NPR News Now – May 16, 2025, 7 AM EDT

Hosted by Korva Coleman

1. President Trump Concludes Diplomatic Mideast Visit Amid Ongoing Gaza Conflict

[00:00] Korva Coleman opens the episode by reporting that President Trump is completing his Mideast trip after a week of engaging with Gulf Arab leaders. The primary achievements highlighted include securing multi-billion-dollar defense and technology deals. However, the backdrop of his visit is the intensified conflict in Gaza.

[00:16] Ayyab Batrawi provides deeper insights, noting that Trump's visit commenced shortly after Hamas released the last American Israeli hostage. Hamas's release was contingent upon the U.S. advocating for a permanent ceasefire and facilitating aid into Gaza. During his tenure in the region, Trump reiterated his controversial stance on the Palestinians in Gaza, suggesting that they should be permanently relocated and proposing the creation of a "freedom zone" managed by the U.S. He also addressed the humanitarian crisis, stating, “we've got to get [the people] taken care of” ([00:16]). These remarks come as Israel continues its aggressive campaign, having struck over 100 Hamas sites recently, resulting in significant civilian casualties.

[00:58] The narrative shifts to the economic dimension of Trump's visit. Doug Silliman, former Ambassador and head of the Arab Gulf States Institute, praises Trump's efforts to modernize U.S.-Gulf relations. Silliman remarks, “he's really trying to shift the focus of American traditional dealings with the Gulf from the Carter Doctrine of 45 years ago... to new longer-term and deeper economic partnerships” ([01:09]). He views Trump's success as aligning with the Gulf states' aspirations for a more robust relationship with the United States.

2. Homeland Security Seeks Pentagon's Assistance for Migrant Removal

[01:32] Transitioning to domestic issues, Korva Coleman reports on Homeland Security's request for the Pentagon to deploy approximately 20,000 National Guard members to aid in removing undocumented migrants from the U.S. This initiative, initially covered by the New York Times, is currently under legal review by military lawyers. State governors would be approached to volunteer their Guard forces, though the timeline for this deployment remains unspecified.

3. Communication Blackout at Denver International Airport Raises Safety Concerns

[01:32] Addressing aviation safety, Korva Coleman highlights a recent incident where air traffic controllers at Denver International Airport experienced a communications blackout lasting over a minute. Jacqueline Diaz elaborates, explaining that multiple radio transmitter failures disrupted communication between pilots and air traffic control for about two minutes at the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center in Longmont, Colorado ([02:15]). While local reports exaggerated the outage to six minutes, FAA official Frank McIntosh assured that aircraft maintained safe distances during the disruption. This incident follows similar outages at Newark Liberty International Airport, raising concerns about the stability of aviation communication systems.

4. Diplomatic Efforts Continue to Resolve Russia-Ukraine Conflict Without Putin's Direct Involvement

[02:55] In international diplomacy, Korva Coleman reports ongoing talks in Istanbul, Turkey, involving Ukrainian, Russian, and Turkish representatives aimed at ending Russia's war in Ukraine. Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin is conspicuously absent, delegating a low-level team instead. President Trump opines that meaningful progress in resolving the conflict is unlikely without a direct meeting with Putin, though he refrains from mentioning Ukraine explicitly.

5. UnitedHealth Group Faces Stock Plunge Amid Investigation Rumors

[02:55] Shifting to the corporate sector, Maria Aspen discusses the plummeting shares of UnitedHealth Group, which saw an 11% drop following the company's dismissal of federal investigation reports. UnitedHealth recently replaced its CEO and suspended financial guidance for the year, actions that have fueled investor anxiety. Aspen notes, “UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest and most powerful companies in the world... But it's having a terrible year” ([03:36]). Speculation of a Department of Justice investigation into its Medicare business has further eroded investor confidence, resulting in a more than 50% decline in shares over the past month and significantly reducing its market capitalization.

6. Record Levels of Sargassum Seaweed Threaten Florida Tourism

[04:23] Concluding the episode, Korva Coleman alerts listeners about the record influx of sargassum seaweed along Florida's beaches. Researchers attribute this surge to unprecedented levels in the Atlantic Ocean, leading to extensive beach coverage that may deter tourists. The smelly seaweed poses both environmental and economic challenges for the region, potentially impacting the local tourism industry.

This episode of NPR News Now provided concise yet comprehensive coverage of significant global and domestic events, offering listeners a thorough understanding of the current news landscape.