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Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. President Trump says the Iran cease fire is now on life support. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Monday that Iran's response to his proposal was, in his words, unbelievably weak. And he dismissed it as garbage.
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And frankly, the leaders have been killed at the first level, second level and half of the third level. And then they come back and they want to negotiate and they give us a stupid, it's a stupid proposal.
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Iranian state media say Tehran's demands include an end to the blockade, reparations and sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's chokehold over the strait, fueling high gas prices. The president said Monday that he would suspend the federal tax on gasoline to ease the burden on Americans, but he would need congressional approval. President Trump heads to China Tuesday, and he's taking a sizable business delegation with him, including some of the biggest names in corporate America. NPR Sean Ruich reports on the trip during a period of relative calm in the US China trade relationship.
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According to the White House, more than A dozen top US executives will be on the trip this week, including Apple's Tim Cook, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, and Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX fame. Musk also co led Trump's Department of Government Efficiency early in his second term. There are financiers in the group, too, from BlackRock, Blackstone, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. This trip will be the first to China by a US President since Trump visited during his first term nearly nine years years ago. And while geopolitics loom large, especially the war in Iran, the parade of executives signals an interest in promoting business and potentially striking deals despite a festering trade war. John Ruich, NPR News, Washington.
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Alabama's attorney general launching a civil investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center's fundraising efforts. Andrew Yeager reports from WBHM in Birmingham that the announcement comes on the heels of a federal indictment against the organization.
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The Department of Justice is accusing the SPLC of fraud fraud, saying it deceived donors by using money to pay informants inside extremist groups it monitors now. Alabama's attorney general, Steve Marshall, says he sent a subpoena to the SPLC for records about those payments. He wants to determine if state laws were broken regarding deceptive trade practices or charitable organizations. SPLC officials have denied the federal charges, saying law enforcement has long known about the program to pay informants in response to the state's actions. An SBLC spokesperson wrote in a statement they have received the subpoena and are reviewing it. For NPR News, I'm Andrew Yeager in Birmingham.
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Alabama Democrats asking the Supreme Court to halt a ruling blocking new congressional districts. In Virginia, they filed an emergency appeal of a ruling by the state's top court that invalidated a ballot measure that would have given Virginia Democrats an additional four winnable House seats to the November midterm election. This is npr. President Trump has nominated Cameron Hamilton to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Hamilton is a former Navy SEAL who Trump fired last year when he was acting director. Hamilton was ousted after he appeared to break with Trump on the agency's future. The European Union says it will sanction Israeli settlers over their violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports. Hungary's new government stopped blocking the measure today.
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We reached a political agreement to sanction Israel. Israeli extremist settlers, said the EU's top diplomat, Kaya Kallis. On X. The measures, which include asset freezes and travel bans, are against three main settler organizations and their leaders. One of the groups worked to halt and disrupt humanitarian aid into Gaza. The measure will also target members of Hamas, which the EU designates as a terrorist organization. Settler violence in the occupied west bank has increased dramatically since the 2023 war in Gaza began, and Israel has expanded settlements at a rapid pace. According to Israeli peace advocacy group PeaceNow, more settlements have been approved in the last year than in the last two decades. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, under renewed pressure to step down for ministerial aid, stepped down Monday, and more than 70 of Starmer's labour Party lawmakers publicly called for his resignation after Labor's poor showing in last week's elections. During a speech Monday, Starmer urged Labor to stick with him, saying a party leadership contest would only bring chaos. I'm Giles Snyder, NPR News.
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This NPR News Now episode, anchored by Giles Snyder, delivers a concise 5-minute roundup of major headlines in U.S. and world affairs as of midnight, May 12, 2026. The newscast covers escalating tensions in U.S.-Iran relations, President Trump's upcoming trip to China with business leaders, a civil investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center, political and legal developments in Alabama and Virginia, EU sanctions targeting Israeli settlers, and mounting pressure on the British Prime Minister.
Trump on Iran’s Proposal:
“And frankly, the leaders have been killed at the first level, second level and half of the third level. And then they come back and they want to negotiate and they give us a stupid, it's a stupid proposal.” — President Trump [00:17]
Delegation to China:
“The parade of executives signals an interest in promoting business and potentially striking deals despite a festering trade war.” — John Ruich, NPR [01:41]
EU’s Stand on Settler Sanctions:
“The measures, which include asset freezes and travel bans, are against three main settler organizations and their leaders.” — Eleanor Beardsley, NPR [03:32]
British PM Starmer on Leadership Chaos:
“Starmer urged Labor to stick with him, saying a party leadership contest would only bring chaos.” — Giles Snyder, NPR [04:33]
This episode offers a swift yet comprehensive update on pivotal U.S. and international developments, with focus on both political maneuvering and policy actions shaping current affairs.