NPR News Now – June 7, 2025, 2 PM EDT

Host: NPR
Description: The latest news in five minutes. Updated hourly.

1. Threat to Public Media Funding

[00:00] Unknown Speaker:
Congress is considering a rescissions package from the White House that would claw back more than $1 billion of public media funding. Federal funding for all of public media amounts to about $1.60 per person per year. This funding supports the news and podcasts you rely on from NPR.
"Please take a stand for public media today@goacpr.org."

2. ICE Raids in Los Angeles Spark Protests

[00:24] Nora Ram:
In Los Angeles, officials and community members are expressing anger following a series of ICE raids yesterday, which resulted in the detention of at least 44 people. Steve Futterman reports on the ensuing clashes between protesters and police.

[00:42] Steve Futterman:
The Friday morning raid led to evening protests with hundreds taking to the streets near LA's Federal Detention Center. Protesters chanted demands for the release of those detained.
"There were several confrontations. Some rocks and bottles were thrown, even some concrete blocks," Futterman explains.
Police responded with pepper spray and flashbangs.
Louisiana Mayor Karen Bass expressed outrage, prompting White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller to respond, "you have no say in this. Federal law will be enforced."
For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles.

3. Legal Battles in Immigration Cases

[01:20] Nora Ram:
Kilmar Abrego Garcia has returned to the U.S. after being deported to El Salvador in March during an immigration raid, despite a court order preventing his transfer. He is now in Tennessee, facing charges of transporting undocumented immigrants, which his lawyer deems baseless.

4. World Pride 2025 in Washington, D.C.

[01:20] Nora Ram:
The World Pride celebration is underway in Washington, D.C., attracting LGBTQ individuals and supporters from around the globe. The event includes a march that begins at this hour and will conclude near the White House grounds. NPR's Selena Simmons Duffin provides insights into the event's significance and challenges.

[01:59] Selena Simmons Duffin:
"From its earliest moments, the second Trump administration has passed all sorts of executive orders affecting LGBTQ people, from the anti diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology efforts that has affected LGBTQ people."
She elaborates on the administration's stance, stating, "The White House has declared there are only two sexes and they cannot change. Transgender people cannot compete in sports. There are limits to health care, access, military service."
This year's celebration comes at a challenging time, reflecting ongoing struggles for LGBTQ rights.

5. Conflict in Ukraine and Baltic Support for NATO/EU Membership

[02:23] Nora Ram:
Kharkiv, Ukraine, has been struck by Russian missile and drone attacks overnight, resulting in at least three fatalities. Meanwhile, lawmakers from the Baltic states express strong support for Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO and the European Union. Terry Schultz reports from Brussels.

[02:40] Terry Schultz:
The foreign affairs committees of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have committed to supporting Kyiv until it achieves complete victory against Russia, including the liberation of all occupied territories and the punishment of war crime perpetrators.
"They call on NATO leaders to take concrete political steps toward Ukrainian membership at their summit in the Hague later this month, saying this will strengthen peace in Europe."
Additionally, they advocate for Ukraine's EU membership negotiations to be completed by 2030.
However, the U.S. maintains a stance opposing Ukraine's immediate NATO membership, though it reiterated a pledge for eventual membership at the alliance's last summit in Washington.
For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels.

6. Israel-Gaza Conflict Update

[03:20] Nora Ram:
Israel has announced the retrieval of the body of a Thai farm worker who was kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The military states he was taken to Gaza, where he was killed by his captors. Concurrently, Israel's offensive in Gaza continues, with Gaza's health ministry reporting that at least 55 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes this weekend.

7. Archaeological Breakthrough in Michigan

[03:20] Nora Ram:
In a significant archaeological discovery, researchers have uncovered what is likely the largest intact remains of an ancient agricultural site in the eastern half of the United States, located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. NPR's Nell Greenfield Boyce reports on this groundbreaking find.

[04:02] Nell Greenfield Boyce:
Researchers employed a drone equipped with a laser to survey over 300 acres near the Menominee River, mapping the ground's shape with precision.
[04:20] Madeline McLeaster, Archaeologist with Dartmouth College:
"I mean, I didn't expect them just to keep going and going and going."
This extensive agricultural system was constructed by the ancestors of the Menominee Indian tribe of Wisconsin. According to the study published in the journal Science, the discovery indicates that large-scale agriculture may have been prevalent in the region prior to European settlement.
For NPR News, I'm Nell Greenfield Boyce.

8. Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course

[04:44] Nora Ram:
Today marks the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, being held for the second consecutive year at Saratoga Race Course due to Belmont Park undergoing renovations. The field features Sovereignty, the horse that won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, making it a contender for the coveted Triple Crown title.
"Winner journalism."
I'm Nora Ram, NPR News, in Washington.

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