NPR News: 06-11-2025 6PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: June 11, 2025, 6 PM EDT – Detailed Summary

NPR News Now delivered a comprehensive update on June 11, 2025, covering a range of pressing national and international issues. This summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode, structured into clear sections for ease of understanding.

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1. Texas Governor Deploys National Guard Amid Immigration Protests

Timestamp: [00:24]

Host Jack Spear kicked off the episode by reporting on Texas Governor Greg Abbott's decision to deploy National Guard troops to San Antonio. This move aims to maintain order during upcoming protests against President Donald Trump's intensified crackdown on illegal immigration.

• San Antonio's Response:

  San Antonio Mayor Ron Nuremberg addressed the deployment, expressing his opposition. "More protests in San Antonio against the immigration raids have so far been peaceful. And San Antonio Mayor Ron Nuremberg says the National Guard troops are unnecessary," Spear reported [00:42]. Nuremberg emphasized that he neither requested nor communicated with Governor Abbott regarding the deployment.

• Local Perspectives:

  David Martin Davies of Texas Public Radio captured the community's sentiment: "You know, it's frustrating. I think our communities work better when we're working together towards common goals. And I believe everyone's goal is to maintain safety and order," [00:57]. Nuremberg echoed this by stating, "Nuremberg says he understands why the protests are happening, but that violent outbursts are counterproductive," highlighting the delicate balance between ensuring security and respecting citizens' rights to protest.

• Governor Abbott's Stance:

  In a statement, Governor Abbott defended the National Guard's presence, asserting that the deployments across Texas are intended "to ensure peace and order," [01:08]. Protest organizers, however, criticized the military presence as exacerbating tensions and potentially inciting violence.

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2. Global Confidence in U.S. Leadership Amid Mixed Perceptions

Timestamp: [01:28]

Jack Spear transitioned to international sentiments regarding U.S. leadership, referencing a Pew Research Center survey revealing that over half of individuals in key allied nations—such as France, the U.K., Germany, and Japan—express a lack of confidence in President Trump's handling of world affairs.

• Survey Insights:

  NPR's Frank Langford elaborated, "People in 15 of 24 countries downgraded their ratings of the U.S. according to the survey by the Pew Research Center," [01:44]. A prevalent perception across these nations is viewing President Trump as "arrogant," a sentiment that Richard Wyk of Pew's Global Attitudes team attributes to expectations for the U.S. to engage more collaboratively in tackling global issues like climate change.

• Desire for Cooperative Leadership:

  Davies highlighted that "What people want to see is the US kind of using its enormous power to work with other countries. So when the US is going its own way, it's seen more negatively than when it's working with others," [02:03]. This underscores a global preference for multilateralism over unilateral actions.

• Perceived Strength in Leadership:

  Despite the criticisms, the survey also found that "67% described Trump as a strong leader," [02:13]. Additionally, favorable views of U.S. leadership saw improvement in countries like Israel, India, and Turkey. The survey encompassed responses from over 28,000 individuals, providing a broad perspective on international opinions.

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3. Harvey Weinstein Convicted on Sexual Assault Charges

Timestamp: [02:26]

In legal news, former film mogul Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of sexual assault in a retrial held in New York. Jack Spear reported the split verdict, which could lead to a substantial sentence.

• Details of the Verdict:

  Reporter Ilya Merritz explained, "The jury found Harvey Weinstein did assault a young TV producer in his apartment in 2006, but they found Weinstein not guilty of a second alleged assault also in 2006," [02:38]. The second accusation involved graphic allegations by another accuser, which did not result in a conviction. The court is still deliberating on the third count of third-degree rape.

• Potential Sentencing:

  With the maximum penalty for the first-degree criminal sex act being up to 25 years, Weinstein's future sentencing remains significant. Merritz noted that Weinstein was previously convicted in New York in 2020; however, that verdict was overturned on procedural grounds. Additionally, Weinstein faces a pending sex crimes conviction in California, which he is contesting.

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4. Wall Street and Environmental Policy Shifts Impact Markets and Climate Initiatives

Timestamp: [03:16]

The episode then covered economic and environmental developments, starting with a downturn in stock markets and significant policy changes by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

• Market Movements:

  Jack Spear reported, "Stocks lost ground on Wall street today. The Dow fell a point, the NASDAQ down 99 points," [03:16], indicating a slight pullback in the market amidst ongoing economic uncertainties.

• EPA's Deregulatory Actions:

  The EPA announced plans to eliminate regulations limiting greenhouse gas emissions from coal and natural gas power plants. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated the goal is to "remove trillions of dollars of cost while, in his words, working to unleash the use of domestic energy," [03:16]. Additionally, the EPA aims to weaken existing regulations that mandate reductions in mercury and other toxic pollutants from power plants.

• Environmental Backlash:

  Environmental groups have pledged to legally challenge the EPA's deregulatory measures, emphasizing concerns over long-term ecological impacts.

• Seattle's Urban Forestry Challenges:

  Transitioning to local environmental issues, Seattle faces the challenge of balancing housing expansion with tree preservation. Reporter Bellamy Palethorpe highlighted that the city’s urban canopy, crucial for shade and carbon sequestration, is diminishing. "Seattle is under pressure to add more homes, but the latest assessment of its urban canopy... shows the city has been losing trees," [04:04].

  • Policy Adjustments:

    A recent amendment to Seattle's tree protection ordinance now allows developers to remove trees more easily, contingent upon planting additional ones. Cameron Willett, a developer, commented, "Trees make better communities. We all want to save the trees, right? But we also need to be able to get to our max density as well," [04:32].

  • Criticism:

    Critics argue that the policy does not compensate for the loss of mature trees, which provide irreplaceable shade and ecosystem services. They caution that current measures will take decades to restore the urban canopy fully [04:38].

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5. Rising Oil Prices Amid Middle East Tensions

Timestamp: [04:52]

Concluding the financial segment, Jack Spear reported a surge in oil prices, attributing it to increased tensions in the Middle East. "Oil gained $3 a barrel today to 68.15 a barrel," [04:52]. This rise reflects the market's response to geopolitical instability, potentially affecting global energy prices and economic forecasts.

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Conclusion

The June 11, 2025 episode of NPR News Now provided listeners with a multifaceted overview of current events, ranging from local governance issues and international perceptions of U.S. leadership to high-profile legal cases and significant shifts in environmental policy. The program effectively combined factual reporting with expert commentary, offering a nuanced perspective on the complexities shaping today's socio-political and economic landscapes.

Transcript

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[Jack Spear]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has deployed N Guard troops to San Antonio to keep the peace during upcoming protests against President Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. Texas Public Radio's David Martin Davies has.

[Ron Nuremberg]

More protests in San Antonio against the immigration raids have so far been peaceful. And San Antonio Mayor Ron Nuremberg says the National Guard troops are unnecessary. Nuremberg says he did not request nor has he been in contact with Abbott about the deployment.

[David Martin Davies]

You know, it's frustrating. I think our communities work better when we're working together towards common goals. And I believe everyone's goal is to maintain safety and order.

[Ron Nuremberg]

Nuremberg says he understands why the protests are happening, but that violent outbursts are counterproductive. Protest organizers say the military presence is dangerous and invites violence. A statement from Abbott says deployments across Texas are to ensure peace and order. For David For NPR News, I'm David Martin Davies in San Antonio.

[Jack Spear]

A new global survey finds more than half of people in key U.S. allied nations, including France, the U.K. germany and Japan, say they have no confidence in President Trump's leadership in world affairs. But NPR's Frank Langford reports many also view Trump as a strong Leader.

[Frank Langford]

People in 15 of 24 countries downgraded their ratings of the U.S. according to the survey by the Pew Research Center, a majority in almost every country surveyed viewed the president as arrogant. Richard Wyk runs the Global Attitudes team at Pew. He says many people want the US to be more engaged in solving big problems such as climate change.

[David Martin Davies]

What people want to see is the US Kind of using its enormous power to work with other countries. So when the US Is going its own way, it's seen more negatively than when it's working with others.

[Frank Langford]

The survey also found that 67% described Trump as a strong leader. And ratings of the US Improved in Israel, India and Turkey. Pew surveyed more than 28,000 people. Frank Langfit, NPR News.

[Jack Spear]

Former film mogul Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of sex crimes for a second time in New York today. Reporter Illumaret says Weinstein's retrial resulted in a split verdict that could nonetheless come with a hefty sentence.

[Ilya Merritz]

Up to 25 years is the maximum penalty for the one count of criminal sex act in the first degree. The jury found Harvey Weinstein did assault a young TV producer in his apartment in 2006, but they found Weinstein not guilty of a second alleged assault a also in 2006, which was described in graphic detail by another accuser. The third count against Weinstein, third degree rape, is yet to be decided. The judge said the jurors will continue to deliberate. Weinstein was first convicted in New York in 2020, but that verdict was overturned on procedural grounds. He also has a sex crimes conviction in California, which he is challenging. For NPR News, I'm Ilya Merritz in New York.

[Jack Spear]

Stocks lost ground on Wall street today. The Dow fell a point, the NASDAQ down 99 points. This is NPR. The Environmental Protection Agency now says it is poised to eliminate rules that would limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that use coal or natural gas. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin saying it will remove trillions of dollars of cost while, in his words, working to unleash the use of domestic energy. The EPA under President Trump also plans to weaken a regulation that requires power plants to reduce the emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants.

[Lee Zeldin]

Reduce.

[Jack Spear]

Environmental groups, for their part, are vowing to challenge the rules in court. Seattle is working to rebalance its need for more housing with the need to preserve and grow more trees to help counter the effects of climate change. Remember station knkx, Bellamy Peerthorp has more.

[Bellamy Palethorpe]

Seattle is under pressure to add more homes, but the latest assessment of its urban canopy, which provides shade and pulls carbon emissions from the air, shows the city has been losing trees. A recent update of Seattle's tree protection ordinance allows developers to more easily remove trees, but also requires them to plant more replacements. Cameron Willett does small lot infill development in Seattle for the Canadian home builder Intracorp.

[Cameron Willett]

Trees make better communities. We all want to save the trees, right? But we also need to be able to get to our max density as well.

[Bellamy Palethorpe]

Critics of the policy say the city is still losing too many trees and that it will take decades to replace the shade and ecosystem services provided by mature tre trees. For NPR News, I'm Bellamy Palethorpe.

[Jack Spear]

In Seattle, oil prices rose amid heightened Mideast tensions. Oil gained $3 a barrel today to 68.15 a barrel. In New York, I'm Jack Spear, NPR News, in Washington.

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