NPR News: 05-14-2026 4AM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now: 05-14-2026, 4AM EDT

Host: Giles Snyder
Date: May 14, 2026

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Episode Overview

This concise NPR News Now segment delivers top headlines from the U.S. and around the world, highlighting overnight developments and major legal, political, and international stories. Today's news covers President Trump's diplomatic trip to China, significant battles over U.S. voting rights and redistricting, a major criminal case reversal in South Carolina, high-profile sentencing updates, and changes to U.S. entry requirements for World Cup fans.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S.-China Relations and the Ongoing Iran War

• [00:18-00:48] Giles Snyder reports from Beijing, where President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for two hours.
  • Trump expresses optimism:

    "We're going to have a fantastic future together. Such respect for China, the job you've done. You're a great leader. I say it to everybody. You're a great leader."
    — Donald Trump ([00:37])

  • Main topics: U.S.-China trade and the "ongoing war in Iran," which is affecting global oil supplies.
  • President Xi, via Xinhua, raises Taiwan as the most crucial issue, warning that mishandling it could jeopardize U.S.-China ties.

2. Redistricting Battles and the Impact of the Supreme Court

• [01:24] Georgia prepares for a special legislative session to redraw congressional and legislative maps after a Supreme Court decision weakened the Voting Rights Act.
  • Sarah Kalis (GPB) explains that redrawn maps will take effect in 2028:

    "Georgia's new maps will take effect in 2028, since early voting is already underway in this year's primaries."

  • Similar redistricting efforts in Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, and South Carolina may increase Republican seats.
  • President Trump urged states to undertake these changes to help him in the midterms.
  • The session starts July 17th.

3. Tennessee Gerrymandering Lawsuit

• [02:04] The NAACP files a federal lawsuit over Tennessee's new congressional map, alleging racial discrimination against Black voters following the Supreme Court's Voting Rights Act ruling.
  • Tennessee map approved last week; NAACP challenges Republican lawmakers for "intentionally discriminated on the basis of race."

4. World Cup – U.S. Visa Bonds Suspended for Some Fans

• [02:40] The State Department suspends a $15,000 visa bond requirement for visitors from certain countries, affecting World Cup ticket holders.
  • Becky Sullivan explains:

    "Now, visitors with verified World cup tickets will be allowed to skip those bond payments so long as they opt in to the FIFA pass system unveiled by the White House last fall."

  • The visa bond, imposed by Trump last year, affected 50 countries (especially five African nations with World Cup teams).
  • Exception granted for teams and personnel from travel-banned countries.

5. Alex Murdoch Murder Conviction Overturned

• [03:19-04:23] The South Carolina Supreme Court orders a new trial for former attorney Alex Murdoch, convicted in 2023 for killing his wife and son.
  • Victoria Hanson (South Carolina Public Radio):

    "The justices said Murdoch was denied a fair trial. Specifically, they said the Colleton county clerk of court attacked Murdaugh's credibility by telling jurors to watch him closely as he testified."

  • Additional error: admission of financial crime evidence during the murder trial.
  • Murdoch is still imprisoned for financial crimes.

6. Utah Children’s Book Author Sentenced for Husband’s Murder

• [04:23] A Park City judge sentences Corey Richards to life without parole for murdering her husband, despite her continued claims of innocence.
  • Judge remarks cited:

    "Richards is simply too dangerous to ever be free."

  • Richards plans to appeal.

7. Ketamine Death of Matthew Perry – Sentencing

• [04:48] Eric Fleming is sentenced to two years for supplying the ketamine that led to actor Matthew Perry's death.
  • He's the fourth of five people sentenced for the incident.

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Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• President Trump on China:

  "We're going to have a fantastic future together. ... You're a great leader." (Donald Trump, [00:37])

• President Xi's warning on Taiwan:

  "Taiwan is the most important issue and that if it is not handled well, ties could be pushed to a dangerous place." (Cited via Xinhua, [00:48])

• On Alex Murdoch’s trial:

  "The Colleton county clerk of court attacked Murdaugh's credibility by telling jurors to watch him closely as he testified." (Victoria Hanson, [03:41])

• On Corey Richards' sentencing:

  "Richards is simply too dangerous to ever be free." (Park City Judge, [04:23])

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Important Segment Timestamps

• U.S.-China Talks & Iran War: [00:18–00:48]
• Georgia Redistricting Announcement: [01:24]
• Tennessee NAACP Lawsuit: [02:04]
• World Cup Visa Bond Waivers: [02:40]
• Alex Murdoch’s New Trial: [03:19]–[04:23]
• Utah Book Author Sentenced for Murder: [04:23]
• Matthew Perry Ketamine Case Sentencing: [04:48]

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This five-minute newscast delivers fast-moving, fact-focused coverage of the morning’s most pressing news, with an emphasis on politics, justice, and global events.

Transcript

[Commercial Narrator]

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[Giles Snyder]

Learn [e-mail] Cloroxeclean live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. President Trump in Beijing saying he's hopeful his meetings with Chinese Chinese leader Xi Jinping will lead to their relationship better than ever before.

[Donald Trump]

We're going to have a fantastic future together. Such respect for China, the job you've done. You're a great leader. I say it to everybody. You're a great leader.

[Giles Snyder]

President Trump speaking inside the Great hall of the People in Beijing, where he met with President Xi for two hours on issues such as trade and the ongoing war in Iran, many which has impacted the global oil supply for many countries, including China. According to Xinhua, the official Chinese state news agency, President Xi said Taiwan is the most important issue and that if it is not handled well, ties could be pushed to a dangerous place. Georgia will redraw its congressional maps during a special legislative session this summer. Georgia Public Broadcasting Sarah Kalis reports.

[Sarah Kalis]

Georgia's Republican governor, Brian Kemp, issued a proclamation calling a special session to redraw the state's congressional and state legislative districts after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act. Georgia's new maps will take effect in 2028, since early voting is already underway in this year's primaries. Other Southern states like Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana and South Carolina have proposed new voting maps that will likely add Republican seats to Congress. The redistricting announcements come after President Donald Trump encouraged states to redraw the maps to help him during the midterms. The special session is set to begin on July 17th. For NPR News, I'm Sarah Kalis in Atlanta.

[Giles Snyder]

The country's largest civil rights group, the naacp, has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Tennessee's new congressional map. The group says Tennessee Republicans intentionally discriminated on the basis of race against black voters. Lawmakers approved the new map last week following the US Supreme Court's ruling that weakened the the landmark Voting Rights Act. The State Department says it will suspend a requirement that some World cup fans pay a bond of up to $15,000 to come to the U.S. this summer. NPR's Becky Sullivan has more.

[Becky Sullivan]

Visitors from 50 countries are subject to the bond payments, which were imposed by the Trump administration last year as part of a crackdown on immigration. Five of those countries have teams participating in the World cup, all of them from Africa, Algeria, Cabo Verde, Cote d', Ivoire, Senegal and Tunisia. Now, visitors with verified World cup tickets will be allowed to skip those bond payments so long as they opt in to the FIFA pass system unveiled by the White House last fall. Several participating countries are travel bans, including Haiti, Iran and Senegal, though the White House has committed to making exceptions for players, coaches and staff members. Becky Sullivan, NPR News, Washington.

[Giles Snyder]

And you're listening to NPR News. The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned a case that captivated the nation. Former high profile attorney Alex Murdoch will get a new trial after being convicted in 2023 for the murders of his wife and son. South Carolina Public Radio's Victoria Hanson reports.

[Victoria Hanson]

The ruling was unanimous. The justices said Murdoch was denied a fair trial. Specifically, they said the Colleton county clerk of court attacked Murdaugh'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 Murdaugh, 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.

[Giles Snyder]

A Utah mother who wrote a children's book about grief following her husband's death will serve life in prison without parole for his murder. A judge in Park City handed down the sentence Wednesday, saying Corey Richards is simply too dangerous to ever be free. Richards maintains her innocence and plans to appeal the conviction. The drug counselor who Fighter Friends star Matthew Perry with the ketamine that killed him has been sentenced to two years in prison. Eric Fleming received the sentence Wednesday in Los Angeles Federal Court, Fleming now the fourth person sentenced, five who have pleaded guilty. I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News.

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