NPR News: 05-20-2026 4PM EDT
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The Justice Department has formally indicted former Cuban President Raul Castro. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch made the announcement at Miami's Freedom Tower.
Today, we are announcing an indictment charging Raul Castro and several others with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals.
What are the implications of the indictment against Raul Castro?
NPR's Ada Peralta reports the charges stem from Castro's alleged involvement in the downing of two American planes in 1996.
The two planes belonged to a group called Brothers to the Rescue, which used to fly over the streets of Florida, alerting the Coast Guard of Cuban migrants in trouble. On several occasions, the planes flew into Cuban airspace, dropping anti-government leaflets. In February of 1996, the Cuban Air Force shot down two Cessnas. The U.S. claims then-Defense Minister Raul Castro ordered the shooting. Michael Bustamante studies Cuba at the University of Miami, and he says this is bigger than historical justice. The indictment is part of a broader U.S. move to pressure the Cuban government to change.
It also sets the table ostensibly for the thing that the administration lacked. If they ever did want to escalate to military action, which was a pretext to do so.
In January, the U.S. used the indictment of Nicolas Maduro to remove him from office in Venezuela. Eder Peralta, NPR News, Miami.
President Trump is defending a new nearly $1.8 billion fund designed to help people he says were unfairly targeted by the justice system after the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol building.
The anti-weaponization campaign. of people. I mean, people were destroyed. They went to jail. Their families were ruined. They committed suicide.
Now, two police officers who defended the Capitol during the insurrection are suing to stop those payments. NPR's Tom Dreisbach reports the lawsuit argues taxpayers should not be forced to compensate people involved in the attack.
Washington, D.C. police officer Daniel Hodges was repeatedly assaulted by rioters on January 6th. President Trump pardoned the men who attacked him. And now the administration says those rioters and others can apply for payment from a new $1.8 billion fund set up by the Justice Department for people who believe they were victims of weaponized law enforcement. Hodges is suing to stop payouts that he believes are both illegal and dangerous.
If they get this payout, then they'll have significant financial resources and they have no ethical qualms about it. So what would stop them from carrying out any more violence?
Trump administration officials say they will evaluate claims on a case-by-case basis. Tom Dreisbach, NPR News.
At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 645 points, the Nasdaq up 399. This is NPR News. Meta is cutting 8,000 jobs as it shifts focus on artificial intelligence. The company's spokesperson says it notified affected employees today. The layoffs affect roughly 10 percent of Meta's workforce. The company had already warned employees in April that major cuts were coming, while also scrapping plans to fill about 6,000 open jobs. The Trump administration has tapped a top health official to temporarily take on the duties of Surgeon General. That position has gone unfilled for well over a year as previous nominees were pulled. NPR's Will Stone has more.
Dr. Stephanie Herodopoulos will begin carrying out the public health advisory and guidance duties of the Surgeon General, according to an HHS official who was not authorized to speak on the matter. Herodopoulos, who is married to Republican Congressman Mike Herodopoulos of Florida, is a family physician and has been director of national health communications in the office of the Surgeon General. She'll hold the position while President Trump's current nominee for the full-time role, Dr. Nicole Sapphire, a radiologist and former Fox News Channel contributor, awaits her confirmation hearing. Earlier this month, Trump withdrew the nomination for Dr. Casey Means to be the next surgeon general.
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