NPR News: 05-27-2025 11PM EDT

Summary

NPR News: May 28, 2025, 11 PM EDT

Host: Shea Stevens
Source: NPR News Now

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1. Trump Administration Targets Harvard University Contracts

Reporter: Elissa Nadworny
Timestamp: [00:18]

The Trump administration has issued directives to federal agencies to terminate their remaining contracts with Harvard University, citing allegations of anti-Semitism within the Ivy League institution—a claim Harvard vehemently denies. The administration's move targets contracts valued at approximately $100 million.

“A letter from the U.S. General Services Administration dated Tuesday tells agencies to review current contracts with Harvard and terminate or find an alternative vendor,” Nadworny reports at [00:40].

In addition to these cancellations, the administration has previously frozen over $2 billion in contracts with Harvard. The university has responded by initiating legal action against the Trump administration, arguing that the sanctions are unlawful and pose a threat to academic freedom and First Amendment rights.

2. Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville Announces Run for Alabama Governor

Reporter: Joey Hudson
Timestamp: [01:17]

Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville has declared his candidacy for the governorship in the upcoming elections. Leveraging his background as a college football coach and his strong alignment with former President Trump, Tuberville aims to solidify his position within the state’s political landscape.

“He’s been behind me ever since,” Tuberville stated in an interview with FOX News at [01:31], expressing gratitude for Trump’s endorsement of his Senate campaign.

Tuberville's campaign strategy includes promoting Trump’s agenda, exemplified by his recent decision to block promotions for senior military positions. This action was in direct response to a policy permitting travel cost reimbursements for pregnant service members seeking legal abortions.

“At this point, we are kind of in a spin,” Tuberville commented during the fallout from the SpaceX Starship incident, as mentioned later in the episode at [04:42].

3. Russia Plans to Restart Occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

Reporter: Hanna Palomarenko
Timestamp: [02:10]

Russia has announced intentions to resume operations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which it has occupied for the past three years. This move has sparked significant concern among environmentalists and Ukrainian authorities.

“Greenpeace's satellite monitoring has revealed the construction of more than 56 miles of mines in the occupied territories,” Palomarenko explains at [02:23].

Petro Andryushenko, head of the Center for Occupation Studies, indicated that the integration of the plant into Russia’s power grid is nearing completion. The electricity generated is expected to support Russian power systems. However, environmentalists warn that restarting the reactors poses a high risk of accidents, especially given the plant’s militarized status.

4. Wall Street Sees Significant Gains

Timestamp: [03:06]

Wall Street experienced a robust close, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average surging by 740 points and the NASDAQ increasing by 461 points. This upward trend reflects investor confidence amidst ongoing geopolitical and economic developments.

5. Manhunt Underway in Connecticut After Mall Shooting

Timestamp: [03:06]

A violent incident at a mall in Waterbury, Connecticut, has led to a manhunt for the presumed shooter, a man in his 20s. Five individuals were injured during the attack, which apparently stemmed from a dispute that quickly escalated into violence.

Chief Fernando Spagnolo provided updates on the situation, confirming that the suspect remains unidentified and is actively being sought by law enforcement authorities.

6. CDC Alters COVID-19 Vaccination Recommendations

Timestamp: [03:06]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revised its guidelines, no longer advocating for routine COVID-19 vaccinations for children and healthy pregnant women. This policy shift aligns with the latest data on vaccine efficacy and safety in these populations.

“Covid vaccines will be available as the administration gathers new data on whether they're still benefiting healthier people,” stated Dr. Vinay Prasad, who oversees the FDA's vaccine program, as reported at [03:06].

Concurrently, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic and health secretary, announced the immediate effectuation of the new policy.

7. SpaceX's Starship Ninth Test Flight Ends in Failure

Reporter: Jeff Brumfield
Timestamp: [04:10]

SpaceX conducted its ninth test flight of the Starship rocket from Texas. Initial phases of the launch were promising, with successful liftoff and separation from the booster rocket.

“That was better than the last two flights, which exploded shortly after launch,” Brumfield notes at [04:28].

However, approximately thirty minutes into the mission, the Starship began to lose control and tumbled, ultimately breaking apart over the Indian Ocean. This failure underscores the challenges SpaceX faces in perfecting its ambitious space exploration technologies.

“At this point, we are kind of in a spin,” Tuberville remarked at [04:42], reflecting broader concerns about technological and political instability.

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Note: This summary excludes advertisements and non-content segments to focus solely on the news and discussions presented in the episode.

Transcript

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[Shea Stevens]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. The Trump administration is asking federal agencies to cancel their remaining contracts with Harvard University. The administration accuses the Ivy League school of anti Semitism, which Harvard denies. As NPR's Elissa Nadworny reports, the lost contracts are worth an estimated $100 million.

[Elissa Nadworny]

A letter from the U.S. general Services Administration dated Tuesday tells agencies to review current contracts with Harvard and terminate or find an alternative vendor. The letter asks agencies to submit a list of contracts they have terminated with the university by June 6th. This is in addition to the more than $2 billion the administration has already frozen. Harvard has not yet responded to NPR's request for comment. The school is suing the Trump administration to block the federal funding freeze. The university claims that the administration's moves are unlawful and that the cuts threaten academic freedom and First Amendment rights. Alyssa Nadworny, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville has announced that he'll run for governor of Alabama next year. From Troy Public Radio, Joey Hudson reports that Tuberville is doubling down on his background as a college football coach in the state and as an ally of the president.

[Joey Hudson]

Speaking with FOX News, Tuberville, who has been a strong supporter of Trump, thanked the president for endorsing his Senate campaign. He's been behind me ever since, and.

[Shea Stevens]

Today I will announce that I will.

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Be the future governor of the great.

[Joey Hudson]

State of Alabama in 2023. As part of Tuberville's initiative to serve Trump's agenda, the senator blocked the promotions of hundreds of senior level military positions. This was in protest of a policy allowing pregnant service members to receive reimbursement for travel costs to get legal abortions. For NPR News, I'm Joey Hudson in Troy, Alabama.

[Shea Stevens]

Russia plans to restart the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. From Kyiv, NPR's Hanna Palomarenko reports that Greenpeace, Ukraine warns of the dangers of what it calls an illegal restart.

[Hanna Palomarenko]

Greenpeace's satellite monitoring has revealed the construction of more than 56 miles of mines in the occupied territories. Head of the center for Occupation Studies, Petro Andryushenko told NPR the work to integrate the nuclear power plant into the Russian power grid is almost complete. In the near future, they will be ready to connect the occupied cities to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, he said, and the part of the electricity will be consumed by the Russians in their power systems. Environmentalists believe the restart of the reactors after three years of occupation poses a high risk of an accident. Hanna Polomarenko, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

Wall street stocks closed higher, with the Dow Jones Industrials gaining 740 points. The NASDAQ rose 461 points. This is NPR. A manhunt is underway in Connecticut, where a gunman opened fire inside a mall in the city of Waterbury, injuring five people. The police chief, Fernando Spagnolo, says the suspect the victims and that the shooting followed a dispute that quickly escalated. Investigators are searching for the unidentified assailant, who is believed to be a man in his 20s. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is no longer recommending routine COVID vaccinations for children and healthy pregnant women. Health secretary and vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Says the new policy is effective immediately. Dr. Vinay Prasad, who oversees the FDA's vaccine program, says Covid vaccines will be available as the administration administration gathers new data on whether they're still benefiting healthier people. SpaceX has completed its ninth test flight of its Starship rocket. As Jeff Brumfield reports, the test did not go according to plan.

[Jeff Brumfield]

Starship lifted off from the coast of Texas to loud cheers from SpaceX employees. It shot out over the Caribbean, separated from its giant booster rocket and powered its way to the edge of space.

[Shea Stevens]

What a moment. Incredible.

[Jeff Brumfield]

That was better than the last two flights, which exploded shortly after launch. But all was not well aboard Starship. About a half hour into the flight, it began to tumble out of control.

[Joey Hudson]

At this point, we are kind of in a spin.

[Jeff Brumfield]

The starship is presumed to have broken apart somewhere high above the Indian Ocean. Jeff Brumfiel, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

This is NPR News in Washington.

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