NPR News: 05-12-2026 12PM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now – May 12, 2026, 12PM EDT

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Length: ~5 minutes
Episode Theme: The episode covers the latest developments in the US war with Iran, its economic impact, ongoing defense budget talks, shifts in US-China relations, tariff refund updates, doubts about recent political assassination attempts, and advancements in hearing aid technology.

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1. US War with Iran and Inflation

[00:01 – 01:04]

• Overview:

  • The ongoing US war with Iran is driving up energy prices and inflation, now at its highest in three years.
  • April’s consumer prices rose 3.8% year-on-year.

• Military Budget:

  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth returned to Capitol Hill, defending the Pentagon's 2027 budget request of $1.5 trillion.
  • Pentagon officials acknowledge the war's costs are escalating, now estimated at $29 billion—$4 billion higher than previous accounts.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Jules Hurst III (Pentagon’s top budget and finance official):

    “At the time of testimony from the HASC, it was $25 billion. But ... now we think it’s closer to 29. That’s because of updated repair and replacement of equipment costs and also just general operational costs keep people in theater.” (00:45 – 01:04)

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2. US-China Relations and Public Sentiment

[01:04 – 02:02]

• Poll Findings:

  • Americans increasingly perceive China as an economic and geopolitical rival.
  • 78% believe China seeks global dominance, especially economically.
  • Yet, the public prefers to maintain strong trade relations with China and favors lowering tariffs to keep consumer prices down.

• Iran War’s Impact:

  • Majority see the Iran war as detrimental to both US and Chinese economies.
  • More Americans view the war as strengthening China's geopolitical position than as benefitting US national security.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Domenico Montanaro (NPR):

    “Most also say the Iran war has been bad for both countries and their economies. But more Americans say the war is boosting China’s geopolitical position than say it’s helping US national security.” (01:26 – 02:02)

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3. Tariff Refunds and Legal Fallout

[02:02 – 02:58]

• Supreme Court Ruling:

  • Court invalidated most tariffs imposed by President Trump last year.
  • The refund process is underway, with up to $166 billion eligible, though the current wave is only partial.

• Refund Challenges:

  • Over a third of refund claims rejected due to technical or data errors—businesses can refile.
  • Roughly one-fifth of eligible shipments are covered in accepted claims thus far.

• Consumer Class Action:

  • Nike now faces a class action suit arguing that consumers should receive part of tariff refunds due to higher prices during the levy.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Alina Selyuk (NPR):

    “Nike is the latest big company to face a class action lawsuit that argues shoppers should get a cut of any refunds because they paid the costs through higher prices.” (02:40 – 02:52)

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4. Assassination Attempt Doubts

[02:58 – 03:46]

• Latest Legal News:

  • Cole Allen, accused in the White House Correspondents Dinner assassination attempt on President Trump, pled not guilty.

• Public Perception (NewsGuard/YouGov Poll):

  • 30% of Americans believe at least one of three recent attempts may have been staged.
  • Skepticism split along party lines—Democrats most doubting the Butler, Pennsylvania incident.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Odette Youssef (NPR):

    “30% of respondents thought at least one of those was staged. Across all three events, Democrats were most skeptical of the Butler incident, with 42% saying they thought it was staged.” (03:21 – 03:46)

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5. Breakthrough in Hearing Aid Technology

[03:46 – 04:38]

• Scientific Advance:

  • New hearing aids respond to users' unique brain waves, enhancing the ability to focus on a specific voice in noisy environments.

• How it Works:

  • System recognizes brain signatures that indicate attention to a specific voice and automatically amplifies it.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Nima Mescherani (Columbia University):

    “That gives us a signature that we can look at someone’s brain and then we can decide, oh, yeah, this is the source that they want to listen to.” (04:12 – 04:20)

  • John Hamilton (NPR):

    “A hearing aid that works this way could solve a major problem for people with hearing loss, picking out one voice in a crowded room filled with speakers.” (04:32 – 04:38)

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Key Takeaways

• The US-Iran war is raising both defense budgets and inflation.
• Americans see China as a rising rival but want practical trade policies.
• Tariff refunds are underway but complicated; companies face legal challenges from consumers.
• Significant public skepticism surrounds recent assassination attempts on President Trump.
• Brain-powered hearing aids could revolutionize communication for people with hearing loss.

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End of summary. All timestamps in MM:SS format refer to original NPR News Now: 05-12-2026 12PM EDT episode.

Transcript

[A]

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The US War with Iran is hitting energy prices and has helped drive annual inflation to the highest level in roughly three years. Today the Labor Department says consumer prices in April were 3.8% higher than the same time a year earlier. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is back on Capitol Hill defending the Pentagon's 2027 military budget request of 1.5 trillion. DOL. Jules Hurst III, the Pentagon's top budget and finance official, is telling members of Congress that the cost of the war is higher than the last estimate a couple of weeks ago, $4 billion higher.

[B]

At the time of testimony from the HASC, it was $25 billion. But the joint staff team and the comptroller team are constantly looking at that estimate. And so now we think it's closer to 29. That's because of updated repair and replacement of equipment costs and also just general operational costs keep people in theater, Hearst saying 29 billion.

[A]

Some analysts estimate the war cost is much higher than that. The war is expected to be one of the issues discussed when President Trump travels to China. He leaves this afternoon. NPR's Domenico Montanaro reports on what people in the U.S. think of the U.S. china relationship in a survey done by NPR in conjunction with the Chicago Council on Global affairs and ipsos.

[C]

In two polls over the last few months, there were some notable findings. Finding First, Americans see China on the rise and eyeing a dominant role in the world. 78% say they believe China wants to be a dominant world leader, particularly economically. But respondents also say they want to keep a strong trading relationship with China and they want tariffs lowered to keep costs down for US Consumers. Most also say the Iran war has been bad for both countries and their economies. But more Americans say the war is boosting China's geopolitical position than say it's helping US US national security. Domenico Montanaro, NPR News, Washington.

[A]

Some businesses that applied for tariff refunds are expected to start getting their Money this week. NPR's Alina Selyuk reports. It's been nearly three months since the Supreme Court ruled most of the tariffs President Trump ordered last year were illegal.

[D]

The US Government took about two months to set up an online system where companies that paid the illegal tariffs could request their money back. That's an estimated $166 billion, though not all of it is being processed in this first wave. U.S. customs has also acknowledged that it did reject more than a third of refund claims for technical and data errors, though importers can refile. As of about two weeks ago the agency said it had accepted claims covering about a fifth of all the shipments that are due refunds. Nike is the latest big company to face a class action lawsuit that argues shoppers should get a cut of any refunds because they paid the costs through higher prices. Naturally, Nike declined comment. Alina Seluk, NPR News.

[A]

It's npr. The man accused of attempting to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents Dinner last month has pleaded not guilty. 31 year old Cole Allen appeared in federal court for his arraignment yesterday. NPR's Odette Youssef says a survey suggests many people have doubts this and two other assassination attempts on Trump were real.

[E]

The NewsGuard YouGov poll surveyed 1,000Americans. It asked about the incident at the as well as incidents at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and on golf grounds in West Palm Beach, Florida. 30% of respondents thought at least one of those was staged. Across all three events, Democrats were most skeptical of the butler incident, with 42% saying they thought it was staged.

[A]

NPR's A Dat Youssef a hearing aid your brain controls. NPR's John Hamilton reports on a study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience that suggests how the advancement in hearing assistance could make it easier for people to communicate, communicate in noisy places.

[F]

The study used a hearing system that responds to a person's own brain waves. Nima Mescherani of Columbia University says the system detects a special signal produced when the brain is trying to focus on a specific sound.

[G]

That gives us a signature that we can look at someone's brain and then we can decide, oh, yeah, this is the source that they want to listen to.

[F]

When the signal appeared, the system automatically amplified the corresponding voice and filtered out competing voices. Researchers say a hearing aid that works this way could solve a major problem for people with hearing loss, picking out one voice in a crowded room filled with speakers. John Hamilton, NPR News.

[A]

This is npr.

[G]

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