NPR News: 05-16-2025 5PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now – May 16, 2025, 5 PM EDT

Hosted by NPR, "NPR News Now" delivers the latest news in five minutes, updated hourly. In this episode released on May 16, 2025, the podcast covers significant developments in U.S. politics, the economy, labor relations, stock markets, transportation strikes, sports, and international news.

---

Supreme Court Blocks Deportation of Venezuelans

[00:21] Jack Spear reports a pivotal Supreme Court decision impacting the Trump administration's immigration policies:

“The Supreme Court has ruled the Trump administration will not be allowed to deport a group of Venezuelans while their case is being litigated in the courts” (00:21).

The Court blocked the expedited deportation of Venezuelans under the Alien Enemies Act, sending the matter back to a federal appeals court. This decision came after an emergency appeal by the Trump administration, aiming to swiftly remove individuals suspected of gang affiliations. Notably, Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented, highlighting divisions within the Court.

---

GOP Faces Setbacks Over President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill"

[01:10] NPR's Deidre Walsh delves into the internal conflicts within the Republican Party:

“House Speaker Mike Johnson is still aiming for a full House vote next week on the tax, border and energy bill that includes the bulk of President Trump's domestic agenda” (01:10).

However, the bill has stalled in the Budget Committee due to opposition from four fiscal hawks, including South Carolina Republican Ralph Norman, who stated:

“Sadly, I'm a hard no until we get this ironed out, and I think we can, we've made progress” (01:36).

Moderate Republicans seek relief measures for constituents facing high state and local taxes, while conservative members push for more substantial spending cuts. GOP leaders are committed to negotiating over the weekend to finalize the tax, border, and energy package, which is central to President Trump's legislative priorities.

---

Declining Consumer Sentiment Reflects Economic Uncertainty

A [02:00] preliminary report from the University of Michigan reveals a continued downturn in consumer confidence:

“This index fell 2.7% to its lowest level since June of 2022” (02:00).

The Consumer Sentiment Index has declined for the fifth consecutive month, signaling growing worries among Americans about the economy. Concerns are particularly focused on the potential escalation of President Donald Trump's trade war and its impact on inflation, contributing to the pessimistic outlook.

---

NLRB Investigates Department of Government Efficiency Over Data Breaches

[02:33] Stephen Fowler reports on an ongoing investigation into the Department of Government Efficiency's interactions with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB):

“The inspector general for the NLRB is investigating the Department of Government Efficiency's actions at the independent agency” (02:33).

This investigation follows revelations of sensitive case management data being removed from the NLRB's network, originating from whistleblower disclosures and NPR reporting. Over a dozen federal court cases allege that DOGE staffers unlawfully accessed confidential data from various federal agencies, including Social Security, raising significant privacy concerns.

---

Wall Street Closes with Gains Amid Mixed Economic Signals

[03:11] Jack Spear provides an update on the stock market:

“Stocks gained ground to close out a winning week on Wall Street. The Dow was up 331 points. The NASDAQ closed up 98 points today” (03:11).

Despite mixed economic indicators, the stock market showed resilience, ending the week positively. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and NASDAQ both posted gains, reflecting investor optimism amidst ongoing economic challenges.

---

New Jersey Transit Strike Disrupts Commuters

Early morning [03:11] developments highlight labor disputes affecting transportation:

A strike by New Jersey transit workers impacted tens of thousands of commuters in New York and New Jersey, forcing many to work from home or find alternative transportation means. The union representing striking train engineers cited wage disagreements as the primary obstacle to resolving the standoff. New Jersey Transit, responsible for transporting approximately 350,000 passengers daily, also saw disruptions in bus services.

---

WNBA Kicks Off Season with Expanded Schedule and New Team

[03:55] Becky Sullivan previews the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) season:

The league has extended the regular season from 40 to 44 games and welcomed a 13th team, the Golden State Valkyries, whose inaugural game is set for Friday night.

The season opens with the debut of rookie Paige Beckers, the first overall pick by the Dallas Wings, against the Minnesota Lynx and MVP candidate Nafisa Collier. Key matchups include the reigning champions, New York Liberty, facing the Las Vegas Aces, and a showdown between Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky. The previous season saw the highest attendance in over two decades, setting high expectations for this year's competition.

---

Missing Statue of Melania Trump in Slovenia Sparks Investigation

[04:37] Jack Spear reports on an international incident involving former First Lady Melania Trump:

“Authorities in Melania Trump's home country, Slovenia, say they're looking for a bronze statue of the first lady that was sought from its base and carried away” (04:37).

A life-size sculpture unveiled in Der Savinka, Central Slovenia, in 2020, replaced a wooden statue destroyed by arson a year earlier. The disappearance of the bronze statue has prompted an ongoing investigation by Slovenian authorities to locate the missing artwork.

---

Stay Informed: For continuous coverage of these stories and more, listen to "NPR News Now" every hour.

---

This summary is based on the transcript provided for the NPR News Now episode released on May 16, 2025. For more detailed information, please refer to the full episode.

Transcript

[Sarah Gonzalez]

Tariffs, recessions, how Colombian drug cartels gave us blueberries all year long. That's the kind of thing the Planet Money podcast explains. I'm Sarah Gonzalez. And on Planet Money, we help you understand the economy and how things all around you came to be the way they are para que sepas. So you know, listen to the Planet.

[Jack Spear]

Money podcast from NPR Live from NPR News In Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The Supreme Court has ruled the Trump administration will not be allowed to deport a group of Venezuelans while their case is being litigated in the courts. Justices today blocking Trump for deporting people under the Alien Enemies act and sending the matter back to a federal appeals court. Justices acted on an emergency appeal to a request from the Trump administration to be allowed to quickly resume the fast track deportations of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members. The high court had already called for a temporary halt to those deportations. Two justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, dissented. House Republican leaders have suffered a setback on their efforts to advance President Trump's so called big beautiful bill. NPR's Deidre Walsh reports on the GOP divisions over the tax package.

[Deidre Walsh]

House Speaker Mike Johnson is still aiming for a full House vote next week on the tax, border and energy bill that includes the bulk of President Trump's domestic agenda. But GOP divisions over spending cuts, changes to Medicaid and tax cuts threaten that timeframe. The bill has now failed to advance out of the Budget Committee after four fiscal hawks opposed it. South Carolina Republican Ralph Norman was one of them.

[Stephen Fowler]

Sadly, I'm a hard no until we.

[Jack Spear]

Get this ironed out, and I think we can, we've made progress.

[Deidre Walsh]

Moderates representing districts with high state and local taxes are insisting on relief for their constituents, while some other conservatives are demanding bigger spending cuts. GOP leaders vow to work through the weekend to find agreement on a final plan. Deirdre Walsh, NPR News, the Capitol Consumers.

[Jack Spear]

Continue to be pessimistic about the direction of the economy. A preliminary reading from the University of Michigan shows its monthly consumer sentiment index falling for a fifth straight month. The decline comes as Americans continue to worry about whether President Donald Trump's trade war will worsen inflation. Group says this index fell 2.7% to its lowest level since June of 2022. A labor watchdog has opened an investigation into Doge's interaction with the National Labor Relations Board. As Stephen Fowler explains, It comes after NPR's reporting about sensitive data leaving the agency.

[Stephen Fowler]

The inspector general for the NLRB is investigating the Department of Government Efficiency's actions at the independent agency. This after both a whistleblower disclosure and NPR reporting revealed reams of sensitive case management data was removed from the NLRB's network. News of the investigation was first reported by FedScoop. More than a dozen federal court cases allege Doge staffers have unlawfully gained access to sensitive data maintained by federal agencies, agencies across the government, including Social Security data, with little explanation about who has access to that data and how that access complies with privacy laws. Stephen Fowler, NPR News, Atlanta.

[Jack Spear]

Stocks gained ground to close out a winning week on Wall Street. The dow was up 331 points. The NASDAQ closed up 98 points today. You're listening to NPR. A threatened strike by New Jersey transit workers materialized early this morning, leaving tens of thousands of commuters in New York and New Jers working from home or finding other ways to get around. Union representing striking train engineers says wages remained a key sticking point between the two sides. New Jersey Transit transports about 350,000 people daily. Some buses were also affected. The WNBA season tips off tonight following a season with the league's highest attendance in more than 20 years. NPR's Becky Sullivan has a preview.

[Becky Sullivan]

The first game will include the debut of the hyped rookie Paige Beckers, who just last month won the NCAA title with her UConn Huskies. She chosen first overall in the draft by the Dallas Wings, who will take on last year's league runner up in the Minnesota Lynx and their MVP candidate, Nafisa Collier on Saturday. There are two marquee games. First, a heavyweight matchup between the New York Liberty, the defending champs, and the Las Vegas Aces, the great team they knocked out en route to their title last season. Then Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will take on Angel Reese in the Chicago Sky. The WNBA has extended the regular season from 40 to 44 games, and the league has added a 13th team team, the Golden State Valkyries, whose first game is Friday night. Becky Sullivan, NPR News.

[Jack Spear]

Authorities in Melania Trump's home country, Slovenia, say they're looking for a bronze statue of the first lady that was sought from its base and carried away. Life size sculpture in her hometown was unveiled in 2020 during President Donald Trump's first term in office. Der Savinka, Central Slovenia, replaced a wooden statue that was set on fire a year earlier. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News, in Washington. Listen to this podcast sponsor, free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to npr news now +@ +npr.org that's +npr.org.