NPR News: 06-27-2025 8PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: June 27, 2025, 8 PM EDT

Release Date: June 28, 2025

NPR's "News Now" delivers a comprehensive overview of the day's most pressing issues, ranging from international trade tensions and significant Supreme Court rulings to high-stakes legal battles and economic milestones. Below is an in-depth summary of the key topics discussed in the June 27, 2025, episode.

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1. U.S.-Canada Trade Relations: Termination of Tariff Talks

Host: Jack Speier
Reporter: Danielle Kurtzleben
Timestamp: [00:20] - [01:21]

President Donald Trump has announced a decisive move in U.S.-Canada trade relations by terminating all ongoing trade discussions. This decision stems from Canada's implementation of a digital services tax, which targets revenues generated by U.S.-based tech giants from Canadian users.

In a statement on social media, Trump declared, “the U.S. is, quote, hereby terminating all discussions on trade with Canada, effective immediately over Canada's digital services tax that takes effect on June 30” (00:40). Furthermore, he intimated forthcoming tariff rate adjustments on Canadian goods, set to be communicated within the next week. Additionally, Trump hinted at the possibility of revising the July 9 deadline for increasing tariffs on multiple countries, noting that negotiations have only yielded a single deal with the United Kingdom thus far. This development marks a significant escalation in trade tensions between the two North American neighbors.

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2. Supreme Court Upholds Affordable Care Act's Preventative Care Provisions

Host: Jack Speier
Reporter: Selena Simmons Duffin
Timestamp: [01:21] - [02:17]

In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld key components of former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act (ACA), specifically those mandating that preventative services, such as cancer screenings, be provided free of charge to patients.

Selena Simmons Duffin reports that the Court reinforced the role of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a body of volunteer experts, in determining which preventive measures are evidence-based and should be covered by health insurers without cost to patients. The challenge to this provision came from Braidwood Management, a Texas-based company with Christian conservative affiliations, which contested the requirement to cover HIV prevention medications. The Court, however, maintained the status quo in a 6-3 decision, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh penning the majority opinion. Kavanaugh emphasized that the Health Secretary, currently Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holds the authority to review and act upon the Task Force's recommendations. This ruling represents the Supreme Court's latest effort to preserve the foundational elements of the ACA.

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3. Governor Gavin Newsom Sues Fox News for Defamation

Host: Jack Speier
Reporter: Marisa Lagos
Timestamp: [02:17] - [03:07]

California Governor Gavin Newsom has initiated a defamation lawsuit against Fox News and one of its hosts, Jesse Waters. The lawsuit alleges that Fox News disseminated false information regarding a phone call between Newsom and President Trump, thereby tarnishing the governor's reputation.

Marisa Lagos reports that the lawsuit contends Fox News and Waters lied about the timing of the phone conversation, which occurred amidst heightened immigration raids and protests in Los Angeles—actions that led President Trump to deploy armed troops to the city against Newsom's directives. The governor, addressing the issue via his Substack platform, has publicly demanded an apology, stating, “You can't maliciously slander someone. You can't defame someone by altering facts, editing facts knowingly” (02:51). In response, a Fox News spokesperson dismissed the lawsuit as a “transparent publicity stunt” and pledged to vigorously defend the network against the allegations.

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4. Financial Markets Achieve Record Highs

Host: Jack Speier
Timestamp: [03:07] - [03:30]

Today's financial markets witnessed significant milestones as both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices reached unprecedented record highs. The Nasdaq, in particular, saw a notable increase, rising by 105 points to conclude the session at $65.52 per barrel for crude oil on the New York Mercantile Exchange. This bullish trend reflects investor confidence and potential positive economic indicators in the technology and energy sectors.

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5. World's Poorest Countries Falling Further Behind

Host: Jack Speier
Timestamp: [03:30] - [04:08]

A sobering report from the World Bank highlights that the world's poorest nations are increasingly lagging behind in economic development. This assessment, the first comprehensive review of 39 countries grappling with fragile and conflict-affected situations, spans regions from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific to Mozambique in Africa. The data reveals that since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, these nations have experienced an average annual decline in economic outlook per person by 1.8%, starkly contrasting with the 2.9% average individual output growth observed in other developing countries. This divergence underscores the exacerbating challenges faced by the most vulnerable populations globally, as they struggle to recover and sustain economic progress amidst ongoing crises.

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6. Colorado Funeral Home Owner Sentenced for Fraud and Corpse Abuse

Host: Jack Speier
Reporter: Dan Boyce
Timestamp: [04:08] - [04:46]

In a disturbing case of fraud and corpse abuse, John Holford, owner of a funeral home in Colorado, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Dan Boyce reports that Holford was convicted for misappropriating nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 aid funds to finance a lavish lifestyle, including the purchase of luxury cars and funding extravagant vacations. Simultaneously, Holford improperly stored approximately 190 bodies in a dilapidated rural building for years, deceiving grieving families by providing them with fake ashes. The illicit activities came to light in 2023, leading to Holford's guilty plea.

Holford also faces an upcoming sentencing in August for a state case involving 191 charges related to corpse abuse. His wife, Carrie Holford, is scheduled for hearings concerning both their federal and state cases in September. This case underscores the critical importance of oversight and accountability in the management of public funds and services, particularly in sensitive sectors such as funeral services.

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7. Crude Oil Prices Surge

Host: Jack Speier
Timestamp: [04:46] - [04:59]

Crude oil markets remained robust today, with futures prices climbing by 28 cents per barrel. The New York Mercantile Exchange reported that oil concluded the session at $65.52 per barrel. This upward movement reflects ongoing geopolitical tensions and supply chain dynamics that continue to influence global energy prices.

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Note: This summary excludes advertisements, introductory remarks, and non-content segments to focus solely on delivering the essential news and insights discussed during the episode.

Transcript

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[Jack Speier]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Speier. President Trump says the US Is cutting off tariff talks with Canada as that country proceeds with a digital services tax would affect tech giants headquartered in the U.S. nPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports on the latest. Amid a flurry of trade news from.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

The president, Trump wrote on social media this afternoon that the U.S. is, quote, hereby terminating all discussions on trade with Canada, effective immediately over Canada's digital services tax that takes effect on June 30. That tax will be on revenues the companies generate from Canadian users. Trump added that the U.S. will inform Canada of the new tariff rate Americans will pay for Canadian goods within the next week. Trump also said today that he might move a July 9 deadline when tariffs on many countries are set to increase sharply. He had said he would negotiate tariff deals with other countries by then. Only one such deal has been struck with the UK Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News, the White House.

[Jack Speier]

The Supreme Court has upheld the part of the Affordable Care act that made preventative care like cancer screenings, free for patients. NPR's Selena Simmons Duffin explains it's the latest case of justices preserving former President Obama's signature health care law.

[Selena Simmons Duffin]

The U.S. preventive Services Task Force is made up of volunteer experts. If they determine that a cancer screening or preventive medication is based on good evidence, the Affordable Care act requires health insurers to cover it without any cost to patients. Braidwood Management, a company owned by Christian conservatives in Texas, challenged the constitutionality of the task force. It objected to covering HIV prevention medications, but the justices upheld the status quo in a 6, 3 decision. The majority opinion, written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, noted that the health secretary, currently Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Has the power to review the recommendations. Selena Simmons Duffen, NPR News, Washington.

[Jack Speier]

California Governor Gavin Newsom is suing Fox News and one of his hosts for defamation, claiming the network lied about him on behalf of President Trump. From member KQED in San Francisco, Marisa Lagos reports.

[Marisa Lagos]

The lawsuit accuses Fox News and host Jesse Waters of lying about when a phone call between Newsom and Trump took place and then accusing the governor of being a liar on air. The phone call came as immigration raids and protests swept Los Angeles and the president deployed armed troops to the city over the governor's objections. In a conversation broadcast on his substack, Newsom said he wants an apology.

[Jack Speier]

You can't maliciously slander someone. You can't defame someone by altering facts, editing facts knowingly.

[Marisa Lagos]

In a statement, a spokesperson for Fox News called the suit a transparent publicity stunt and vowed to fight it. For NPR News, I'm Marisa Lagos in San Francisco.

[Jack Speier]

Another milestone for the financial markets today with the S and P and the Nasdaq both hitting record highs. The NASDAQ rose 105 points today. You're listening to NPR. The world's poorest countries appear to be falling increasingly far behind. That's based on an assessment from the World bank which says it's completed the first comprehensive look at 39 countries with fragile and conflict affected situations. The report looked at countries from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific to Mozambique, finding since the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020, they've seen their economic outlook per person decline by an average of 1.8% a year. That's compared to other developing countries, which saw an average individual output of 2.9% a year. A Colorado funeral homeowner who improperly stored nearly 190 bodies has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Colorado Public Radio's Dan Boyce says John Holford's sentence was for fraud involving Covid Aid funds.

[Dan Boyce]

Holford pled guilty to using nearly $900,000 in Covid aid to fund a lavish lifestyle, including the purchase of luxury cars and vacations. This as dead bodies remained stacked in a decrepit rural building for years and grieving families were given fake ashes. The bodies were found in 2023. Halford also faces sentencing in August in a state case involving 191 charges of corpse abuse. His wife, Carrie Hallford, has hearings for both her federal and state cases in September. For NPR News, I'm Dan Boyce in Colorado Springs.

[Jack Speier]

Crude oil futures prices moved higher today. Oil up 28 cents a barrel to end the session at $65.52 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. I'm Jack Spier, NPR News, in Washington.

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