NPR News: 05-15-2026 9PM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now – 9PM EDT, May 15, 2026

Host: Jeanine Herbst

Episode Overview

This concise, five-minute news episode covers major stories affecting the U.S. and international audiences, including U.S.-China trade tensions, a high-profile sentence commutation in Colorado, U.S.-Cuba diplomatic developments, an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and a ruling from Texas' Supreme Court. The update provides a snapshot of the shifting political, economic, and public health landscape as of May 2026.

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Key News Headlines & Discussion Points

1. U.S.-China Trade Tensions Impact Grain Markets

Timestamps: 00:31–01:35

• Grain market reaction: Prices dropped after President Trump left China without securing a written trade deal for U.S. soybean farmers.
• Farmers' concerns: With China historically as their largest soybean buyer, U.S. farmers are entering planting season with heightened anxiety.
• Lack of specificity: The “agreement” remains verbal, with no concrete commitments, leading to a 24-cent fall in soybean prices.
• Commodity implications: No firm deals were reached for other key exports like corn.

“We’re running out of time to get additional details and ... hopefully if there are details, it’s something concrete, not just, ‘hey, it’s billions of dollars of goods by the end of the season.’ I think the trade would really like to see something specific.”
— Brian Split, analyst on Standard Grain (01:11)

2. Tina Peters’ Sentence Shortened in Colorado Election Case

Timestamps: 01:35–02:31

• Controversial commutation: Colorado Governor Jared Polis reduced the sentence of Tina Peters, convicted for tampering with election equipment after the 2020 election.
• Context: The move follows sustained pressure from President Trump’s administration.
• Rationale: Polis stated that the previous 9-year sentence handed down in 2024 was “too long.”
• Political fallout: The commutation places Governor Polis at odds with members of his own party and state election clerks, stoking controversy over the intersection of free speech and criminal prosecution.

“This is not a pardon. It’s really making sure that her free speech was not a criteria for her overly harsh sentencing.”
— Governor Jared Polis, paraphrased by Benta Berkland (02:06)

3. U.S. Delivers Stern Message to Cuba Amid Crisis

Timestamps: 02:31–03:18

• Diplomatic development: CIA Director made an unannounced visit to Cuba, delivering a warning from President Trump as Cuba reported fuel shortages and persistent blackouts.
• Policy background: Reference to January’s ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces—a precedent raising questions about potential U.S. actions in Cuba.
• Venezuela connection: With the U.S. now controlling Venezuela’s oil industry and suspending exports to Cuba, the island faces increased pressure.

“Trump dispatched Ratcliffe to Venezuela in January, less than two weeks after US troops seized that country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, who remains in US custody in New York.”
— NPR Analyst (02:53)

4. Ebola Outbreak Worsens in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Timestamps: 03:18–04:30

• Scale of outbreak: At least 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases in two mining towns (Mongualu and Rampara).
• Public health challenge: This outbreak has surpassed the death toll of a previous incident last fall in its early stages.
• Complications: Ongoing regional conflict could facilitate the spread; concerningly, the implicated Ebola strain may evade protection by the existing licensed vaccine.

“The fact that this new outbreak has already reported more deaths in just the first official announcement is causing major concern ... Initial tests suggest the strain behind this outbreak isn't covered by the one licensed Ebola vaccine. That could make containment harder.”
— Jonathan Lambert, NPR (03:44)

5. Texas Supreme Court Rules on Democratic Lawmakers’ ‘Exile’

Timestamps: 04:30–05:10

• Background: In 2025, Texas Democratic lawmakers left the state to block a vote on new congressional maps backed by President Trump.
• Court ruling: The Texas Supreme Court declined to declare their seats vacant, noting that Republican officials had already handled the matter through fines and the lawmakers' subsequent return.
• Political framing: Democrats argue their actions were a legitimate form of dissent; Republicans pushed for harsher sanctions.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On trade frustrations:
  “We’re running out of time to get additional details... I think the trade would really like to see something specific.”
  — Brian Split, Standard Grain (01:11)

• On sentence commutation:
  “This is not a pardon. It’s really making sure that her free speech was not a criteria for her overly harsh sentencing.”
  — Gov. Jared Polis paraphrased (02:06)

• On the risk in DRC Ebola outbreak:
  “Initial tests suggest the strain behind this outbreak isn't covered by the one licensed Ebola vaccine. That could make containment harder.”
  — Jonathan Lambert, NPR (03:44)

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Summary of Key Takeaways

• U.S. farmers face ongoing uncertainty in grain markets due to lack of a concrete U.S.-China trade deal.
• Colorado Governor Polis’ decision to shorten Tina Peters’ sentence exemplifies political and legal tensions over election security cases.
• The U.S. is sending forceful signals to Cuba, linking the island’s crisis to previous U.S. actions in Venezuela.
• A new Ebola outbreak in the DRC appears more severe and difficult to control, in part due to vaccine resistance.
• The Texas Supreme Court upheld lawmakers’ right to protest, rejecting harsher penalties for Democrats who left the state to block redistricting.

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Transcript

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[Jeanine Herbst]

live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. Grain markets fell after President Trump left China with no firm trade deal for American soybean farmers. NPR's Kirk Siegler reports. Many farmers are nervous going into the planting season with China historically being their biggest buyer.

[Kirk Siegler]

There had been hope that the summit would result in China committing to buy even more than the 25 million metric tons of stuff soybeans that the White House says it's agreed to annually. That's only a verbal agreement and nothing out of the summit was put on paper, nor was there a deal to buy even more, which caused prices to plummet by 24 cents. Here's analyst Brian Split on the podcast Standard Grain.

[Brian Split]

We're running out of time to get additional details and and, and again, hopefully if there are details, it's something concrete, not just, hey, it's billions of dollars of goods by the end of the season. I think the the trade would really like to see something specific.

[Kirk Siegler]

Export dependent farmers tell NPR they're nervous about that and that no other firm deals were inked for commodities like corn. Kirk Zigler, NPR News, New York.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Colorado Democratic governor has shortened the prison sentence for Tina Peters, a former clerk convicted of tampering with election equipment after the 2020 election. Colorado Public Radio's Benta Berkland has more.

[Benta Berkland]

The controversial decision follows a months long pressure campaign from President Trump and his administration to free Peters from state custody. Govern Jared Polis says her nearly nine year sentence in 2024 was too long. She will be eligible for parole June 1st.

[Brian Split]

This is not a pardon. It's really making sure that her free speech was not a criteria for her overly harsh sentencing.

[Benta Berkland]

A Colorado appeals court ordered she be resentenced last month, saying the judge had sentenced Peters too harshly for her beliefs. This commutation puts Polis directly at odds with his own party and election clerks. For NPR News, I'm Benta Berk.

[Jeanine Herbst]

The CIA director made an unannounced visit to Cuba yesterday, delivering a strong warning from President Trump to Cuba's communist leaders. This is Cuba says it's run out of fuel and it's dealing with near total blackouts. There are questions on whether President Trump will do to Cuba what he did to Venezuela in ousting President Nicolas Maduro in January. Appears Greg Myre has more.

[Ratcliffe Analyst]

We should note that Trump dispatched Ratcliffe to Venezuela in January, less than two weeks after US Troops seized that country's president, Nicolas Maduro, who remains in US Custody in New York. Now Ratcliffe laid out what the US Expected of Venezuela at that time, and the Trump administration describes the relationships in generally positive terms, though it's mostly the same people as before, minus Maduro.

[Jeanine Herbst]

NPR's Greg MyReporting Venezuela supplied Cuba with oil, but the U.S. now controls Venezuela's oil industry and has stopped shipments to Cuba. This is NPR News. An Ebola outbreak in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed at least 65 people, according to Africa CDC. NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports. The outbreak has alarmed some global health experts.

[Jonathan Lambert]

The DRC has experienced several Ebola outbreaks recently. Just last fall, an outbreak killed 45 people over the course of several months. The fact that this new outbreak has already reported more deaths in just the first official announcement is causing major concern. So far, officials report 246 suspected cases. They're concentrated in two mining towns, Mongualu and Rampara, where many people come and go for work. There's also ongoing conflict in the region that could help fuel transmission in nearby cities, though the risk to people outside that area is currently low. Initial tests suggest the strain behind this outbreak isn't covered by the one licensed Ebola vaccine. That could make containment harder. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

The Texas Supreme Court today refused to declare that the Democratic lawmakers who briefly left the state in 2025 to block a vote on new congressional maps pushed by President Trump had vacated their offices. Governor Greg Abbott and state Republicans wanted the Democrats punished for allegedly abandoning their offices. Democrats say they were exercising their right to dissent. The state's high court says Abbott and other Republicans had already handled the matter through fines and noted that the Democrats returned on their own within a few weeks. I'm Jeanine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

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