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NPR News Now

NPR News: 05-20-2026 7PM EDT

20 May 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.571 - 4.096 Ryland Barton

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton.

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Chapter 2: What charges were announced against former Cuban President Raul Castro?

4.436 - 25.568 Ryland Barton

The Justice Department announced charges including murder against former Cuban President Raul Castro. It comes as the Trump administration escalates pressure on the country's socialist government. The indictment alleges Castro played a role in the 1996 shootdown of two small planes operated by the exile group Brothers to the Rescue. Castro was Cuba's defense minister at the time.

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26.089 - 43.292 Ryland Barton

President Trump and his companies may receive a free pass for any past tax problems, and perhaps immunity for even more legal trouble is part of a settlement with the IRS for leaking his tax returns. The administration says the Trumps won't benefit from the deal. Critics say it's an abuse of the system, as NPR's Carrie Johnson reports.

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43.472 - 63.959 Unknown

Tax experts I interviewed say nobody else would have got this deal and that Trump and his family could, in fact, receive financial benefits from the dropping of tax audits. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch is the one who signed off on that part of the deal. He's a former personal attorney for Trump, but he balked at that description before Congress this week.

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63.979 - 78.818 Ryland Barton

NPR's Carrie Johnson reporting. Two police officers who defended the Capitol during the January 6th Capitol riot are suing to stop the Trump administration from paying rioters from a new anti-weaponization fund. NPR's Tom Dreisbach reports.

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79.079 - 100.076 Daniel Hodges

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 are 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.

100.557 - 105.908 Daniel Hodges

Hodges is suing to stop payouts that he believes are both illegal and dangerous.

106.141 - 115.554 Unknown

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?

116.034 - 122.884 Daniel Hodges

Trump administration officials say they will evaluate claims on a case-by-case basis. Tom Dreisbach, NPR News.

122.904 - 132.857 Ryland Barton

A Senate committee heard from industry stakeholders about the rise in sports betting and prediction markets today. NPR's Alana Wise reports lawmakers want to determine if the industry is being regulated closely enough.

Chapter 3: How is the Trump administration involved in recent tax settlement discussions?

132.938 - 153.698 Alana Wise

Industry stakeholders answered questions about how the integrity of sports could be maintained with gambling and whether prediction markets, which allow users to bet on anything from the weather to military assassinations, operated legally. They also heard about the effects of gambling. Harry Levent is the director of gambling policy at the Public Health Advocacy Institute.

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153.678 - 163.45 Unknown

This is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. This is a human issue regarding an addiction crisis that needs to be addressed and prevented.

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163.731 - 175.686 Alana Wise

Studies have shown that legalizing gambling can lead to worse financial outcomes for Americans. But supporters of the sector say it's key to the American economy. Alana Wise, NPR News, Washington.

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176.146 - 198.855 Ryland Barton

This is NPR News from Washington. Harvard University will limit the number of A's awarded to undergrads. It's intended to curb grade inflation. Starting fall of 2027, instructors may award A grades to no more than 20% of students in a class plus four additional students. A minus grades will not be capped.

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198.835 - 215.089 Ryland Barton

Supporters say the changes will restore the meaning of top grades after more than 60 percent of undergraduate grades were in the A range in recent years. The National Trust for Historic Places released its annual list of the most endangered sites in the U.S., NPR's Nedin Ulabi reports.

215.12 - 234.983 Carol Quillen

The list of 11 places has a theme, honoring the idea that all people are created equal. It includes the oldest Quaker meeting house in Massachusetts and a few sites that have been affected by President Trump's administration, including the President's House in Philadelphia, where the National Park Service removed some information about enslaved people there.

235.043 - 253.447 Carol Quillen

National Trust President Carol Quillen calls that historical erasure. That's a threat to preservation that we're also interested in protesting. The National Trust is currently suing the Trump administration over its construction of a ballroom on White House grounds. Nada Ulipi, NPR News.

253.647 - 273.638 Ryland Barton

A seagull has left a lasting impression on King Charles during his visit to Northern Ireland. The bird dropped a surprise on the king's suit coat. The king quipped that it was fortunate it didn't land on his head. Earlier in the day, the king seemed to foreshadow the event during a visit to a food pantry when he picked up a roll of toilet paper and said, very important. U.S.

273.658 - 279.445 Ryland Barton

stock market bounced back today after oil prices gave back some of their big gains. This is NPR News.

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