NPR News: 05-13-2026 3PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now – Episode Summary

Episode: NPR News: 05-13-2026 3PM EDT
Host: Lakshmi Singh
Date: May 13, 2026
Duration: 5 minutes (core content: 00:32–05:10)

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Overview

This edition of NPR News Now delivers concise updates on pressing topics including U.S.-China bilateral talks, Medicaid and Medicare funding actions, the overturning of Alex Murdoch’s murder conviction, mandated immigration enforcement reforms, troubling trends in U.S. education scores, and the announcement of a new Godfather novel. NPR reporters provide brief, in-depth insights on each unfolding story.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S.-China Bilateral Talks

[00:32 – 01:11]

• Focus: The U.S. President is attending talks in China, aiming to address concerns over market distortions and trade imbalances.
• Scott Horsley (NPR):
  • The U.S. is demanding “reciprocity and fairness” in economic relations.
  • There are worldwide concerns that China is “distorting markets by producing too much and dumping the excess elsewhere.”
  • President Trump wants China to fulfill commitments to purchase more U.S. goods, highlighting past disappointments—especially for U.S. farmers affected when China chose other suppliers for key exports like soybeans.

Notable Quote:
“The White House says the president wants reciprocity and fairness. And to be sure, lots of countries around the world are concerned that China is distorting markets by producing too much and dumping the excess elsewhere.”
— Scott Horsley ([00:44])

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2. Suspension of Medicaid and Medicare Funding to California

[01:11 – 01:45]

• Vice President J.D. Vance: Announced a deferral of over $1 billion in Medicaid funding to California.
  • Accuses California of insufficiently combating fraud in aid programs for low-income individuals and those with disabilities.
  • Under Vance’s directive, scrutiny also targets Medicare, especially fraudulent hospice and home health enrollments.
• Shawn Reardon (Administration official):
  • Emphasizes aggressive federal push for states to address Medicare fraud.

Notable Quote:
“We are going to very aggressively encourage the states to take Medicare fraud more seriously.”
— Shawn Reardon ([01:38])

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3. Alec Murdoch’s Conviction Overturned

[01:45 – 02:46]

• South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Alec Murdoch’s conviction for the 2023 murders of his wife and son.
  • Victoria Hansen (SC Public Radio):
    • The ruling was unanimous, citing the trial was unfair.
    • The Colleton County Clerk of Court influenced jurors against Murdoch.
    • The judge’s allowance of financial crime evidence was prejudicial.
    • Despite the overturned murder conviction, Murdoch will remain in prison for substantial financial crimes.

Notable Quote:
“The justices said Murdoch was denied a fair trial. Specifically, they said the Colleton County Clerk of Court attacked Murdoch's credibility by telling jurors to watch him closely as he testified.”
— Victoria Hansen ([02:04])

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4. Immigration Enforcement Reforms in Colorado

[02:46 – 03:26]

• Federal judge orders additional training for ICE agents.
  • Allison Sherry (Colorado Public Radio):
    • ICE agents had not followed proper legal procedures for warrantless arrests and flight risk assessments.
    • Compliance issues stem from as far back as 2025; a new order mandates more comprehensive training.

Notable Quote:
“Congress authorizes warrantless arrests, but only in narrow circumstances. And if ICE agents decide to detain someone, they're supposed to put them through a flight risk assessment. They weren't doing that in 2025, according to lawyers.”
— Allison Sherry ([02:52])

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5. U.S. Math and Reading Scores Reveal Early Declines

[03:26 – 04:38]

• A new Education Scorecard shows major drops in student performance began years before the pandemic.
  • Cory Turner (NPR):
    • Analysis of decades of data shows a “learning recession” around 2013, not just during COVID-19.
    • Shawn Reardon (Stanford researcher):
      • Two main causes: The 2013 abandonment of a major federal education law and a surge in social media use among young people.
      • Test scores show a “steady kind of decline” over the past decade.

Notable Quotes:
“The researchers say America's students hit a learning recession not during COVID-19, but around 2013.”
— Cory Turner ([03:50])

“You wouldn't really know there was a pandemic effect if you just looked at the last 10 or 12 years of test scores. There's been just a steady kind of decline.”
— Shawn Reardon ([04:07])

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6. New ‘Godfather’ Novel Announcement

[04:38 – 05:10]

• Penguin Random House will publish an authorized Godfather novel focusing on Connie Corleone.
  • Author: Adriana Trigiani, with approval from the Mario Puzo estate.
  • The novel explores Connie’s perspective as she forges her identity within the Corleone legacy.

Notable Quote:
“Connie is a novel about how a woman works to forge her own way in a world that's already decided who she is, what she's about and how she should be treated.”
— Adriana Trigiani (statement, read by Lakshmi Singh, [04:48])

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Scott Horsley on the impact of U.S.-China relations on farmers:
  “U.S. farmers in particular have paid a price when China started buying soybeans from Brazil instead, for example.” ([00:44])

• Victoria Hansen on judicial fairness:
  “The ruling is a win for Murdoch, who has long denied shooting his wife and son in 2021. But the 57-year-old won't be getting out of prison.” ([02:04])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• US-China Bilateral Talks: 00:32 – 01:11
• Medicaid/Medicare Funding News: 01:11 – 01:45
• Murdoch Conviction Overturned: 01:45 – 02:46
• Immigration Training in Colorado: 02:46 – 03:26
• Education Score Report: 03:26 – 04:38
• Godfather Novel Announcement: 04:38 – 05:10

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This NPR News Now episode swiftly delivers background and insight into several high-profile issues, blending headline urgency with context and memorable details from trusted reporters.

Transcript

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[Lakshmi Singh]

live from NPR News. I'm Lakshmi Singh. The leaders of the world's two largest economies, the US And China, hold bilateral talks this week. NPR Scott Horsley is monitoring the summit in China.

[Scott Horsley]

The White House says the president wants reciprocity and fairness. And to be sure, lots of countries around the world are concerned that China is distorting markets by producing too much and dumping the excess elsewhere. Trump also wants China to buy a lot more stuff from the United States has made commitments to buy more in the past and then often fallen short of those promises. U.S. farmers in particular have paid a price when China started buying soybeans from Brazil instead, for example.

[Lakshmi Singh]

NPR Scott Horsley reporting. Vice President J.D. vance has announced that the administration will defer more than a billion dollars in Medicaid funding for California. He accuses the state of not doing enough to combat fraud in programs that assist low income individuals and people with disabilities. Under Vance's oversight is fraud czar Medicare the designed to help older adults and younger people with disabilities, is also targeted.

[Shawn Reardon]

We are going to very aggressively encourage the states to take Medicare fraud more seriously.

[Lakshmi Singh]

The administration says it is requiring a six month moratorium on new Medicare enrollments by hospice and home health agencies. The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned former attorney Alec Murdoch's murder conviction for the 2023 deaths of his wife and son. South Carolina Public Radio's Victoria Hansen reports

[Victoria Hansen]

the ruling was unanimous. The justices said Murdoch was denied a fair trial. Specifically, they said the Colleton county clerk of Court attacked Murdoch's credibility by telling jurors to watch him closely as he testified. The justices also said the presiding judge should not have admitted evidence of Murdoch's financial crimes into the six week long trial. The ruling is a win for Murdoch, who has long denied shooting his wife and son in 2021. But the 57 year old won't be getting out of prison. He's serving a lengthy sentence for state and federal financial crimes, including stealing millions from former clients. For NPR News, I'm Victoria Hanson in South Carolina.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Federal judge in Colorado's ordering more training for immigration agents. Colorado Public Radio's Allison Sherry explains the

[Allison Sherry]

senior judge had already found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were not following their own laws in arresting and detaining people in Colorado. Congress authorizes warrantless arrests, but only in narrow circumstances. And if ICE agents decide to detain someone, they're supposed to put them through a flight risk assessment. They weren't doing that in 2025, according to lawyers. And the ACLU sued. ICE has yet to get into compliance, though on a ruling from last year. So now a judge this week ordered more training on warrantless arrests for ICE agents.

[Lakshmi Singh]

That's Alison Cherry reporting. It's NPR News. A report out today offers new details on math and reading scores for students in the United States. NPR's Cory Turner reports. The researchers say big losses in learning did not begin with the coronavirus pandemic some six years ago, but in fact, years earlier.

[Shawn Reardon]

The annual report is called the Education Scorecard, and it comes from researchers at Stanford, Harvard and Dartmouth pouring over decades of math and reading scores. The researchers say America's students hit a learning recession not during COVID 19, but around 2013. Stanford researcher Shawn Reardon in fact, you

[Lakshmi Singh]

wouldn't really know there was a pandemic

[Scott Horsley]

effect if you just looked at the

[Lakshmi Singh]

last 10 or 12 years of test scores. There's been just a steady kind of decline.

[Shawn Reardon]

As for why learning got so derailed, the researchers have two theories. One, a big federal education law was essentially abandoned around 2013, meaning school leaders started feeling less pressure to improve. And two, social media use among US Youth started to skyrocket. Cory Turner, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Soon, fans will explore the story of the Corleone crime family at the center of the Godfather novels and epic films through the eyes of Connie Corleone. Penguin Random House says it acquired a Godfather novel authorized by the estate of Mari Puzzo and written by best selling author Adriana Trejani. In a statement, Trigani says connie is a novel about how a woman works to forge her own way in a world that's already decided who she is, what she's about and how she should be treated. This is NPR News.

[Cachava Advertiser]

This message comes from Cachava. 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 code NPR.