NPR News: 05-12-2026 7AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now – 7AM EDT, May 12, 2026

Host: Korva Coleman (NPR News, Washington)

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Episode Overview

This concise, five-minute episode covers pressing global and domestic news as of May 12, 2026. Highlights include President Trump's rescheduled trip to China amid U.S. involvement in Middle East conflict, the fragile status of various ceasefires in the region, Israel’s new tribunal for Palestinians accused in the 2023 attacks, the existential crisis facing U.S. nonprofits after federal cuts, an update on quarantined Americans exposed to hunter virus, a lawsuit against OpenAI over a Florida State University shooting, and a new diplomatic nomination.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump Heads to China

Main Point:
President Trump embarks on his postponed trip to China for talks with President Xi Jinping, after delaying due to U.S.-Israel military action against Iran.

• Topic: Major themes for the meeting are anticipated to be the Middle East war and U.S.-China trade tensions.
• Trade Focus:
  • Trump aims to redirect discussions toward rebounding U.S.-China trade relations.
  • Possible creation of a U.S.-China Board of Trade to move past the heated trade war of Trump's first year back in office.
• Insight:
  • "[Trump] intends to deliver more good deals on behalf of the country to rebalance trade with China... expected to discuss the idea of a U.S.-China Board of Trade."
    — Tamara Keith (00:21)

2. Ceasefire Updates in the Middle East

Main Point:
Ceasefire status varies between U.S.-Iran and Israel-Lebanon fronts.

• US-Iran: Ceasefire remains mostly intact.

• Israel-Lebanon:

  • More tenuous agreement aimed at stopping Hezbollah attacks.
  • Israeli military continues operations in Lebanon.
  • Lebanon’s prime minister appeals to the U.S. to intervene and halt attacks (00:45).

• Israeli Tribunal:

  • Israel sets up a special military tribunal in Jerusalem for Palestinians accused in the October 7, 2023, attacks.
  • Tribunal could try hundreds; convicted individuals face possible death penalty.
  • Law draws comparison to the 1961 Eichmann trial.

• Concerns:

  • Civil rights advocates warn of "show trials and mass executions."
  • Hamas rejects the law as "null and void."

• Quote:

  • "[Lawmakers] compared it to the 1961 trial of Nazi officer Adolf Eichmann... allows judges to accept a lower standard of evidence."
    — Daniel Estrin (01:19)

3. Nonprofit Crisis over Federal Funding Cuts

Main Point:
Charitable nonprofit organizations face a critical juncture due to Trump administration budget cuts.

• Survey Findings:
  • Three-quarters of nonprofit CEOs report increased demand but have reduced staff and services.
  • Essential programs, including senior meals and domestic violence assistance, have shut down.
• Funding Rationale:
  • Administration emphasizes government downsizing and alleges nonprofit sector fraud, targeting social justice organizations.
• Quote:
  • "The sector is really at an inflection point and in a crisis right now."
    — Alicia Smith Arriaga, Center for Effective Philanthropy (02:38)

4. Americans Monitored for Hunter Virus

Main Point:
Several exposed Americans and a British national are under observation in Omaha, Nebraska.

• Details:
  • Monitoring at the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit — the nation’s only federally funded quarantine facility.
  • One tested positive and is being housed separately (02:56).

5. OpenAI Sued Following FSU Shooting

Main Point:
Family of a Florida State University shooting victim sues OpenAI, claiming ChatGPT was used to plan the attack.

• Details:
  • Lawyer Bakari Sellers alleges the gunman asked ChatGPT for advice on planning the attack.
  • Florida Attorney General opens a criminal investigation into OpenAI.
  • OpenAI claims it only provided factual, publicly available information and denies legal responsibility.
• Quote:
  • "He literally utilized OpenAI, and ChatGPT is his co-conspirator."
    — Bakari Sellers, attorney (03:44)

6. Trump Nominates Carrie Lake as Ambassador

Main Point:
Carrie Lake nominated for Ambassador to Jamaica.

• Relevant Background:
  • Lake previously attempted to shutter Voice of America before a federal judge ruled her appointment illegal (04:17).

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• "Trump intends to deliver more good deals on behalf of the country to rebalance trade with China."
  Tamara Keith (00:22)

• "The sector is really at an inflection point and in a crisis right now."
  Alicia Smith Arriaga (02:38)

• "He literally utilized OpenAI, and ChatGPT is his co-conspirator."
  Bakari Sellers (03:44)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Trump’s Trip to China and Trade Focus: 00:00 – 00:45
• Middle East Ceasefires and Israeli Tribunal: 00:45 – 02:07
• Nonprofit Cuts and Crisis: 02:07 – 02:56
• Hunter Virus Exposure Updates: 02:56 – 03:36
• OpenAI ChatGPT Lawsuit: 03:36 – 04:17
• Carrie Lake Nomination: 04:17 – 04:39

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For a concise overview of current events and political developments as of May 12, 2026, this NPR News Now episode remains a critical and balanced resource.

Transcript

[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. President Trump leaves this afternoon for his rescheduled trip to China, where he'll meet President Xi Jinping. Trump had put it off after the US And Israel attacked Iran. The war is expected to be a major topic when Trump and xi meet, but NPR's Tamara Keith says Trump will try to shift the focus to trade.

[Tamara Keith]

In terms of substance, that is less clear. The White House says Trump intends to deliver more good deals on behalf of the country to rebalance trade with China. They are expected to discuss the idea of a U S. China Board of Trade, which would represent a further cooling of what had been a very active and escalating trade war during Trump's first year back in office.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Tamara Keith reporting. The ceasefire is mostly holding between the US And Iran. Another ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is far more fragile. It's intended to stop Hezbollah from attacking Israel, but the Israeli military is targeting Lebanon. Lebanon's prime minister is asking the US for help in halting those attacks. Israel is setting up a tribunal to prosecute hundreds of Palestinians for the October 7 attacks in 2023. Palestinians who are convicted could face the death penalty. NPR's Daniel Estrin reports from Tel Aviv.

[Daniel Estrin]

The Israeli parliament has passed a law for a new military tribunal in Jerusalem, expected next year. Israeli lawmakers say several hundred Palestinian detainees will be prosecuted for the Deaths of nearly 1,200 people, acts of sexual violence and capture of more than 250 hostages. A lawmaker who led the initiative compared it to the 1961 trial of Nazi officer Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem for crimes of the Holocaust. Hamas says it considers the tribunal law null and void. The law allows judges to accept a lower standard of evidence because of the difficulty of gathering evidence for hundreds of perpetrators. Some civil rights advocates are warning of show trials and mass executions. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

[Korva Coleman]

Charitable nonprofits say they face an existential crisis from federal funding cuts by the Trump administration. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports on a new survey that warns some groups are struggling to survive.

[Alicia Smith Arriaga]

The center for Effective Philanthropy surveyed hundreds of nonprofit CEOs. Three quarters say they face increasing demand for services, and even as many have had to cut staff and pull back, the center's Alicia Smith Arriaga says things like meals for seniors and help for domestic violence victims have had to shut down.

[Korva Coleman]

The sector is really at an inflection point and in a crisis right now.

[Alicia Smith Arriaga]

The Trump administration has said such funding cuts are part of its mission to shrink government. It's also made broad allegations of fraud and called groups that promote social justice ra radical and illegal.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Jennifer Ludden. This is NPR. Several American cruise ship passengers and a British national who were potentially exposed to the rare hunter virus are being monitored at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. That's the only federally funded quarantine unit in the United States. One of them who tested positive is being housed separately at the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit. The family of one of the victims killed in last year's shooting at Florida State University is suing the chatbot company, OpenAI. From member station WFSU, Tristan Wood has more.

[Tristan Wood]

Bakari Sellers is an attorney representing the family. Sellers says logs show the accused gunman used ChatGPT for advice on how to carry out his attack.

[Bakari Sellers]

He asked about what time should he go to campus, what time are most people going to be there? He literally utilized OpenAI, and ChatGPT is his co conspirator. He utilized it as a resource to carry out mass murder.

[Tristan Wood]

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeyer is also currently conducting a criminal investigation into OpenAI for their involvement in the shooting. An OpenAI spokesperson says the company is not responsible for the shooting. They say they did not encourage harmful activity, but provided factual responses to questions with information that could be found broadly across public sources on the Internet. For NPR News, I'm Tristan Wood in Tallahassee.

[Korva Coleman]

President Trump says he is nominating Carrie Lake as the next ambassador to Jamaica. Lake was in charge of trying to shut down the Voice of America, a federally funded news organization. That effort was struck down in March by a federal judge who ruled she was illegally appointed as interim leader. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News, in Washington.

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