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NPR News Now

NPR News: 05-20-2026 8PM EDT

21 May 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

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

0.537 - 4.121 Ryland Barton

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

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Chapter 2: What charges is former Cuban President Raul Castro facing in the U.S.?

4.502 - 16.416 Ryland Barton

Former Cuban President Raul Castro is facing charges in the U.S. for his alleged involvement in the deaths of humanitarian workers 30 years ago. President Trump told reporters today that Cuba is free.

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16.676 - 33.108 Unknown

I think it's a very big moment for people that, not only Cuban Americans, but people that came from Cuba, that want to go back to Cuba, people that want to see their family in Cuba. I think it's a very big day, very important day. They supported me to the nth degree.

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33.128 - 54.815 Ryland Barton

The Justice Department says Castro played a role in shooting down two planes carrying members of the exile group Brothers to the Rescue in 1996. Four people, including three U.S. citizens, died. And the Justice Department has indicted a former federal prosecutor for sending herself a copy of special counsel Jack Smith's report on the investigation into President Trump's classified documents case.

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54.935 - 56.717 Ryland Barton

NPR's Jacqueline Diaz has more.

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56.815 - 79.262 Jacqueline Diaz

Prosecutors allege that Carmen Mercedes-Leinberger emailed a copy of the report to her personal email in January 2025 and tried to hide the fact that she was doing this. The grand jury indictment says she downloaded the documents and emailed them with titles like chocolatecakerecipe.pdf. The indictment doesn't say what Leinberger planned to do with the documents.

79.546 - 100.306 Jacqueline Diaz

At the time, a federal judge had ordered the report sealed. Judge Eileen Cannon has since ordered the report permanently sealed. Leinberger served as the managing assistant U.S. attorney in Fort Pierce, Florida. She pleaded not guilty to four felony charges, including theft of government property. Jacqueline Diaz, NPR News.

100.426 - 113.046 Ryland Barton

The commercial rocket company SpaceX has filed paperwork for what could be the biggest initial public offering in history. As NPR's Jeff Brumfield reports, its financial disclosures show the company's ambitions and how much it's spending.

113.144 - 131.472 Jeff Brumfield

SpaceX has already cornered the market on rocket launches, and it's built the world's only satellite internet service. Going forward, it wants to construct data centers in space, build bases on the moon, and eventually put humans on the surface of Mars. Reaching these goals could make SpaceX one of the most valuable companies in history.

131.773 - 157.292 Jeff Brumfield

But to fulfill its ambitions, the financial disclosures show SpaceX spending eye-watering amounts of money. Last year, its AI division, XAI, spent close to $12 billion. The company spent another $3 billion developing its massive new rocket Starship. Overall, SpaceX lost money in the first quarter of this year. Only its satellite internet service turned a profit. Jeff Brumfield, NPR News.

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