NPR News: 05-23-2025 9AM EDT

Summary

Summary of NPR News Now – May 23, 2025, 9 AM EDT

NPR News Now's episode on May 23, 2025, delivered a comprehensive overview of the latest national and international developments. Hosted by Korva Coleman, the five-minute broadcast covered significant topics ranging from legal battles involving Harvard University, trade tensions instigated by President Trump, healthcare policy shifts, Supreme Court rulings, and ongoing international negotiations. Below is a detailed summary of each key discussion point.

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1. Harvard University Sues the Trump Administration Over International Student Enrollment

Harvard University has initiated legal action against the Trump administration following the revocation of the university’s ability to enroll international students. This lawsuit is part of ongoing tensions between the institution and the administration, which previously involved cuts to research funding amidst accusations of anti-Semitism on campus.

Eliza Nadworny reports that Harvard deemed the administration's move "unlawful" and "retaliatory," expressing concerns over its detrimental effects on both the university community and the broader national landscape. She stated at [00:31]:

“Harvard said the action was unlawful. They called it retaliatory and said it threatened serious harm to the Harvard community and our country.”

The legal proceedings are set against the backdrop of a scheduled trial in July, where Harvard seeks to challenge the administration's policies and secure the reinstatement of its international student enrollment capabilities.

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2. President Trump's Imposition of Tariffs on the European Union and Apple

President Trump announced his intention to impose significant tariffs as a leverage tool in trade negotiations. Starting June 1st, the administration plans to implement a 50% tariff on goods from the European Union unless the EU alters its trade policies towards the United States. Additionally, Trump is threatening a 25% tariff on Apple products, specifically targeting the manufacturing location of iPhones.

This aggressive stance reflects the administration's broader strategy to renegotiate trade terms and address perceived imbalances between the U.S. and its key trading partners. The potential tariffs aim to pressure both the EU and major corporations like Apple to comply with the administration's trade demands.

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3. Impact of the House Spending Bill on Medicaid and Addiction Recovery

The House has passed a multi-trillion dollar spending bill that includes substantial cuts to Medicaid funding, projected to reduce Medicaid spending by hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade. NPR's Brian Mann highlights the significant implications of these cuts at [01:24]:

“The House bill aims to trim hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicaid spending over the next decade.”

Drug policy expert Keith Humphries from Stanford University warns that these reductions, coupled with increased bureaucracy and stringent work requirements, will disproportionately affect individuals battling addictions. As he explains at [01:42]:

“In that situation where you have a struggling, troubled group of people interacting with a hard to deal with bureaucracy, it is inevitable that some people will fall through the cracks.”

Despite a 27% decline in drug-related deaths last year, attributed in part to enhanced Medicaid support under the Biden administration, the proposed House bill could reverse these gains. The bill remains under consideration in the Senate, where it faces potential obstacles before becoming law.

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4. Supreme Court Grants President Trump Authority to Fire Federal Agency Leaders

In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to grant President Trump the authority to dismiss key federal agency leaders. The ruling, as reported by Nina Totenberg at [02:18], includes crucial language distinguishing the Federal Reserve Board:

“The court majority thus made a point of saying that the Fed is different and is insulated from at will firing.”

This decision effectively overturns nearly a century-old precedent, prompting a strong dissent from Justices like Kagan, who criticized the majority for bypassing established norms without comprehensive briefing. Kagan emphasized the importance of insulating agency leadership from political interference:

“What matters most here, she said, is that Congress provided for these leaders to serve full terms protected from a president's desire to substitute his political allies.”

The immediate market reaction was significant, with Dow futures plunging by over 500 points in pre-market trading [03:06], reflecting investor anxiety over potential policy shifts and regulatory instability.

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5. Supreme Court Blocks Oklahoma's Publicly Funded Religious Charter School

The Supreme Court has intervened to prevent Oklahoma from establishing the nation's first publicly funded religious charter school. Due to a tie vote, the decision by Oklahoma's highest court remains in effect, thereby blocking the charter school's formation. Notably, Justice Amy Coney Barrett abstained from the decision, not participating in the vote.

The proposed charter school aimed to receive taxpayer funding while operating under Catholic Church doctrine, sparking debates over the separation of church and state and the use of public funds for religious education.

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6. FDA Advisory Committee Recommends Next COVID-19 Booster Strategy

The Food and Drug Administration's advisory committee has unanimously recommended that next fall's COVID-19 booster vaccines should target the Jan1 variant. Rob Stein reports at [03:55] that the decision is grounded in data suggesting enhanced protection against the latest virus strains. This recommendation follows the FDA's adoption of a new strategy that prioritizes vaccine distribution to the most vulnerable populations, including individuals aged 65 and older and those with pre-existing health conditions that heighten the risk of severe COVID-19 complications.

This targeted approach aims to maximize the efficacy of booster campaigns while managing limited vaccine supplies effectively.

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7. U.S. and Iranian Negotiators Engage in Nuclear Program Discussions

Negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials are underway in Rome, focusing on Iran's nuclear program. Iran maintains that its nuclear activities are solely for peaceful purposes, whereas the United States expresses concerns over potential weaponization capabilities. Both parties have expressed a preference for diplomatic solutions, yet significant disagreements persist regarding the scope and intent of Iran's nuclear advancements.

The talks aim to bridge these gaps, seeking assurances and verifications to ensure that Iran's nuclear program remains non-threatening while addressing mutual security interests.

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This episode of NPR News Now provided listeners with a succinct yet thorough briefing on pressing issues, offering insights from experts and officials while highlighting the implications of recent policy decisions and legal judgments.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. Harvard University is again suing the Trump administration. This follows the administration's decision to revoke the university's ability to Enroll International students. NPR's Eliza Nadwarney reports. Harvard is challenging this.

[Eliza Nadworny]

In a statement, Harvard said the action was unlawful. They called it retaliatory and said it threatened serious harm to the Harvard community and our country. Harvard is already suing the Trump administration over research funding cuts related to accusations of anti Semitism on campus, and that trial is set to start in July.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Alyssa Nadworny reporting. President Trump says starting June 1st he will impose 50% tariffs on the European Union unless it changes its posture on trade with the U.S. he's also threatening to impose at least 25% tariffs on Apple unless it makes iPhones in the U.S. addiction experts are weighing in on the multi trillion dollar spending bill passed by the House yesterday. The experts warn cuts to Medicaid mean that a lot of Americans will lose health insurance. NPR's Brian Mann reports. This coverage helps people recover from addiction to fentanyl and other street drugs.

[Brian Mann]

The House bill aims to trim hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicaid spending over the next decade. The Congressional Budget Office found millions of Americans would lose health insurance under this plan. Keith Humphries, a drug policy expert at Stanford University, says additional bureaucracy and work requirements mean people suffering drug addiction would be most vulnerable.

[Eliza Nadworny]

In that situation where you have a struggling, troubled group of people interacting with a hard to deal with bureaucracy, it is inevitable that some people will fall through the cracks.

[Brian Mann]

This comes as Drug deaths plummeted 27% last year, driven in part by more spending on Medicaid under the Biden administration. The House spending bill still faces hurdles in the Senate. Brian Mann, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

The U.S. supreme Court has given President Trump the power to fire key federal agency leaders. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports. The Supreme Court vote was 6 to 3, with the court's liberals in angry dissent.

[Nina Totenberg]

While the court's two page order is technically temporary, its language is pretty final. For instance, it carves out the Federal Reserve Board as different, knowing that the idea of enabling the president to fire Federal Reserve Board members has repeatedly spooked the markets. The court majority thus made a point of saying that the Fed is different and is insulated from at will firing. Writing for the three dissenters, Justice Kagan blasted the majority for taking the extraordinary step of overturning a nearly century old precedent by fiat without full briefing and arguments. What matters most here, she said, is that Congress provided for these leaders to serve full terms protected from a president's desire to substitute his political allies. Nina Totenberg, NPR News, Washington.

[Korva Coleman]

On Wall street, in pre market trading, Dow futures are plunging down by more than 500 points. This is NPR. The U.S. supreme Court has blocked Oklahoma from creating the nation's first publicly funded religious charter school. The Supreme Court's tie vote meant a decision by Oklahoma's highest court stays in place barring the charter school. U.S. supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett had recused herself from the decision. The Oklahoma charter school had sought taxpayer dollars. It said it would be a genuine instrument of the Catholic Church led by church doctrine. A panel of independent Food and Drug Administration advisors has recommended the next formula for the COVID 19 vaccines. NPR's Rob Stein has details.

[Rob Stein]

After a day long meeting, the FDA advisors unanimously recommended next fall's COVID 19 boosters target a version of the JN1 variant. The recommendation was based on data that shows that vaccines that target Jan1 would protect people against the latest strains of the virus. The recommendation comes after the FDA announced a new approach for the COVID vaccine vaccines. The new strategy would likely limit the availability of the vaccines to those at highest risk, people age 65 and older, and those with other health problems that make them vulnerable to serious Covid complications. Rob stein, Talks have opened in Rome.

[Korva Coleman]

Between US And Iranian negotiators. They're discussing Iran's nuclear program. Iran says it's only for peaceful purposes, but the US Says Iran could use it to build a weapon. Both sides say they prefer to use diplomacy, but they are at odds on whether Iran can have the nuclear program at all. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.

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