NPR News: 06-19-2025 12PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: June 19, 2025, 12 PM EDT

Presented by NPR

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1. Rising Tensions: Calls for Assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader

Lakshmi Singh opens the episode by highlighting escalating tensions in the Middle East. In Israel, calls for the assassination of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, are intensifying.

Hadil Al Shalchi reports from Holon, the hardest-hit suburb of Tel Aviv, where Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that eliminating Khamenei is a strategic objective of the current conflict. Katz emphasized the necessity of Khamenei’s removal to achieve Israel’s war goals:

“Killing Iran's supreme leader is a goal of the war. This man certainly cannot continue to exist.” [00:38]

Earlier, Katz had labeled Khamenei a “dickhead dictator” and threatened to strike him “everywhere” following an Israeli military strike on an Iranian state TV studio. Meanwhile, President Trump indicated on Truth Social that the U.S. knows Khamenei’s location but is withholding action for the time being:

“We know exactly where he is, but we are not going to take him out, kill, at least for now.” [00:38]

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2. U.S. Military Strikes on Iran: Uncertainty Remains

The discussion shifts to the broader implications of potential U.S. military action against Iran. Michael Knights, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, provides insights into Iran's nuclear program and the international community’s limited understanding due to restricted inspection access:

“The International Atomic Energy Agency is clear about what it doesn't know... because the inspection access has not been what it wanted it to be.” [01:47]

Knights highlights the IAEA's criticisms of Iran ahead of the Israeli strike, underscoring the precarious situation surrounding Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

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3. Aviation Safety Alert: Engine Smoke Hazard

In aviation news, Joel Rose reports on an urgent recommendation from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concerning engines used on several passenger jets. Following incidents in December 2023 where smoke entered cockpits after bird strikes, the NTSB is urging immediate action:

“We want to address the possibility of smoke entering the cockpit or cabin.” [02:25]

The recommendation targets planes equipped with CFM LEAP engines, including the Airbus 320 Neo and Boeing 737 Max models. The NTSB advises flight crews to be vigilant about this potential hazard and calls on aviation regulators to examine other variants of the LEAP engine for similar issues.

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4. Hurricane Eric Makes Landfall in Southern Mexico

Lakshmi Singh updates listeners on Hurricane Eric, which has made landfall in southern Mexico as a Category Three storm with top sustained winds of 125 miles per hour. The storm's impact is being closely monitored as it moves inland, bringing significant rainfall and strong winds to affected regions.

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5. TikTok's Future in the U.S. Extended by Executive Order

In technology news, President Trump has signed an executive order extending TikTok's operation in the United States for an additional 90 days—the third such extension. The administration continues to press Chinese company ByteDance to divest ownership of the popular short-form video app, citing concerns over:

• Chinese government influence
• American privacy and security

This extension delays any potential ban, allowing more time for negotiations and evaluation of TikTok's compliance with U.S. regulations.

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6. Juneteenth Celebrations in Omaha Under New Leadership

Cassidy Arena of Nebraska Public Media reports on the evolving significance of Juneteenth in Omaha, Nebraska. The city recently elected its first Black mayor, John Ewing Jr., marking a historic milestone.

Ewing, whose term began ten days prior, has revitalized Omaha’s Juneteenth celebrations. He envisions the city setting a national example by fostering unity and progress:

“We can be like the rest of the country and have all of the fighting and all of the anger and have that be counterproductive, or we can look at how we can be great together.” [04:23]

Despite losing sponsors due to previous diversity, equity, and inclusion rollbacks mandated by the Trump administration, organizers report that this year’s Juneteenth parade is the largest yet, continuing a tradition that began in the 1980s.

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For more updates, visit NPR.org.

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Note: This summary excludes sponsor messages and non-content sections to focus solely on the key news topics discussed in the episode.

Transcript

[Nature Conservancy Representative]

This message comes from the Nature Conservancy. Nature is common ground for everyone, and uniting to protect nature can help solve today's challenges and create a thriving tomorrow for future generations. Discover [e-mail] NPR.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Calls for the assassination of Iran's supreme leader are growing in Israel. Speaking to reporters today, Israel's defense minister compared Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to Hitler and reiterated it was time for Iran's supreme leader to go. NPR's Hadil Al Shalchi reports.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

Speaking to reporters in Holon, the worst hit suburb of Tel Aviv Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that killing Iran's supreme leader is a goal of the war. The Israeli military was directed and knows that in order to achieve all the objectives of the war, this man certainly cannot continue to exist. He said earlier this week, Kat said, quote, we will strike the Iranian dickhead dictator everywhere. That came after the Israeli military struck an Iranian state TV studio about the supreme leader President Trump posted this week on his social media platform, Truth Social, quote, we know exactly where he is, but added, quote, we are not going to take him out, kill, at least for now. Hadil Al Shalji, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

[Lakshmi Singh]

It's still unclear if President Trump intends to order US Military strikes on Iran over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. However, some military assets are already in place. Military and security expert Michael Knights has spent years studying Iran, Israel and US Strategy in the region, and he spoke to NPR about what global officials know and don't know about Iran's nuclear program.

[Michael Knights]

The International Atomic Energy Agency, you know, is clear about what it doesn't know, or at least it knows that there's much it doesn't know because the inspection access has not been what it wanted it to be. That's why it criticized the Board of Governors, criticized Iran so heavily right ahead of this Israeli strike.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Michael Knights is a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The nation's top safety investigator issued an urgent recommendation for engines used on many passenger jets. NPR's Joel Rose reports. Investigators want to address the possibility of smoke entering the cockpit or cabin.

[Joel Rose]

The urgent recommendation stems from an incident in December of 2023 when acrid white smoke filled the cockpit of a Southwest Airlines flight after a bird was ingested into the left engine shortly after takeoff from New Orleans. Another Southwest flight out of Havana, Cuba, had a similar problem. The National Transportation Safety Board issued the recommendation for planes equipped with CFM LEAP engines like those used by the Airbus 320 Neo and Boeing 737 Max. The NTSB wants the flight crews of planes with similar engines to be notified of the potential hazard. And and it's asking aviation regulators to study other variants of the leap engine. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Hurricane Eric made landfall in southern Mexico this morning as a category three storm. Top sustained winds 125 miles per hour. It's NPR. President Trump has signed an executive order that keeps TikTok in business in the United States an additional 90 days. It's a third extension Trump has granted. The U.S. government's been pressuring the Chinese company ByteDance to divest ownership in the wildly popular short form video sharing app, citing concerns about Chinese government influence and the impact on Americans privacy and security. Juneteenth is a federal holiday that commemorates the day the last enslaved people in Confederate States learned about their freedom. Nebraska Public Media's Cassidy arena reports a holiday had a new meaning this year for the people of Omaha, Nebraska, who just elected their first black mayor.

[Cassidy Arena]

In May, Democrat John Ewing, Jr. Won the mayoral election of Nebraska's biggest city, ousting the 12 year Republican incumbent. His term began 10 days ago. Ewing says his election has reinvigorated Omaha's Juneteenth celebration, and he believes Omaha can set an example for the nation.

[John Ewing, Jr.]

We can be like the rest of the country and have all of the fighting and all of the anger and have that be counterproductive, or we can look at how we can be great together.

[Cassidy Arena]

The Omaha Juneteenth parade did lose sponsors this year due to diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks required by the Trump administration. But organizers say it's their biggest parade yet for the tradition that started in the 1980s. For NPR News, I'm Cassidy arena in Omaha, Nebraska.

[Lakshmi Singh]

This is NPR News.

[Nature Conservancy Representative]

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