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NPR News Now

NPR News: 05-21-2026 3PM EDT

21 May 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What recent political events are affecting immigration funding?

1.111 - 15.124 Kristen Wright

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kristen Wright. The Senate has canceled its remaining sessions for the week and is leaving Washington for a week-long recess. This delays votes on funding for immigration enforcement until after June 1st.

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15.485 - 35.272 Kristen Wright

Tensions have risen between some Republicans and the president over his announcement of a nearly $1.8 billion reparations fund for what he calls victims of government weaponization during the Biden administration. Swing voters in North Carolina say President Trump is out of touch with their economic concerns.

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35.673 - 45.597 Kristen Wright

However, as the midterms get closer, the group says they're not ready to vote against Republicans. NPR's Ashley Lopez observed these voters in two focus groups this week.

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45.661 - 64.483 Ashley Lopez

These online focus groups featured 12 voters in North Carolina who voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and then Trump in 2024. They were conducted by messaging and market research firms Engageus and Sago. Eight out of the 12 voters said Trump is out of touch with their economic concerns and nine are more anxious about the economy than they were before Trump took office again.

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64.843 - 82.343 Ashley Lopez

Leslie Bee, who participated under the condition her last name would not be used, blamed Trump's war in Iran. I'm glad he's concerned about the nuclear weapon, but what about people needing to put food on the table and get to their job? None of the 12 voters who identify as independents, Republicans and a Democrat said they plan to vote for Democrats in November.

82.844 - 99.343 Kristen Wright

Ashley Lopez, NPR News. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to Sweden for a NATO foreign minister's meeting. NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports that before taking off, Rubio again expressed disappointment that some NATO countries did not let the U.S. military...

99.323 - 122.31 Michelle Kellerman

Secretary Rubio says the reason why NATO is good for America is that it gives the United States bases in Europe to project power in the Middle East. So he says he needs to discuss this with his counterparts in a meeting in Sweden. Another big topic is the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's efforts to get money from tolls.

122.67 - 130.504 Unknown

No one in the world is in favor of a tolling system. It can't happen. It would be unacceptable. It would make a diplomatic deal unfeasible if they were to continue to pursue that.

130.885 - 144.048 Michelle Kellerman

So it's a threat to the world if they were to try to do that. Asked about the diplomacy, Rubio says the U.S. is dealing with an Iranian system that is, in his words, a little fractured. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.

Chapter 2: How are swing voters in North Carolina reacting to President Trump?

154.336 - 175.404 Michael Kaluki

Following the recent Ebola outbreak, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has prohibited the entry of foreign nationals who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan 21 days prior to their arrival in the U.S. The Congolese team is due to play Portugal in Houston next month in the opening World Cup match. For NPR News, I'm Michael Kaluki in Nairobi.

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175.785 - 192.527 Kristen Wright

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Government weather forecasters expect 8 to 14 named storms will form in the Atlantic this hurricane season. NPR's Rebecca Herscher reports that's a slightly smaller number than average.

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192.794 - 210.659 Rebecca Herscher

The main reason for the relatively small number of storms is El Nino, the cyclic weather pattern that makes it harder for hurricanes to form in the Atlantic. But that doesn't mean people in hurricane-prone parts of the U.S. can rest easy, says Neil Jacobs, who leads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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210.939 - 222.615 Neil Jacobs

Even though we're expecting a below-average season in the Atlantic, it's very important to understand that it only takes one. We have had Category 5s make landfall in the past during below-average seasons.

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222.764 - 233.702 Rebecca Herscher

And he says it's not just people on the coast who are at risk. Hurricanes and tropical storms have caused deadly flooding thousands of miles inland. Rebecca Herscher, NPR News.

233.8 - 250.497 Kristen Wright

The Atlantic hurricane season is June 1st through November 30th. There's an oppressive heat wave in India. It hit 113 degrees in the capital, New Delhi, today. Some schools are letting out early for summer break, and farmers are trying to do their work at night. It's not supposed to get any better all week.

250.978 - 263.913 Kristen Wright

Climate experts say India's rising temperatures are because of human-driven climate change. Stephen Colbert says goodbye tonight. He'll host the final broadcast of The Late Show. What's planned for tonight's lineup has been kept a surprise.

264.394 - 279.197 Kristen Wright

CBS announced it was canceling Colbert last year, citing financial reasons, but Colbert and others have been skeptical that the decision didn't have to do with President Trump. The late show premiered in 1993 with host David Letterman. I'm Kristen Wright, NPR News, from Washington.

280.088 - 288.436 Unknown

As hurricane season approaches, a political storm is brewing at the Federal Disaster Agency. I've never been a big fan of FEMA. It really doesn't get the job done.

Chapter 3: What are the implications of the NATO foreign minister's meeting?

288.496 - 302.181 Unknown

But can we afford to lose this vital agency? Whenever there's a disaster, the first thing people say is, where's FEMA? American Emergency, the movement to kill FEMA, is a brand new series from WNYC's On The Media. Listen on the NPR app.

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