NPR News: 05-09-2025 7AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: Detailed Summary of May 9, 2025 Episode

Released on May 9, 2025, NPR News Now provides a comprehensive update on the latest developments across various domains. Hosted by Korva Coleman, this episode delves into significant global and national events, offering insightful analyses and diverse perspectives. Below is a detailed summary of the key topics discussed.

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1. Pope Leo XIV Inaugurates His Papacy

Host: Korva Coleman
Reporter: Jason DeRose
Timestamp: [00:16]

Korva Coleman opens the episode with the historic inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, marking his first mass at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Notably, Pope Leo XIV is the first American to ascend to the papacy, previously known as Robert Prevost from Chicago. His close association with the late Pope Francis suggests a continuation of themes such as care for the poor and advocacy for migrants.

Jason DeRose adds depth to this news by highlighting the challenges Pope Leo XIV faces. "Survivors of clergy sexual abuse say Cardinal Prevost did not do enough to address the issue as a bishop or archbishop or cardinal," DeRose reports. This criticism extends to many in the church's leadership, raising questions about Leo XIV's future responses to victims. Additionally, DeRose mentions Prevost's controversial 2012 remarks on LGBTQ issues, where he expressed regret over the culture's sympathy towards the "homosexual lifestyle" ([00:44]).

2. Jeanine Pirro Appointed as Interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C.

Host: Korva Coleman
Reporter: Elena Moore
Timestamp: [01:07]

In a significant political development, President Trump has appointed Fox News host and former judge Jeanine Pirro as the interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C. This appointment follows the withdrawal of Trump's initial nominee, Ed Marshall.

Elena Moore provides further context, stating, "In a post on social media, Trump praises Pirro and says she's, quote, 'incredibly well qualified for this position'" ([01:27]). Pirro, previously the district attorney of Westchester County, New York, left her position two decades ago to become a prominent figure in conservative media. Her tenure at Fox News is marked by staunch support for Trump, including the promotion of false claims regarding the 2020 presidential election. The timeline for Senate consideration of Pirro's nomination remains uncertain ([01:27]).

3. Firing of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden

Host: Korva Coleman
Timestamp: [02:00]

In a surprising move, President Trump has dismissed Carla Hayden from her role as Librarian of Congress. Hayden holds the distinction of being the first woman and the first Black American to serve as the nation's leading librarian. The circumstances surrounding her dismissal have raised questions about the administration's priorities and the future direction of the Library of Congress.

4. Alabama's Congressional District Map Declared Discriminatory

Host: Korva Coleman
Reporter: Debbie Elliott
Timestamp: [02:00]

A pivotal legal decision has emerged from Alabama, where a federal court has invalidated the state's congressional district map. The ruling determined that the map was intentionally designed to dilute Black voters' influence, violating the Voting Rights Act.

Debbie Elliott elaborates, "A panel of three federal judges says the Alabama legislature intentionally drew its congressional district map to dilute black voting strength, which is unconstitutional and violates the Voting Rights Act" ([02:27]). This decision mandates that Alabama cannot use the contested map in future elections. The case, which escalated to the U.S. Supreme Court, underscores ongoing battles over voting rights in states with significant African American populations. Black voters involved in the lawsuit hailed the verdict as a testament to the enduring efforts of generations seeking political equality, often at great personal cost ([02:27]).

5. Deportation Hearing for Tufts University Student Ramesa Ozturk

Host: Korva Coleman
Timestamp: [03:12]

A high-profile immigration case is unfolding in Vermont, where a federal judge is conducting a hearing for Ramesa Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University. The Trump administration is pursuing Ozturk's deportation, despite a federal appeals court's order to relocate her from detention in Louisiana to Vermont pending her case's resolution.

Korva Coleman notes that Ozturk has not been charged with any crime. Her deportation case stems from an essay she authored, criticizing her university's stance on the war in Gaza. The legal proceedings are closely watched as they highlight the tensions between academic freedom and immigration enforcement policies ([03:12]).

6. NOAA Retires Influential Billion-Dollar Disaster Report

Host: Korva Coleman
Reporter: Alejandra Barunda
Timestamp: [03:27]

In environmental news, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has discontinued its prominent billion-dollar disaster report. This decision aligns with the Trump administration's shifting priorities, moving away from climate change-focused research.

Alejandra Barunda explains, "The report counts up the number of major environmental disasters like hurricanes or wildfires that cost the country more than $1 billion to deal with in any year" ([03:57]). She details the report's significance, noting that from its inception in 1980 with three disasters, the number surged to 27 by the previous year, with total costs reaching $182 billion. Climate change, exacerbating disasters such as droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes, alongside continued development in high-risk areas like flood zones, contributed to this increase. The elimination of the report is seen as a setback for understanding the economic impacts of climate change in the United States ([03:57]).

7. Tamagotchi Inducted into the World Video Hall of Fame

Host: Korva Coleman
Timestamp: [04:43]

Concluding the episode on a lighter note, the World Video Hall of Fame has inducted Tamagotchi, the beloved digital pet that bridged the worlds of toys and video games. Tamagotchi's inclusion celebrates its cultural impact and enduring popularity among children and nostalgia-driven adults alike, highlighting the longstanding influence of digital entertainment innovations ([04:43]).

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This summary encapsulates the diverse range of topics covered in the May 9, 2025, episode of NPR News Now, providing listeners with a thorough overview of significant events and their broader implications.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. Pope Leo XIV has celebrated the first mass of his papacy today at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. The new pope is an American. The former Robert Prevost was born in Chicago, and he was close to the late Pope Francis and is expected to echo similar themes to Francis such as care for the poor and advocacy for migrants. But NPR's Jason DeRose says Pope Leo also faces criticism from earlier in his ministry.

[Jason DeRose]

Survivors of clergy sexual abuse say Cardinal Prevost did not do enough to address the issue as a bishop or archbishop or cardinal. That's true of many in church leadership. Now the question is how he'll respond to victims going forward. He's also come under criticism for comments on LGBTQ people. Back in 2012. He lamented what he called the culture's sympathy with, quote, the homosexual lifestyle.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Jason D. Rose reporting from Rome. President Trump is appointing Fox News host and former judge and prosecutor Jeanine Pirro as the interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C. as NPR's Elena Moore reports, the president announced the move after pulling the nomination of his first choice for the job, Ed Marshall.

[Elena Moore]

In a post on social media, Trump praises Pirro and says she's, quote, incredibly well qualified for this position. Jeanine Pirro previously served as district attorney of Westchester county in New York, but she left that job 20 years ago. Since then, she's become a prominent face on Fox News and other conservative media. She has a record as a fierce defender of Trump, and notably, she promoted false claims about the 2020 presidential election. It's unclear when the Senate will consider Pirro's nomination to be interim U.S. attorney for the nation's capital. Elena Moore, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

President Trump has fired the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden. Hayden is the first woman and the first black American to serve as the nation's top librarian. A federal court has struck down Alabama's congressional district map. It said the map intentionally discriminates against black voters. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports. The ruling comes in an ongoing voting rights case that resulted in Alabama getting a second black member of Congress.

[Debbie Elliott]

A panel of three federal judges says the Alabama legislature intentionally drew its congressional district map to dilute black voting strength, which is unconstitutional and violates the Voting Rights Act. The court enjoined the state from using the map in future elections. The ruling comes in a lawsuit that made it to the US Supreme Court, which agreed that Alabama's congressional map was discriminatory in a state where African Americans make a about a quarter of the population. Black voters who sued called the ruling a testament to the persistence of generations of black Alabamians who pursued political equality at great cost. Debbie Elliott, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

You're listening to npr. A federal judge holds a hearing today in Vermont for a Tufts University doctoral student. The Trump administration is seeking to deport Ramesa Ozturk. A federal appeals court has already ordered the administration to take her out of detention in Louisiana and move her to Vermont while her case is decided. Ostrich has not been charged with a crime. She published an essay criticizing her university over the war in Gaza. The national oceanic and atmospheric administration, or NOAA, has retired its influential billion dollar disaster report. NPR's Alejandra Barunda reports. NOAA is cutting the rather, citing the shift in priorities of under the Trump administration.

[Alejandra Barunda]

The report counts up the number of major environmental disasters like hurricanes or wildfires that cost the country more than $1 billion to deal with in any year. In 1980, when it started, there were three disasters. By last year, there were 27, and the cost tallied up to a total of $182 billion just for that year. One important cause of the rise, climate change. It's making disasters like droughts, wildfires and hurricanes more dangerous and costly. And another cause Americans continue to live and build in dangerous places like flood zones and the urban wildland interface. The report helped highlight those changes. Experts say its loss will make it harder to understand climate change's costs to the U.S. alejandra Barunda, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

The World Video hall of Fame inducted new members. One of them is a children's favorite, Tamagotchi. These are the digital pets that united both toys and video games. This is npr.

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