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NPR News Now

NPR News: 05-20-2026 9PM EDT

21 May 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What legal actions are police officers taking regarding the January 6th Capitol riot?

0.503 - 22.495 Ryland Barton

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. Two police officers who defended the Capitol during the January 6th riot are suing to block payouts from a new $1.8 billion settlement fund for people who claim to be victims of political prosecutions. Yesterday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch wouldn't rule out the possibility that rioters who assaulted police...

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22.475 - 32.687 Ryland Barton

would be eligible for fund payouts. President Trump says he's in no hurry to make a deal with Iran. NPR's Franco Ordonez says a state of limbo surrounds any negotiations.

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32.907 - 47.003 Franco Ordonez

The threat the U.S. could strike this weekend speaks to the uncertainty some former officials, like Mona Yakoubian, who is now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, say is turning into a, quote, frozen conflict that could extend for months.

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47.283 - 63.796 Mona Yakoubian

The bigger fear is also just that there is no resolution. Or there's a resolution that leads to Iran's retaining de facto control over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran being able to continue to be disruptive.

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64.077 - 77.448 Franco Ordonez

She called that a kind of half solution where Trump's constant threats and the potential retaliation impair any real movement toward economic repair or economic growth. Franco, Ordonez, NPR News.

77.468 - 87.16 Ryland Barton

The AI data center boom continues to drive up demand for microchips. Chipmaker NVIDIA just logged another quarter of record sales. NPR's John Ruich reports.

87.481 - 104.762 John Ruich

NVIDIA's revenues jumped 20% over the prior quarter and were nearly double what they were during the same quarter last year, hitting $81.6 billion. Most of that came from data centers, which have been going gangbusters. Major tech companies have been funneling money into artificial intelligence. NVIDIA is in the right place.

105.003 - 126.212 John Ruich

It makes the world's most popular chips for training and deploying AI models. CEO Jensen Huang said demand has, quote, gone parabolic. That's because AI is now doing more productive and valuable tasks through agents or programs that can operate semi-autonomously. Huang's bullishness aside, NVIDIA is under intense pressure to maintain its soaring growth rate.

126.653 - 133.364 John Ruich

Despite the better-than-expected earnings, the company's share price slipped in after-hours trading. John Rewich, NPR News.

Chapter 2: What is the current status of U.S.-Iran negotiations?

133.605 - 140.957 Ryland Barton

Hot, windy weather east of Los Angeles is making for dangerous fire conditions. From member station KVCR, Madison Aument reports.

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141.005 - 158.105 Madison Aument

The Bain and Verona fires both ignited Tuesday in different parts of Riverside County. More than 4,500 people are under evacuation orders between both blazes. John Klingingsmith, who's with CAL FIRE, says crews are focused on defending homes. He says the weather is posing a challenge.

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158.485 - 167.215 Unknown

Temperatures are going to increase. Relative humidity is going to drop. Winds are going to pick up. So that's going to challenge the lines that we have in place right now.

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167.431 - 176.258 Madison Aument

It'll be dry and windy through Friday. Clinging Smith says the cause of both fires are under investigation. For NPR News, I'm Madison Aument in Riverside County.

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176.299 - 197.079 Ryland Barton

And this is NPR News from Washington. Congo's soccer team has canceled a three-day World Cup preparation training camp and a planned farewell to fans in the capital, Kinshasa, because of an outbreak of Ebola in the east of the country. The strain is thought to have killed more than 130 people and caused nearly 600 suspected cases.

197.54 - 214.386 Ryland Barton

Congo faces Portugal in its first World Cup match in Houston on June 17. Claire's, the retail chain selling jewelry and accessories, is trying to expand to thousands of new locations. This comes less than a year after the company emerged from its second bankruptcy. NPR's Alina Selyuk reports.

214.667 - 236.517 Alina Selyuk

Klairs went bankrupt last August under the weight of an unwieldy loan, plus mounting tariff costs for all of its Chinese-made jewelry, clothes and bursas. The chain closed hundreds of stores, but it avoided total liquidation as it was bought out of bankruptcy by Ames Watson, an investment firm that owns a few other mall chains. The biggest one is Lids.

236.537 - 257.23 Alina Selyuk

Now, Claire's has signed a brand licensing deal that might see its jewelry pop up in more than 7,000 retail spots around the U.S., including Walmart and CVS. It's part of a plan which also includes updating stores and working with young social media influencers, trying to refresh Claire's brand and draw new generations of shoppers. Alina Seluch, NPR News.

257.751 - 279.231 Ryland Barton

A section of the original spiral staircase from the Eiffel Tower is scheduled to be auctioned off tomorrow in Paris. The 14-step, 8.5-foot iron relic dates back to 1889 and is expected to fetch up to $175,000. The original stairs were dismantled in 1983 to make way for elevators. I'm Ryland Barton. This is NPR News.

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