st Kentucky Derby. Justin Hicks with Louisville Public Media has more from Churchill Downs in Louisville.

[Justin Hicks]

It was a misty and muddy derby following a day of constant rain showers, but nearly 150,000 people showed up to watch as Sovereignty and jockey Junior Alvarado took home the top prize. Sovereignty started the race at 9 to 1 odds. They win more than $3 million of the $5 million prize purse. It's trainer Bill Mott's second career Derby win. The morning line favorite, Journalism had a strong showing midway through the race, but fell behind in the final stretch to come in second. It was followed by Baeza in third place. For NPR News, I'm Justin Hicks at the Vatican.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Preparations are underway for the conclave to choose the next pope for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, including the installation of the famous chimney atop the Sistine Chapel that will be used to burn the ballots cast by the cardinals. The conclave begins Wednesday. You're listening to NPR News.

[Viking Travel]

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