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Giles Snyder
KACH code NPR live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. President Trump wraps up his state visit to China Friday. He and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are to meet privately at Xi's official residence. The two have held a series of meetings discussing issues such as Iran, war, trade, technology and Taiwan. Imperialist Jennifer Pack is in Beijing.
Jennifer Pack
Analysts I spoke to say both sides really do want stability, but for very different reasons. On China's side, Chinese China just wants stability because internally there's a lot going on. So the economy is sluggish, unemployment is high, and then you have Trump's tariffs. Add on the Iran war that's disrupting all of the supply chains. It's not helping its exporters. That's problematic because exports are what's driving the Chinese economy at this point. So it just wants things to calm down.
Giles Snyder
The White House says Trump and Xi have agreed on the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where a ship anchored off the United Arab Emirates was seized and taken toward Iran Thursday and another was attacked and sank near the coast of Oman. US Commander in charge of military operations against Iran disputes a report that Iran still has most of its missile stockpile intact. Admiral Brad Cooper also says he has the weapons he needs if the current ceasefire breaks down. Here's NPR's Greg Myy.
Greg Myre
Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee pressed Admiral Cooper about a recent Washington Post story saying Iran still had 70% of its missiles remaining. Cooper said he disagreed with that figure and then went on to say, if
Admiral Brad Cooper
I give you just a couple of examples, the defense industrial rates for their drones and their missiles and their navy were degraded by 90%. They have about 10% left.
Greg Myre
Cooper also said he has plenty of weapons on hand if the fighting with Iran resumes while a ceasefire remains in place, there's no sign of a breakthrough in peace talks, and the critical Strait of Hormuz remains closed ground. Craig Myre, NPR News, Washington.
Giles Snyder
To Texas now, two elementary school children and their stepmother who were detained by federal immigration agents at a San Antonio area school bus stop last month have been released. Their detention sparked protests and condemnation from Texas politicians. Texas Public Radio's Marianne Navarro reports.
Marianne Navarro
The woman and two children, a fifth grade boy and a second grade girl, were being held at the Dilley Immigration processing center, about 70 miles southwest of San Antonio. The center has come under scrutiny in recent months for alleged poor living conditions. A federal judge ordered the family be released following a habeas corpus hearing. San ANTONIO Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro wrote on social media that the family was returning home to San Antonio. The Department of Homeland Security alleges the family was detained after entering the US illegally in 2021. Lawyers for the Venezuelan family say the parents had valid legal status and had an asylum court date scheduled for 2027. I'm Marian Navarro in San Antonio.
Giles Snyder
This is NPR News. The Supreme Court has kept the status quo when it comes to the abortion medication mifepristone. The court Thursday put a temporary hold on a lower court's restrictions while a lawsuit plays out. The Supreme Court's order allows women seeking abortions to continue obtaining mifepristone at pharmacies or through the mail without an in person visit to a doctor. Jury deliberations expected begin Monday in the landmark trial that could shape the future of artificial intelligence. In Oakland, California. Lawyers for Elon Musk and OpenAI made their closing arguments Thursday. Musk's lawsuit, filed in 2024, accuses OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his top deputy of shifting from a nonprofit status into a money making boat behind his back. Researchers have discovered a new dinosaur species in Thailand, the largest dinosaur ever found in Southeast Asia. NPR's James Dubek has more.
James Dubek
The dinosaur would have been about 90ft long and weighed about 30 tons. It was a sauropod, a type of dinosaur that eats plants and has a long neck and tail. The researchers called it Naga Titan, named after a mythical serpent creature that's worshiped in Southeast Asia. Naga titan lived between 100 to 120 million years ago. It gives clues about how dinosaurs got even bigger later on. Here's researcher Titiwut Seta Paniksakul.
Admiral Brad Cooper
Naga Titan essentially represents that kind of on ramp towards that kind of super sizing.
James Dubek
It is the 14th named dinosaur discovered in Thailand and experts are excited about the expanding fossil record from the region. James Dubeck, NPR News.
Giles Snyder
This is npr.
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Date: May 15, 2026
Host: Giles Snyder
Duration: 5 minutes
This NPR News Now episode covers the latest international and domestic developments as of midnight EDT on May 15, 2026. Highlights include President Trump’s concluding state visit to China, ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war, the release of a detained family in Texas, the Supreme Court’s action on abortion medication, a major AI court case, and the discovery of a new dinosaur species in Thailand.
Timestamps: 00:29–01:22
Timestamps: 01:22–02:28
Timestamps: 02:28–03:28
Timestamps: 03:28–03:53
Timestamps: 03:53–04:24
Timestamps: 04:24–05:10
“The economy is sluggish, unemployment is high, and then you have Trump's tariffs. Add on the Iran war that's disrupting all of the supply chains... So it just wants things to calm down.”
— Jennifer Pack (00:51)
“They have about 10% left.” — Admiral Brad Cooper on Iran’s remaining arsenal (02:03)
“Naga Titan essentially represents that kind of on ramp towards that kind of super sizing.”
— Researcher Titiwut Seta Paniksakul (04:54)
This episode delivers essential, concise updates on top U.S. and global stories, blending political developments, legal battles, humanitarian news, and scientific discoveries—true to NPR’s signature style of clear, trusted reporting.