NPR News: 05-22-2025 1AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: May 22, 2025

Host: Shay Stevens
Release Date: May 22, 2025

Israeli Embassy Employees Killed in Washington D.C.

In a tragic incident today, two employees of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., were shot to death at the Capitol Jewish Museum during an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee. Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith provided details on the situation, stating that a man was seen outside the museum premises. The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Illinois, was apprehended while already in handcuffs. Smith reported, “The suspect has been arrested once in handcuffs. The weapon has been recovered, and he implied that he committed the offense” (00:30). During custody, Rodriguez was heard chanting “Free Free Palestine,” raising concerns about possible anti-Semitic motives behind the attack. Authorities are actively investigating the motives to determine if anti-Semitism played a role in this heinous act.

Disney Places Florida-Based Employees on Temporary Leave Amid TPS Changes

The Walt Disney Company has announced that approximately 45 Florida-based employees residing in the U.S. are being placed on temporary protected status (TPS) on unpaid leave. This decision follows the Supreme Court’s approval for the Trump administration to terminate TPS for 350,000 Venezuelans. Chloe Veltman from NPR reports that employees received notifications requiring them to provide new work authorizations or face job loss by next month. A Disney spokesperson clarified, “We have placed the affected employees on leave with benefits for 30 days effective May 20th to ensure the company is not in violation of the law” (01:24).

Nyorca Melendez, co-founder of the nonprofit Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid, expressed frustration, stating, “It is terrible. We as Venezuelans feel really frustrated” (01:48). Melendez highlighted the precarious situation faced by those relying on TPS for legal status amidst political turmoil in their home country. Temporary Protected Status is designed to offer non-permanent legal standing to individuals fleeing armed conflict and other catastrophes. The matter will escalate as a California federal judge is set to hear a case next week challenging the Trump administration's efforts to revoke TPS for Venezuelans.

Impact of Administration Firings on Government Agencies

Officials recently addressed Senate Democrats regarding the repercussions of recent staff firings within federal agencies. Hosted by Senators Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Peter Welch of Vermont, the two-day forum shed light on the administrative changes affecting critical services. Alison Barkoff, former head of the Administration for Community Living (ACL), elaborated on the severity of the situation, noting, “Nearly half of ACL staff had been fired, making it impossible for the remaining staff to fund and implement agency programs” (02:12). The ACL plays a vital role in providing life-sustaining supports, including delivering over 260 million meals annually, supporting more than 1.5 million family caregivers, and connecting over 50,000 individuals with disabilities to essential services. The reduction in staff threatens the continuity and effectiveness of these critical programs, raising alarms among stakeholders and beneficiaries alike.

Adviser to Former Ukrainian President Killed in Spain

In international news, Andriy Portnov, a former adviser to ex-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, was fatally shot outside a school in Pozuelo del Arco, near Madrid, Spain. Miguel Macias of NPR reports that the 51-year-old Portnov, closely associated with Yanukovych and known as a pro-Russian political figure, was approached by multiple gunmen as he was entering his car, resulting in gunshot wounds to the back of his head and subsequent death (03:58). Portnov had recently dropped off his daughters at an exclusive American school in the area. The motives behind the assassination remain unclear, and the gunmen are still at large. Notably, in 2021, the United States imposed personal sanctions on Portnov, accusing him of engaging in corruption. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

Market Updates: US Futures and Asia Pacific Declines

Shay Stevens provided a brief update on financial markets, indicating that U.S. futures are trading flat in after-hours sessions on Wall Street. In contrast, the Asia Pacific markets are experiencing a downturn, with Tokyo’s stock market down by approximately 1% (04:46). Investors remain cautious amidst global economic uncertainties, awaiting further developments that could impact market stability.

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This summary encapsulates the key events and discussions from the NPR News Now episode released on May 22, 2025, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of the day's significant news stories.

Transcript

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[Shay Stevens]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shay Stevens. Two employees of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. have been shot to death at the Capitol Jewish Museum. Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith says a man was spotted outside of the museum where the American Jewish Committee was holding an event. Smith says the suspect has been arrested once in handcuffs. The suspect identified where he discarded the weapon and that weapon has been recovered and he implied that he committed the offense. The suspect chanted Free Free Palestine while in custody. The suspect has been identified as 30 year old Elias Rodriguez of Illinois. Authorities are trying to determine whether anti Semitism was a motive for the attack. The Walt Disney Company has placed Florida based employees living in the US under temporary protected status on unpaid leave. The move comes after the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to end TPS for 350,000 Venezuelans. NPR's Chloe Veltman has the story.

[Chloe Veltman]

Around 45 employees received emails from Disney saying they must provide valid new work authorizations or they will lose their jobs next month. A Disney spokesperson says the company has placed affected employees on leave with benefits for 30 days effective May 20th to ensure the company is not in violation of the law. Nyorca Melendez is the co founder of the nonprofit Venezuelans and immigrantsaid.

[Shay Stevens]

It is terrible. We as Venezuelan feel really frustrated.

[Chloe Veltman]

Temporary protected status provides non permanent legal status to individuals threatened by armed conflict and other catastrophes in their home countries. A California federal judge is scheduled to hear a case next week to challenging the Trump administration's plans to end this protection for Venezuelans. Chloe Veltman, NPR News Various former health.

[Shay Stevens]

Officials have addressed Senate Democrats on the impact of recent firings at their agencies, as NPR's Ritu Chatterjeev reports. It was part of a two day forum hosted by Senators Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Peter Welch of Vermont. Alison Barkoff headed the Administration for Community Living, or the acl. She left the agency before President Trump was elected but advocated on its behalf Tuesday. ACL provides critical life sustaining supports including Meals on wheels, delivering over 260 million meals and connection each year to homebound older adults, support to more than 1.5 million family caregivers annually and connects over 50,000 people with disabilities to services. Barkoff said that nearly half of ACL staff had been fired, making it impossible for the remaining staff to fund and implement agency programs. Ritu Chatterjee, NPR News. This is npr. The Trump administration is abandoning settlements with police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville. The agreements called for reforms in wake of the 2020 police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. A consent decree signed in the final days of the Biden administration required court approval, but the Justice Department says it has no plans to proceed. The Justice Department is also backing away from its own findings of civil rights violations at six other police departments. In Spain, an adviser to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was shot dead in front of a school outside of Madrid. NPR's Miguel Macias reports.

[Miguel Macias]

The victim is 51 year old Andriy Pornov, a former Ukrainian politician closely tied to President Yanukovych, having served as deputy head of the presidential office from 2010 to 2014. Police said Portnow was getting into his car when he was approached by more than one gunman and shot several times. Emergency services confirmed his death from a gunshot to the back of his head. Portnov had just dropped off his daughters at the exclusive American school in the town of Pozuelo del Arcon, outside of the Spanish capital. Portnow was widely seen as a pro Russia political figure. In 2021, the United States imposed personal sanctions on Pornov, designating him as someone engaged in corruption. The gunmen remain at large, and the motive for the killing is still under investigation. Miguel Macias, NPR News, Seville, Spain.

[Shay Stevens]

U.S. futures are flat in after hours trading on Wall Street. On Asia Pacific market shares are mostly lower, down 1% in Tokyo. This is NPR News.

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