NPR News: 05-14-2025 7AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: May 14, 2025, 7 AM EDT

Host: Korva Coleman

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1. President Trump’s Mideast Visit and U.S.-Syria Relations

[00:17]
President Donald Trump continues his diplomatic efforts in the Middle East with a significant visit focused on Syria. In a meeting that included Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan via a half-hour phone conference, Trump engaged with Ahmad Al Shara, Syria's new interim leader. Al Shara, previously designated as a terrorist by the U.S. with a $10 million bounty for his ties to al Qaeda and ISIS, has transitioned from militia leader to statesman following the ousting of President Bashar Assad last fall.

NPR's Ayapeltraawi in Riyadh reports that during the meeting, Trump stated, “I heard from the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Turkey urging me to lift sanctions in order to give Syria a chance at rebuilding and pull it back from Iranian and Russian influence” [00:35]. The administration's decision to lift decades-old sanctions aims to aid Syria's reconstruction efforts and alleviate the severe impact on ordinary Syrians. Current sanctions have hindered critical services, with hospitals unable to import essential spare parts or maintain infrastructure like elevators.

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2. House Republicans Push for Sweeping Budget Cuts

[01:21]
House Republicans are advancing an ambitious budget bill aiming to slash $1.5 trillion through savings and cuts. Key proposals include significant reductions to Medicaid and reallocating funds for food assistance from federal oversight to the states. These measures are part of a broader strategy to reduce national debt and reshape federal spending priorities.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the plan, arguing that “most of the benefits of the budget restructuring will go to the wealthiest 1% of Americans” [01:46]. In response, the House Republican Speaker countered, stating, “they want to pay for it by sticking us with additional debt, trillions of dollars, and by enacting the largest health care cut in American history, along with the largest cut to food assistance in American history” [01:46].

Despite the partisan divide, Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated a willingness among Senate Republicans to collaborate on a new budget proposal. Thune remarked, “when it comes over here, we will be prepared for various contingencies, obviously, one of which could be taking up the House bill and offering a Senate substitute” [02:10]. House Republicans aim to pass the budget bill by Memorial Day, though negotiations remain ongoing.

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3. April 2025: Second Warmest April on Record

[02:19]
In environmental news, federal scientists have declared April 2025 as the second warmest April on record. Lauren Sommer of NPR reports that global temperatures were 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than average, based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) [02:33]. This places April 2025 just behind April 2024, the hottest on record.

Additionally, snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere reached its smallest extent ever, matching last year's record low. The persistent rise in global temperatures is attributed to ongoing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Despite this trend, NOAA does not anticipate 2025 to surpass the hottest year on record due to a natural climatic shift away from the El Niño pattern, which has a slight cooling effect [02:33].

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4. FDA’s Comprehensive Review of Infant Formula

[03:14]
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is set to testify before House and Senate committees regarding the restructuring of the federal health agency. A key focus of this restructuring is the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) first comprehensive review of the nutritional content of infant formula since 1988.

NPR's Maria Godoy reports that the FDA is seeking public input to determine whether existing nutrient requirements for infant formula should be updated based on the latest scientific data [03:48]. This initiative comes in response to studies indicating that many formulas contain high levels of added sugars and concerning amounts of heavy metals like arsenic and lead, as revealed by Consumer Reports. In response, the FDA plans to enhance testing for contaminants in baby formula under an initiative known as Operation Stork Speed [03:48]. The review aims to ensure the safety and nutritional adequacy of infant formula, essential for the health and development of American infants.

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5. Extreme Weather Conditions in Texas and the Mid-Atlantic

[04:28]
Turning to weather updates, San Antonio, Texas, is experiencing extreme heat, with temperatures already reaching 74 degrees Fahrenheit early in the morning and expected to soar into the triple digits by the afternoon [04:28]. The National Weather Service has issued extreme heat warnings for parts of southern and central Texas, emphasizing the severity of the heatwave.

Conversely, the Mid-Atlantic region is grappling with heavy rainfall, leading to flash flooding in western Maryland and adjacent West Virginia. Some areas have received over six inches of rain, exacerbating flood conditions and posing significant risks to residents [04:28]. These contrasting weather events highlight the increasing volatility and intensity of climate patterns affecting different regions simultaneously.

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Note: Advertisements and non-content segments from the transcript have been excluded to focus solely on the newsworthy topics discussed during the episode.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. President Trump continues his Mideast visit. Today he met with Syria's new interim leader. This comes after the former Syrian regime collapsed last fall after years of Civil War. And NPR's Eye Batari reports that earlier Trump announced the US will lift decades of sanctions on Syria.

[Ayapeltraawi]

The meeting included Trump, the Saudi crown prince and Turkey's president joining over the phone for half an hour with Ahmad Al Shara, a man who just months ago was on the US designated list of terrorists with a $10 million bounty on his head for ties with al Qaeda and Islamic State group. But since rebel forces ousted longtime President Bashar Assad from power, al Shara has switched from militia leader to statesman in a suit. And this new Syria says it's ready to build a relationship with the U.S. trump says he heard from the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Turkey urging him to lift sanctions in order to give Syria a chance at rebuilding and pull it back from Iranian and Russian influence. US Sanctions were mostly hurting average Syrians, with an effect so far reaching hospitals couldn't import spare parts from machines or even fix their elevators. Ayapeltraawi, NPR News, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

[Korva Coleman]

House Republicans are pushing to finish work on an enormous budget bill. They're seeking to slash $1.5 trillion in savings or cuts. Saudi Some conservative Republicans say cutting Medicaid would help achieve this. They're also looking at shifting some funding for food assistance from the federal government to the states. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries says most of the benefits of the budget restructuring will go to the wealthiest 1% of Americans.

[House Republican Speaker]

And they want to pay for it by sticking us with additional debt, trillions of dollars, and by enacting the largest health care cut in American history, along with the largest cut to food assistance in American history.

[Korva Coleman]

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune says Republicans in his chamber are willing to work with a new House budget.

[Senate Majority Leader]

And when it comes over here, we will be prepared for various contingencies, obviously, one of which could be taking up the House bill and offering a Senate substitute.

[Korva Coleman]

House Republicans hope to pass the budget bill by Memorial Day. Federal scientists say that last month was the second warmest april on record. NPR's Lauren Sommer reports that continues a trend of near record temperatures.

[Lauren Sommer]

April was 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit, hotter than average globally compared to records going back to 1850, according to the national oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That puts it second to April of last year, which remains the hottest ever. Recorded Snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere was also the smallest recorded, tying with last year. As humans emit greenhouse gases from from burning fossil fuels, the planet is steadily heating up. The hottest 10 years in modern record keeping have all been in the last 10 years, but NOAA doesn't expect 2025 to come in as the hottest. That's because a shift away from the natural climate pattern of El Nino has a slight cooling effect on the planet. Lauren Sommer, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

This is NPR. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Will testify before House and Senate committees today. You'll be asked about the restructuring of the federal health agency. It's responsible for ensuring the safety of medication, public health and medical research for Americans. Federal health officials have opened the first comprehensive review of the nutritional content of infant formula since 1988. NPR's Maria Godoy reports. The Food and Drug Administration and other agencies say they want to ensure the safety of baby formula.

[Maria Godoy]

The FDA is seeking public input to help determine whether existing nutrient requirements for infant formula should be revised or expanded based on the latest scientific data. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of all babies receive formula at some point in their first three months of life. A recent study found many formulas contained high amounts of added sugar. And an investigation from Consumer Reports found some formulas contain concerning levels of arsenic and lead. The FDA says it will also increase testing for contaminants in formula as part of Operation Stork Speed. Maria Godoy, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

It's already 74 degrees in San Antonio, Texas, this morning, and it will get hotter today. The National Weather Service has put parts of southern and central Texas under extreme heat warnings. Temperatures will hit the triple digits by this afternoon. Separately, heavy rain in the mid Atlantic has led to flash flooding in parts of western Maryland and neighboring West Virginia. Some areas got more than 6 inches of rain. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News.

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