NPR News: 05-13-2026 1AM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now: 05-13-2026 1AM EDT

Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now update, anchored by Giles Snyder, delivers the latest top stories from around the globe. Key highlights include President Trump’s upcoming trip to China amid the Iran war, a surge in inflation linked to ongoing conflict, the humanitarian cost for Palestinian children in the West Bank, worrying findings on gun safety in American homes, a major settlement in the aftermath of Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapse, the resignation of the FDA Commissioner, and shifting trading markets in Asia.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump’s China Trip and Iran War Developments

• [00:14] President Trump emphasized his confidence in handling the Iran war independently, ahead of talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
  • Quote: “I don’t think we need any help with Iran, to be honest with you. They’re defeated militarily and they’ll either do the right thing or we’ll finish the job.” – President Trump via NPR Anchor
• The President is set to land in Beijing on Wednesday, while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to oil and gas tankers.
• Context: China, a major buyer of Iranian oil, hosted Iran’s foreign minister last week, highlighting the diplomatic complexity.
• Economic Impact: The Labor Department reports a sharp spike in U.S. inflation, attributing the rise to the Iran war.
  • April consumer prices rose 3.8% year-over-year, with a 0.6% increase from the previous month.

2. Humanitarian Crisis in the Occupied West Bank

• [01:30] Ruth Sherlock reports on UNICEF findings regarding Palestinian children:
  • At least one child killed every week since early last year; 70 total deaths (93% by Israeli forces).
  • 850 children wounded; “unprecedented” settler attacks documented.
  • Education severely disrupted: 99 attacks on schools so far this year.
  • Quote: “For thousands of children across the occupied West Bank, UNICEF says daily travel to school has become a walk through fear.” – Ruth Sherlock, NPR (01:57)

3. Gun Storage and Child Safety Risks in the U.S.

• [02:14] NPR’s Ritu Chatterjee spotlights a new study on firearm storage:
  • Nearly 7 million children live in homes with at least one unlocked and loaded firearm.
  • Study author Dr. Matthew Miller notes almost 20% of surveyed gun owners keep at least one gun in the “least safe way possible.”
  • Quote: “So you pick it up and you can fire it. You don’t have to unlock it, it’s ready to go.” – Dr. Matthew Miller, via commercial clip (02:45)
  • The risk is higher in homes with teens, who already face elevated suicide risk.

4. Baltimore Key Bridge Settlement

• [03:10] Two years after the catastrophic collapse, Maryland reaches a $2.25 billion settlement with the ship’s owner/operator.
• Companies initially attempted to cap liability at $44 million per maritime law.
• Maryland still pursues claims against shipbuilder Hyundai over power failure links.
• Lawsuits from victims’ families are ongoing.
• Quote: “The state will continue pursuing claims against the shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries, which federal investigators say was responsible for the systems tied to the ship’s power failure.” – Wamboy Kamau, WYPR (03:54)

5. FDA Commissioner Resignation

• [04:19] Dr. Marty Makary, FDA Commissioner, steps down after 13 months.
  • President Trump announced the resignation via social media.
  • Dr. Makary is noted for his outspoken criticism of COVID public health measures.

6. Asian Markets Update

• [04:37] Market reactions align with Trump’s Asia trip and regional developments:
  • Tokyo stocks up, South Korea advances 2%, but declines in Sydney and Taiwan.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I don’t think we need any help with Iran, to be honest with you. They’re defeated militarily and they’ll either do the right thing or we’ll finish the job.” – President Trump (00:23)
• “For thousands of children across the occupied West Bank, UNICEF says daily travel to school has become a walk through fear.” – Ruth Sherlock (01:57)
• “So you pick it up and you can fire it. You don’t have to unlock it, it’s ready to go.” – Dr. Matthew Miller, via NPR segment (02:45)
• “The state will continue pursuing claims against the shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries, which federal investigators say was responsible for the systems tied to the ship’s power failure.” – Wamboy Kamau (03:54)

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Timeline of Important Segments

• 00:14 – President Trump’s China trip, Iran war, and U.S. inflation report
• 01:30 – UNICEF’s report on Palestinian children in the West Bank (Ruth Sherlock)
• 02:14 – Study on children’s exposure to unsafe firearm storage (Ritu Chatterjee)
• 03:10 – Maryland’s legal settlement over Baltimore Key Bridge collapse (Wamboy Kamau)
• 04:19 – FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigns
• 04:37 – Asian market performance

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This episode delivers a concise global overview, connecting breaking geopolitical news, domestic safety risks, legal developments, and economic trends, in NPR’s signature straightforward tone.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

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[NPR News Anchor]

Live from NPR News, I'm Jael Snyder. Before leaving for China Tuesday, President Trump said he expects to have a long talk with Chinese leader Xi Jinping about the Iran war. But he said he does not think he needs Xi's help to bring the war to an end. He could. I mean, it might be, I don't think we need any help with Iran, to be honest with you. They're defeated militarily and they'll either do the right thing or we'll finish the job. Trump is set to land in Beijing Wednesday with the Strait of Hormuz still effectively closed to oil and natural gas tankers. China is a major buyer of Iranian oil and maintains ties with Iran, whose foreign minister was in Beijing last week. Fresh data from the Labor Department shows Iran war has pushed inflation to its highest level in almost three years. The latest Cost of Living reports as consumer prices in April were up 3.8% from a year ago, with prices jumping 0.6% in the last month alone. The UN children's agency says Palestinian children in the occupied west bank are paying what it calls an intolerable price for Israeli military operations and settler attacks across the occupied West Bank. UNICEF says at least one child has been killed there every week since the start of last year. NPR's Ruth Sherlock reports.

[Ruth Sherlock]

UNICEF says 70 Palestinian children have been killed in the occupied west bank since January last year, 93% by Israeli forces. Another 850 have been wounded. Palestinians face an unprecedented number of settler attacks. Incidents documented by UNICEF include children shot, stabbed, beaten and pepper sprayed. Education is untouchable, what it calls sustained assault, with 99 documented incidences this year alone. For thousands of children across the occupied West Bank, UNICEF says daily travel to school has become a walk through fear. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News, Ramallah. In the occupied West Bank, a new

[NPR News Anchor]

study finds nearly 7 million children live in a home with at least one firearm that's kept unlocked and loaded. NPR's Ritu Chatterjee reports.

[Ritu Chatterjee]

Researchers surveyed nearly 900 gun owning parents with kids younger than 18 years in the home and asked them how they store their guns. Study author Dr. Matthew Miller is a public health researcher at Northeastern University. He says nearly one in five respondents had at least one firearm stored in the least safe way possible, unlocked and loaded.

[Commercial Announcer]

So you pick it up and you can fire it. You don't have to unlock it it's ready to go.

[Ritu Chatterjee]

When they analyzed their results by age of the kids, they found that more parents chose to leave their firearms unlocked and loaded when their kids were in their teens compared to parents of younger children. But Miller says teenagers are already at a higher risk of suicide, and easy access to firearms increases that risk. Ritu Chatterjee, NPR News.

[NPR News Anchor]

This is NPR News. Two years after the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, Maryland has finalized a multi billion billion settlement with the owner and operator of the cargo ship Dolly. The vessel lost power, struck the bridge, killing six construction workers and temporarily shutting down the port of Baltimore, one of the country's busiest auto shipping hubs. Well, boy come out. Member station WYPR reports Maryland's attorney General

[Wamboy Kamau]

Anthony Brown says the state has reached a $2.25 billion settlement with the owner and operator of the Dolly, avoiding a trial set for next month. The companies had argued maritime law limited their liability to about $44 million. Brown says the state will continue pursuing claims against the shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries, which federal investigators say was responsible for the systems tied to the ship's power failure. Meanwhile, separate lawsuits filed by the families of the six workers killed in the collapse of are still moving through the courts. For NPR News, I'm Wamboy Kamau in Baltimore.

[NPR News Anchor]

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary is stepping down. On social media Tuesday, President Trump said he accepted Dr. Makary's resignation. Makary had been on the job for 13 months. He rose to prominence as an outspoken critic of public health measures during the COVID pandemic. With President Trump on his way to China, Asian shares are mixed in Wednesday trading. Stocks are up in Tokyo and have advanced more than 2% in South Korea, but they're lower in Sydney and Taiwan. I'm Giles Snyder, NPR News.

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