NPR News: 05-04-2026 11PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now – 05-04-2026 11PM EDT

Host: Jael Snyder, NPR
Date: May 5, 2026
Episode Theme:
This rapid-fire news update distills the most pressing stories of the evening, covering escalating conflict in the Middle East, U.S. domestic incidents near the White House, volatile gas prices, a surprise GameStop–eBay merger bid, landmark litigation against Meta, and the announcement of the 2026 Pulitzer Prizes.

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1. Tensions in the Middle East & U.S. Policy ([00:11]–[01:55])

• White House Small Business Summit Overshadowed by War

  • President Trump hosts a summit as conflict with Iran intensifies.
  • Trump emphasizes his stance on Iran:

    "Can't let them have a nuclear weapon or you're going to have... problems like nobody would believe. And it's going very well."
    (Donald Trump, 00:23)

  • Fresh fighting: The U.S. military reports sinking six small Iranian boats after an effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. UAE's oil port is attacked by Iranian missiles.
  • Iran’s Foreign Minister issues a warning via social media to the U.S. and UAE about potential entanglement:

    "...the US and the UAE should be wary of being dragged back into a quagmire."
    (Jael Snyder summarizing, 00:38)

  • National average gas prices rise to $4.46/gallon; California hits $6.11 (up 35 cents in one week).

• OPEC & Market Impact Analysis
  (Reporter: Camila Domonosky, [01:18])

  • OPEC raises production, but near-term price relief unlikely due to logistics and regional turmoil:

    "The biggest question remains how many ships are getting through that key waterway? And the answer to that is not many. Between Iranian tolls and the US Blockade."
    (Camila Domonosky, 01:28)

  • Gas prices had dipped after a ceasefire, but are now rising again due to supply crisis and refinery outages.

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2. White House Security Incident ([01:55]–[02:31])

• Secret Service Shoots Suspect Near White House
  • Gunfire exchanged with an armed suspect; brief lockdown near the White House.
  • Took place just before Vice President J.D. Vance’s motorcade drove through area.
  • Official statement: No evidence that VP Vance was the target.
  • One minor injured (not seriously); suspect hospitalized.

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3. GameStop’s Surprise Bid for eBay ([02:31]–[03:13])

• Meme Stock Twist: GameStop Offers $56 Billion for eBay
  • GameStop makes an unanticipated bid for eBay, aiming to create a new rival to Amazon.
  • eBay says it had zero notice prior to the offer and is "about four times bigger than GameStop."
  • Nonetheless, eBay will present the offer to its board for review.
  • GameStop’s CEO Ryan Cohen is noted for unorthodox moves and attracting meme stock investors. He previously founded Chewy and had a significant role in Bed, Bath and Beyond pre-bankruptcy.
  • eBay’s recent strategy:

    "eBay is trying to go after younger shoppers with trading cards and secondhand fashion. In February, eBay said it's buying Depop, a popular secondhand clothing app."
    (Alina Selyuk, 02:55)

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4. Legal Action Against Meta in New Mexico ([03:13]–[03:53])

• Landmark Lawsuit: Meta Called a Public Nuisance
  • New Mexico seeks a $3.7 billion penalty and structural reforms to protect minors.
  • Current trial's second phase follows earlier jury ruling:
    • $375 million in civil penalties after finding Meta "knowingly harmed the mental health of children and concealed what it knew about sexual exploitation."
  • The goal: Overhaul Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp platforms to better protect young users.

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5. Pulitzer Prize Announcements ([03:53]–[04:46])

• 2026 Pulitzer Winners:
  • Fiction:
    • Angel Down by Daniel Kraus, a World War I novel told in a single sentence.
  • History:
    • Jill Lepore’s We the People (history of the U.S. Constitution).
  • Audio Journalism:
    • Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, exposing the LA Clippers' salary cap workaround involving Kawhi Leonard.
  • Special Citation:
    • Julie K. Brown of the Miami Herald, honored for her 2017-18 Jeffrey Epstein investigations.
  • Notable quote:

    "...a tale that Krauss tells entirely within one sentence."
    (Anastasia Siolkis, 03:55)

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6. Global Markets ([04:46]–[04:53])

• Market Update
  • Mixed stock performance in Asia following a downturn on Wall Street.

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Notable Quotes

• President Trump on Iran:

  "Can't let them have a nuclear weapon or you're going to have you have problems like nobody would believe. And it's going very well."
  (00:23)

• Camila Domonosky on Oil Supply:

  "The biggest question remains how many ships are getting through that key waterway? And the answer to that is not many."
  (01:28)

• Alina Selyuk on GameStop’s Bid:

  "eBay is trying to go after younger shoppers with trading cards and secondhand fashion. In February, eBay said it's buying Depop, a popular secondhand clothing app."
  (02:55)

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Episode Highlights & Timestamps

• [00:11]: Middle East conflict, Trump remarks, gas prices
• [01:18]: OPEC decision and analysis
• [01:55]: Secret Service incident near White House
• [02:31]: GameStop surprises with eBay acquisition bid
• [03:13]: New Mexico sues Meta over youth safety
• [03:53]: 2026 Pulitzer Prize winners announced
• [04:46]: Asian stock market update

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This concise episode encapsulates a dramatic day in U.S. and world news: rising international tensions, market tremors, corporate surprises, and legal and cultural milestones.

Transcript

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[Jael Snyder]

[e-mail] live from NPR News. I'm Jael Snyder. President Trump hosted a small business summit at the White House today with the Iran war in the backdrop.

[Donald Trump]

Can't let them have a nuclear weapon or you're going to have you have problems like nobody would believe. And it's going very well.

[Jael Snyder]

Trump spoke as fighting in the Middle east flared up again today. The US And Iran launched fresh volleys after President Trump announced a new effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ship traffic. The US Military says it sank six small Iranian boats. And the United Arab Emirates as an oil port came under attack by Iranian missiles. In a social media post, Iran's foreign minister warned that the US and the UAE should should be wary of being dragged back into a quagmire. The national average for a gallon of regular gas around $4.46 and California at $6.11, up nearly 35 cents in just one week. The oil cartel OPEC has announced a boost in production. But as NPR's Camilla Dominoski reports, that will not provide any near term relief.

[Camilla Domonoski]

OPEC and its allies have lost some of their leverage over markets now that United Arab Emirates has left the group. But but the bigger problem is that key members rely on the Strait of Hormuz to export crude. So whatever OPEC announces, the biggest question remains how many ships are getting through that key waterway? And the answer to that is not many. Between Iranian tolls and the US Blockade. In the US Gasoline prices had been easing since the ceasefire announcement. But between the global oil supply crisis and US Refinery outages, prices are rising aggressively again. Camila Domonosky, NPR News.

[Jael Snyder]

The Secret Service says it exchanged gunfire with an armed suspect near the White House on Monday. The incident led to a brief White House lockdown and happened not long before Vice President J.D. vance's motorcade passed through the area. The Secret Service says there is no indication that Vance's motorcade was a target. Officials say the suspect has been hospitalized and that a minor was shot but not seriously injured. GameStop has proposed buying ebay with an eye toward creating a rival to Amazon GameStop, offering about $56 billion in a long shot bid. As NPR's Alina Selyuk reports, ebay says

[Alina Selyuk]

it received no notice or outreach before Gamestop made its takeover bid. And ebay as a company is about four times bigger than GameStop still in a statement, eBay says it will bring the proposal to its board for review. In recent years, GameStop, under its CEO Ryan Cohen, has risen in profile as a darling of meme stock investors. Cohen is the founder of pet goods company Chewy, and he had a prominent stake in Bed, Bath and Beyond before its spiral into bankruptcy. Gamest has recently built up a stake in ebay, which lately has been working to refresh itself. Ebay is trying to go after younger shoppers with trading cards and secondhand fashion. In February, eBay said it's buying Depop, a popular secondhand clothing app. Alina Selu, NPR News.

[Jael Snyder]

This is npr. The state of New Mexico is asking a judge to declare the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp a public nuisance. The state wants Meta to pay $3.7 billion and overhaul its platforms to protect young users. Opening statements began Monday in the second phase of a landmark trial. In the first phase, jurors ordered $375 million in civil penalties against Meta after determining that Meta knowingly harmed the mental health of children and concealed what it knew about sexual exploitation on its platforms. The 2026 Pulitzer Prizes have been announced in Pierre's Anastasia Siolkis reports.

[Anastasia Siolkis]

The fiction prize went to author Daniel Kraus for his novel Angel Down, a story of World War I soldiers who fallen angel among the dead, a tale that Krauss tells entirely within one sentence. Other winners include historian Jill Lepore for her engaging book we the People, a history of the U.S. constitution. The audio journalism winner was the staff of the podcast Pablo Torre Finds out, which investigated how the Los Angeles Clippers seemingly ducked the NBA salary cap rule by funneling extra money to their star forward Kawhi Leonard via an endorsement deal. The board also gave a special citation to Miami Herald Journal journalist Julie K. Brown for her work in 2017 and 2018 investigating Jeffrey Epstein, whose crimes are still very much part of today's discourse. Anastasia Tsilkas, NPR News, New York.

[Jael Snyder]

Stocks in Asia mixed in Tuesday trading after Wall street turned lower. I'm Jael Snyder, NPR News.

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