NPR News: 05-29-2025 7PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: May 29, 2025, 7 PM EDT

Hosted by NPR

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Supreme Court Limits Environmental Review Scope

Timestamp: [00:12] - [00:42]

In a significant unanimous decision, the Supreme Court has curtailed the breadth of information federal agencies must consider when evaluating the environmental impacts of large infrastructure projects. Justice Brett Kavanaugh delivered the majority opinion, stating that the ruling "makes it harder and more expensive to build things in the U.S." (00:12).

Detailed Analysis:

• Justice Sonia Sotomayor's Concurring Opinion: Sotomayor concurred, emphasizing that the Surface Transportation Board lacked the authority to halt the proposed railroad project based on speculative environmental impacts from the oil industry. She stated, "The Surface Transportation Board wouldn't have had authority to stop the rail project based on the potential environmental impacts of the oil industry" (00:42).

• Justice Brett Kavanaugh's Perspective: Kavanaugh highlighted the need for substantial deference to federal agencies when determining compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This deference suggests that agencies can limit their environmental analyses to impacts directly related to the project, rather than broader or indirect consequences (00:42).

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Trump Administration's Tariff Policies Face Legal Scrutiny

Timestamp: [01:18] - [02:05]

The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has temporarily allowed the Trump administration to continue collecting global tariffs amidst an ongoing appeal. This decision follows a previous ruling by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of International Trade, which deemed Trump's invocation of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose higher taxes on imported products as an overreach of his authority.

Key Points:

• Current Status: Tariffs remain unblocked as the administration appeals the recent judicial decision (01:18).
• Impact on Consumers: The imposed tariffs are expected to result in increased costs for consumers, as manufacturers pass these taxes onto the public (01:18).

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Escalating Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

Timestamp: [02:05] - [02:49]

The United Nations and Gaza's health ministry report that over 400 individuals have lost their lives due to Israeli airstrikes since May 22. The situation remains dire, with many still unaccounted for beneath the rubble.

Detailed Reports:

• Northern Gaza Tragedy: Feris Afena, head of ambulance services in northern Gaza, described a devastating attack where a three-story home was bombed overnight, trapping around 20 family members. He recounted, "We reached a critically wounded girl who lost both legs" (02:05).

• Central Gaza Casualties: An airstrike in central Gaza claimed at least 20 lives, while another in Gaza City resulted in six fatalities from a single family (02:05).

• Food Crisis: Amid ongoing blockades, Israel's attempts to control food distribution have led to extreme hunger. Three UN warehouses were overwhelmed by desperate crowds, tragically resulting in deaths as people struggled to access essential supplies like flour (02:05).

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U.S. Employment Indicators and Economic Insights

Timestamp: [02:49] - [03:26]

The Labor Department reported a modest increase in first-time jobless claims for the week ending May 24, rising by 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted total of 240,000. Despite global economic uncertainties, U.S. employers continue to retain their workforce, indicating resilience in the labor market. Additionally, the Dow Jones Industrial Average saw a gain of 117 points, reflecting positive investor sentiment (02:49).

Economic Indicators:

• Job Market Stability: The slight uptick in unemployment claims serves as a proxy for broader economic health, suggesting that the labor market remains robust despite external economic pressures (02:49).

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Breakthrough Study Reveals Pathways to Lasting Emotional Responses

Timestamp: [03:26] - [04:09]

New research published in the journal Science uncovers how brief experiences can lead to enduring emotional states in the brain. NPR's John Hamilton reports on a study where both humans and mice were subjected to mild irritants—specifically, puffs of air to the cornea—to observe the neural mechanisms underlying annoyance.

Study Highlights:

• Initial Neural Activity: Each air puff triggered a transient spike in brain activity within sensory processing circuits, followed by sustained activation in regions associated with emotion (03:26).

• Intervention and Results: Dr. Carl Deisseroth of Stanford University and his team administered a drug to inhibit the sustained neural activity. This intervention effectively nullified the emotional response to the air puffs, as participants no longer found them annoying and mice ceased protective behaviors like squinting (03:52).

• Implications: The findings suggest that prolonged neural signals are crucial for the development of lasting emotional responses, providing potential pathways for treating persistent negative emotions (04:09).

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Widening CEO Pay Gap Highlights Economic Inequality

Timestamp: [04:09] - [04:56]

The disparity between CEO compensation and average worker wages continues to grow, with executive pay within S&P 500 companies increasing by nearly 10% in the past year. This surge is primarily driven by lucrative stock options and performance-based bonuses prevalent in Wall Street sectors. Notably, the CEO of Axon Enterprises received a staggering compensation package valued at approximately $164 million.

Key Insights:

• Economic Disparity: According to the Associated Press survey, it would take the average worker 192 years to match the annual CEO pay at surveyed firms, underscoring the widening income gap (04:09).

• Industry Influence: The concentration of high-paying stock options and bonuses in the financial sector significantly contributes to this growing divide (04:09).

Oil Market Update: In related economic news, oil prices saw a decrease of 90 cents, bringing the cost to $60.94 per barrel (04:56).

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Conclusion

Today's episode of NPR News Now provided a comprehensive overview of pivotal events shaping the political, economic, and social landscapes both domestically and internationally. From landmark Supreme Court decisions and economic policies under scrutiny to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and emerging scientific insights into human emotions, the episode encapsulated the multifaceted challenges and developments of our time.

Transcript

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[Jack Speer]

Learn [e-mail] live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Jack Spear. In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court has limited what information agencies have to consider when they're reviewing the environmental impacts of big infrastructure projects in the written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The court ruling the National Environmental Policy act, or nepa, makes it harder and more expensive to build things in the U.S. nPR's Michael Copley reports.

[Michael Copley]

The high court says federal agencies don't have to address environmental impacts that aren't immediately connected to the project under review, in this case, the production and refining of oil that could result from a new railroad line connecting oil fields in Utah to the national rail network. Justice Sonia Sotomayor agreed, writing in a concurring opinion that the Surface Transportation Board wouldn't have had authority to stop the rail project based on the potential environmental impacts of the oil industry. Justice Brett Kavanaugh said court should also give substantial deference to agencies when deciding whether an environmental analysis complies with nepa. Michael Copley, NPR News.

[Jack Speer]

President Donald Trump's repeatedly blocked and unblocked global tariffs are, for now, unblocked. That's after the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit today moved to allow the Trump administration to continue collecting tariff while it appeals another decision by a three judge panel of the U.S. court of International Trade. That body ruled yesterday Trump overstepped his authority when he invoked 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers act to declare a national emergency to put in place higher taxes on products from overseas, taxes that are likely to be passed on to consumers. The UN and Gaza's health ministry say more than 400 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since May 22. There are many more people trapped under the rubble of airstrikes in Gaza that are still unaccounted accounted for. Imperial's Aybutraui reports.

[Ar Ya Bot Sarawi]

The head of ambulance services in northern Gaza, Feris afena, says a three story home was bombed overnight by Israel with around 20 people from one family inside. He says most remain trapped under the rubble with no way to reach them, but that they did reach a critically wounded girl who lost both legs. Hospital officials say another Israeli attack on a home in central Gaza killed at least 20 people. They say six more people from another family were killed in an airstrike in Gaza City. Meanwhile, people are also facing extreme hunger as Israel tries to take control of food distribution in Gaza after months of blockade, three UN Warehouses were overrun by hungry crowds. The World Food Program says some people died at its warehouse in the chaos of trying to reach bags of flour. Ar Ya Bot Sarawi, NPR News, Dubai.

[Jack Speer]

The number of Americans filing first time jobless claims took a bump up last week, though for the most part, even with some global economic uncertainties, employers are holding onto their workers. Labor Department says for the week ending May 24, applications rose by 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 240,000. Weekly applications for unemployment benefits are widely seen as a proxy for the broader economy. On Wall street, the dow is up 117 points. This is NPR. New research is showing how a brief event may lead to a lasting emotion in the brain. NPR's John Hamilton has more on the study in the journal Science.

[John Hamilton]

Scientists studied people and mice experiencing something annoying, puffs of air delivered to the cornea. Each puff caused a brief spike of activity in the brain circuits that process sensory input. That spike was followed by sustained activity in other circuits, including those involved in emotion. Dr. Carl Deisseroth of Stanford University says the team had a hunch.

[Michael Copley]

If you remove this sustained phase, you.

[Ar Ya Bot Sarawi]

Block the emotional response as well.

[John Hamilton]

So they ran the experiment again, but this time used a drug to prevent that sustained activity. People no longer found the puffs annoying and mice stopped squinting to protect their eyes. That suggests it takes a lingering signal in the brain to cause an emotional response. John Hamilton, NPR News.

[Jack Speer]

The pay gap between the nation's CEOs and average workers has been rising for decades, and that trend is showing no signs of slowing. According to an annual survey by the Associated Press, pay for chief execs at S&P 500 companies rose by nearly 10% last year. Much of that was driven by Wall street, since increasingly CEO pay packages include stock options and performance bonuses. The CEO of Tasermaker Axon Enterprises had the biggest payday, valued at roughly $164 million. Based on the surveyed around half the companies, it would take the average worker 192 years to equal CEO pay at those firms for just one year. Oil fell 90 cents a barrel today to 6094 a barrel. In New York, I'm Jack Speer, NPR News, in Washington.

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