NPR News: 05-12-2026 2PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now – May 12, 2026, 2PM EDT

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Length: 5 minutes

---

Episode Overview

This edition of NPR News Now covers major global and domestic developments, including President Trump’s impending state visit to China and its diplomatic implications, legal action challenging state voting rights protections, key primary elections, advancements in pancreatic cancer treatment, and updates on gasoline and diesel price trends in the U.S. The brief news round-up provides timely highlights on politics, health, and the economy.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump’s State Visit to China

• President Trump is preparing for a state visit to China (00:32).
• A major topic is likely to be persuading China to influence Iran in favor of U.S. terms for ending the ongoing Iran war.
• Trade relations are also high on the agenda, following a difficult year of U.S.-China trade war that has recently seen a truce.

Expert Insight:

• Tamara Keith, NPR White House Correspondent (00:59):
  • “President Trump intends to deliver more good deals on behalf of the country to rebalance trade with China.”
  • Key asks from the U.S.: big purchase agreements, increased access to rare earth materials, progress on fentanyl, and a televised diplomatic spectacle.
  • “China’s going to deliver on the spectacle. China can do spectacle better than anybody. They will also deliver on the purchases.”
  • Formalities include bilateral meetings, a grand welcome ceremony, and a state banquet.

2. Justice Department Charges in Los Angeles

• Mayor of Arcadia, Eileen Wong, has agreed to plead guilty to a felony: (01:44)
  • Charged with acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government.
  • Faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

3. Voting Rights Act Lawsuit in Illinois

• First major lawsuit filed challenging a state-level Voting Rights Act post-Supreme Court ruling: (01:44–03:06)
  • Hansi Lo Wang, NPR Correspondent:
    • Conservative Public Interest Legal Foundation is suing over the Illinois Voting Rights Act.
    • Illinois law requires legislative districts to be drawn to give minority voters a fair chance to elect preferred candidates.
    • Suit claims recent Supreme Court ruling makes the state law an improper use of race in redistricting.
    • “Advocates of these laws have seen them as a bulwark against efforts to chip away at the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.” (02:26)

4. Primary Races in West Virginia and Nebraska

• Voters are participating in key primaries: (03:06)
  • Focus on the 2nd congressional district in Nebraska where Democrats are competing to fill a soon-to-be-vacant Republican seat.
  • Outcomes will shape the Congressional balance of power in the November midterms.

5. Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Breakthroughs

• New clinical trial treatments bring hope to patients: (03:41)
  • Vicki Stinson, Arizona patient diagnosed at late stage, has survived beyond her prognosis thanks to an experimental drug, Diraxan Racib.
    • “It feels like it’s so close and I kind of feel like a ripe tomato on a vine. It’s like if I can just keep holding on for a little bit longer, this just might work for me.” — Vicki Stinson (04:07)
  • FDA has expanded access for this drug even before its official approval due to promising results.
  • Other new treatments are also in the pipeline.

6. Gasoline and Diesel Price Changes

• AAA: Average US gasoline price is $4.50/gallon. (04:24)
  • Camila Domonosky, NPR Energy Correspondent (reported by Yukin Oguchi):
    • “Gas Buddy shows drops in states like Michigan and Ohio helped bring the national average down slightly.”
    • Diesel rises to $5.64/gallon, partly due to refinery issues — increases inflation.
    • President Trump supports a federal gas tax holiday: would save consumers ~18 cents/gallon, though he acknowledged it’s only a modest relief.

---

Notable Quotes

• “President Trump intends to deliver more good deals on behalf of the country to rebalance trade with China.” – Tamara Keith, NPR (00:59)

• “China’s going to deliver on the spectacle. China can do spectacle better than anybody. They will also deliver on the purchases.” – Melanie Hart, Atlantic Council (01:25, paraphrased by Tamara Keith)

• “Advocates of these laws have seen them as a bulwark against efforts to chip away at the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.” – Hansi Lo Wang, NPR (02:26)

• “It feels like it’s so close and I kind of feel like a ripe tomato on a vine. It’s like if I can just keep holding on for a little bit longer, this just might work for me.” – Vicki Stinson, pancreatic cancer patient (04:07)

---

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |--------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:32 | President Trump’s upcoming China visit | | 00:59 | U.S.-China trade relations and demands | | 01:44 | Arcadia Mayor pleads guilty, Voting Rights Act lawsuit | | 03:06 | Primary races in West Virginia and Nebraska | | 03:41 | Pancreatic cancer clinical trial success | | 04:24 | U.S. gasoline and diesel price update |

---

Tone & Style

The episode maintains a brisk, fact-based and neutral journalistic tone, delivering concise news summaries with occasional expert commentary and human-interest quotes.

---

This summary omits advertisements and non-news segments for clarity and focus.

Transcript

[NPR Sponsor Announcer]

This message comes from Kachava. It can be tough to stick to your wellness routine, especially when you're on the go. Cachava's new travel packs make it easier. Just one packet provides nutrition ready for wherever life takes you with protein, fiber, greens, probiotics, electrolytes and more. Take your daily ritual with you. Go to cachava.com and use code NPR. New customers get 15% off their first order. That's K A C H A V A.com KACH code NPR

[Lakshmi Singh]

live from NPR News. I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump is about to head to China for a state visit. He's currently taking reporters questions. Before he leaves, he and his host will likely talk about getting Iran to agree to U.S. terms for ending their war. Iran is a close ally of China. NPR's Tamar Keefe says trade between the U.S. and China, the world's two biggest economies, is also on the agenda.

[Tamara Keith]

The the White House says President Trump intends to deliver more good deals on behalf of the country to rebalance trade with China. There is currently a trade truce between the US And China after an all out trade war last year. Melanie Hart is the senior director of the Global China Hub at the Atlantic Council. The US Wants big purchase announcements, more access to China's rare earths, progress on fentanyl and made for TV diplomatic spectacle. China's going to deliver on the spectacle. China can do spectacle better than anybody. They will also deliver on the purchases. There will be bilateral meetings, a welcome ceremony and a banquet. Tamara Keith, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

The Justice Department says the mayor of Arcadia in affluent suburb in California's Los Angeles county has agreed to plead guilty in the coming weeks to committing a felony. Yesterday, Eileen Wong was charged in federal court with acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. A right leaning legal group has filed the first lawsuit to challenge a state level voting rights act after a recent Supreme Court ruling that further weakened the federal voting rights act. NPR's Hansi Lo Wang reports. The group is suing over Illinois state level protections against racial discrimination in redistricting.

[Hansi Lo Wang]

Fewer than a dozen states have passed state voting rights acts. Advocates of these laws have seen them as a bulwark against efforts to chip away at the federal Voting Rights act of 1965. But last month, the Supreme Court limited federal protections against racial discrimination and redistricting and that has opened the door for the conservative Public Interest Legal foundation to sue over the Illinois Voting Rights act in places where racial minority voters and majority voters tend to prefer different candidates. Illinois's law requires state legislative districts to be drawn in a way that gives minority voters a chance to elect their preferred candidate. The but the right wing legal group cites the Supreme Court's latest ruling to argue that the Illinois Voting Rights act requires an improper use of race in redistricting. On Zila Wang, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Well, voters are deciding more primary races today in West Virginia and Nebraska. The outcomes will determine midterm contests in November and help determine the balance of power in Congress. One of the key races is for the 2nd congressional district in Nebraska, where Democrats are vying to fill a seat that will be left vacant by a retiring Republican incumbent. This is NPR News. Some pancreatic cancer patients are expressing hope following successful clinical trials of new treatments. NPR's Yukinoguchi with details.

[Yukin Oguchi]

Vicki Stinson has defied odds typical for pancreatic cancer patients. The Arizona native was diagnosed at a late stage. A doctor gave Stinson months, not years, to live. Two years on. Stinson is alive and has felt well thanks to a drug in a clinical trial, Diraxan Racib, that is so promising the Food and Drug Administration expanded access for patients prior to its approval. Stinson notes there are other promising treatments as well.

[Vicki Stinson]

It feels like it's so close and I kind of feel like a ripe tomato on a vine. It's like if I can just keep holding on for a little bit longer, this just might work for me.

[Yukin Oguchi]

Yukin Oguchi, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

AAA says regular gasoline in the US is now averaging $4.50 a gallon. Your senior is Camilla Dominoski.

[Yukin Oguchi]

The app Gas Buddy shows drops in states like Michigan and Ohio helped bring the national average down slightly. Diesel prices, meanwhile, are at $5.64 up from yesterday, thanks in part to ongoing refinery issues. Diesel prices drive up inflation across the entire economy. President Trump has endorsed the idea of a federal gas tax holiday that would require an act of Congress and would save consumers a little more than 18 cents per gallon on gasoline, which Trump acknowledged was a small of the consumer gasoline burden. Camila Domonosky, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, in Washington.

[NPR Sponsor Announcer]

Want to hear this podcast without sponsor breaks? Amazon prime members can listen to NPR News now sponsor free through Amazon Music. Or you can also support NPR's vital journalism and get NPR [e-mail] that's plus.NPR.org.