NPR News: 05-31-2025 5PM EDT

Summary

NPR News: May 31, 2025, 5 PM EDT

NPR News Now delivered a comprehensive update on global trade tensions, political shifts in the U.S. federal government, humanitarian concerns in the Middle East, and advancements in COVID-19 vaccine development. Here's a detailed look into the key discussions and insights from today's episode.

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1. EU Responds to U.S. Tariff Hike on Steel and Aluminum

Jeanine Herbst opened the broadcast with a significant update on international trade dynamics. The European Union expressed its readiness to implement counter-tariffs following President Trump's decision to double tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from 25% to 50%.

Key Points:

• EU's Position: The EU had previously paused its own tariffs, hoping to negotiate a resolution. However, Trump's escalation has forced the EU to reassess its stance.
• Economic Impact: The increased tariffs are expected to inject further uncertainty into the global economy, raising costs for consumers and businesses across the Atlantic.

Notable Quote: At 00:44, Terry Schultz reported, "The decision adds further uncertainty to the global economy and increases costs for consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic."

The EU spokesperson highlighted that the new tariffs undermine ongoing negotiation efforts, prompting the European Commission to finalize countermeasures slated for implementation by July 14 if a mutually acceptable solution isn't achieved.

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2. Elon Musk Resigns from Federal Government Role

The episode covered the recent resignation of Elon Musk from his governmental position, a move that has elicited mixed reactions.

Key Points:

• Role and Impact: Musk was part of the Department of Government Efficiency, aimed at reducing federal bureaucracy under President Trump.
• Senatorial Critique: Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota criticized Musk's approach, suggesting that his methods were too aggressive.

Notable Quote: At 02:00, Senator Mike Rounds stated, "I think the president wanted him to come in with a scalpel instead of a sledgehammer, and in some cases Elon came in with a sledgehammer."

Despite these criticisms, President Trump took to his Truth Social network to praise Musk, declaring, "Elon is terrific" (02:08).

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3. Humanitarian Aid Blocked to Gaza

A pressing humanitarian issue was addressed concerning the blockade of aid to Gaza, exacerbating the region's crisis.

Key Points:

• UN's Report: The United Nations announced that Israel has banned aid shipments from Jordan and Egypt, leaving substantial amounts of food and medical supplies stranded.
• On-the-Ground Impact: Jane Araf reported from Amman about a UN warehouse overloaded with $24 million worth of aid, including 200,000 tons of flour at risk of disposal.

Notable Quote: At 02:37, Jane Araf shared, "Among the food is 200,000 tons of flour at risk of being thrown out."

The UN's Palestinian Refugee Agency emphasized that the current mechanism restricts aid inflow solely through Israel, a policy the Israeli military has yet to comment on.

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4. FDA Approves Moderna's New COVID-19 Booster Vaccine

Advancements in COVID-19 vaccination efforts were highlighted with Moderna receiving FDA approval for a new booster vaccine.

Key Points:

• Vaccine Details: The new booster is a lower-dose version aimed at being a precursor to next-generation coronavirus vaccines.
• Eligibility Criteria: Approved for adults 65 and older and individuals aged 12 to 64 at higher risk, aligning with the FDA's guidelines for Novavax's vaccine.
• Future Availability: Moderna plans to offer both the new and existing COVID-19 vaccines starting this fall.

Notable Quote: At 03:19, the report stated, "This new booster is a lower dose version that's a step toward next generation coronavirus vaccines."

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5. The Immune System's Circadian Clocks Enhance Response to Infections

Concluding the episode, Burleigh McCoy delved into recent scientific findings about the immune system's internal clocks.

Key Points:

• Research Insights: Immune cells possess circadian clocks that modulate their response to infections based on the time of day.
• Experimental Findings: Using transparent baby zebrafish, researchers observed that immune cells killed bacteria more efficiently during daylight hours. Disrupting specific circadian genes impaired this capability.
• Future Implications: Understanding these mechanisms could lead to strategies that enhance immune responses during infections.

Notable Quote: At 04:14, Burleigh McCoy explained, "This knowledge could allow scientists to rally immune cells to respond to a bad infection."

These findings were published in the journal Science Immunology, offering promising avenues for medical science.

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NPR News Now continues to provide timely and in-depth coverage of the most pressing issues around the globe, ensuring listeners stay informed with accurate and detailed reporting.

Transcript

[Shortwave Host]

Shortwave thinks of science as an invisible force showing up in your everyday life, empowering the food you eat, the medicine you use, the tech in your pocket. Science is approachable because it's already part of your life. Come explore these connections on the Shortwave podcast from npr.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. The European Union says it's prepared to impose counter tariff plans now that President Trump doubled his tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50%. An EU spokesperson says they had paused their tariffs in hopes of reaching an agreement. Terry Schultz has more.

[Terry Schultz]

A spokesperson for the European Union's executive says the bloc strongly regrets Trump's decision to raise tariffs on steel imports from 25 to 50%. The decision adds further uncertainty to the global economy and increases costs for consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic, the spokesperson said in a statement. They added that this move also undermines ongoing efforts to reach a negotiated solution, which was the reason the EU decided in April to hold off imposing its own tariffs. But now, the spokesperson says the European Commission is finalizing its decisions on countermeasures and will put them into effect on July 14 or even earlier, if, in their words, no mutually acceptable solution is reached. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Elon Musk stepped down from the federal government yesterday, and some people, including Republicans, stepped, aren't sad to see him go. NPR's Maria Aspin spoke with Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota.

[Maria Aspin]

Musk is leaving the Department of Government Efficiency, which is spearheading President Trump's efforts to shrink the federal bureaucracy. But many of Doge's indiscriminate cuts have likely made the government less efficient. Senator Rounds tells NPR that if Musk and Doge really wanted to be effective, they needed to be more careful with their cuts and spend more time digging into what he calls the finer details.

[Senator Mike Rounds]

I think the president wanted him to come in with a scalpel instead of a sledgehammer, and in some cases Dosh came in with a sledgehammer.

[Maria Aspin]

Trump, meanwhile, wrote on his Truth Social network that Musk, quote, will always be with us, helping all the way. Elon is terrific. Maria Aspen, NPR News, Simi Valley, California.

[Jeanine Herbst]

The United nations says Israel banned aid to Gaza from Jordan and Egypt. The move leaves hundreds of millions of dollars of food and medicine intended for Gaz stuck in warehouses and on trucks. NPR's Jane Araf has more from Amman.

[Jane Araf]

This UN warehouse on the edge of Amman is piled high with boxes of food, hygiene kits and medical supplies, $24 million worth. It's been here for months, and now.

[Jonathan Fowler]

We'Re looking at boxes of food here which have been sitting here, you know, in some cases since January.

[Jane Araf]

That's Jonathan Fowler with the UN's Palestinian Refugee Agency. Among the food is 200,000 tons of flour at risk of being thrown out. Israel has started a new mechanism to get food into Gaza, but it can only come from Israel, says the UN and Gaza. The Israeli military declined to comment on the change. Jane Araf, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Aman, you're listening to NPR News. Pharmaceutical company Moderna says the Food and Drug Administration has approved its new Covid booster vaccine, although the agency did put restrictions on who can get it. This new booster is a lower dose version that's a step toward next generation coronavirus vaccines. Moderna says it expects to offer both the new vaccine and its existing COVID 19 shot this fall. The FDA approved the new vaccine for adults 65 and older, and also for people age 12 to 64 who are at higher risk from the coronavirus. That's the same limit that the FDA set in licensing another vaccine option from novavax. When people get a scratch or an infection, the body responds better if it happens during the day. NPR's Burleigh McCoy reports on how the immune system tells time.

[Burleigh McCoy]

Scientists have known that many cells in the immune system have built in circadian clocks, genes that tell them to respond differently depending on the time. But scientists weren't quite sure how the immune system was telling time. To figure it out, researchers used baby zebrafish, which are transparent with modified immune cells that give off fluoresc. The team exposed the fish to fluorescent bacteria and watched how the immune cells responded. When it was light or dark during the day, the immune cells killed bacteria faster. But when researchers cut out certain circadian clocked genes from the immune cells, they lost that ability. This knowledge could allow scientists to rally immune cells to respond to a bad infection. They published their findings in the journal Science Immunology, Burleigh McCoy and PierNews.

[Jeanine Herbst]

This is NPR News.

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