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Trump says U.S. and Iran nearing a peace deal. And, Pope Leo XIV weighs in on the rise of AI

Plus, NPR is examining the increased intermixing of God and the government in a new series.

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May 25, 2026 8:15am EDT

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May 25, 2026

Brittney Melton

up first newsletter writer

Good morning. As temperatures rise this summer, so do electricity prices. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association warns that on average, electricity bills will jump by 8.5% compared to last year. Here’s the news we’re following this Memorial Day:

Today’s top stories

Vessels are anchored off the coast of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on May 21, 2026.

AFP via Getty Images

President Trump and other administration officials are managing expectations about an imminent agreement to end the war in Iran. Iran has not officially responded to the proposed agreement, but semi-official news agencies suggest that disagreements over "one or two" issues are jeopardizing the potential deal. After speaking with the leaders of several Gulf countries and Israel on Saturday, Trump said the U.S. and Iran have "largely negotiated" a memorandum of understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But on Sunday, he said in a series of social media posts that the U.S. would not rush into an agreement. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that if a deal is reached, discussions on nuclear issues with the U.S. would commence over a 60-day period. Senior official Hossein Nooshabadi said that 60-day period would start after a 30-day initial agreement regarding the Strait.

🎧 NPR's Mara Liasson tells Up First that Iran is firmly rejecting any discussions regarding its nuclear program. Republicans who supported the strike on Iran have been very critical of the possibility of the deal, Liasson adds. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina urged Trump to “stick to your guns in getting a good deal with Iran.” Liasson says a deal could help Republicans in the upcoming elections. Democrats have an advantage when people are asked about who they would vote for in the generic ballot. But the Democratic brand remains unpopular. Democrats in competitive districts must distinguish themselves from their party, just as Republicans need to separate from Trump, Liasson adds.

🎧 The U.S. has made it clear that Iran must start allowing ships to pass through the Strait as part of the deal, NPR's Aya Batrawy says. Iran also has demands: The U.S. should unfreeze its money in foreign banks, and Israel should end its war in Lebanon against Iran-backed Hezbollah. Gulf Arab states have suffered greatly from the war and were hit hard by Iran. Around 2 million pilgrims are currently performing the hajj in Saudi Arabia, heightening the urgency of avoiding a return to conflict in order to ensure their safety. There is increasing pressure to reach a deal, as the war doesn't seem to have softened Iran’s stance, Batrawy says.

The latest figures from the Congolese government show that more than 200 people have died in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Health workers have registered more than 900 suspected cases. The virus is spreading rapidly across eastern Congo, a region larger than Florida. Ongoing battles between armed groups and national armies are complicating efforts to contain the disease. The World Health Organization warns that the risk of the virus spreading quickly throughout the country is very high. This outbreak involves a rare strain of Ebola that lacks an approved vaccine or treatment.

🎧 Chaos and weak infrastructure in eastern Congo are complicating the outbreak amid extreme violence, reporter Emmet Livingstone says. Four different national armies are fighting on the ground. The biggest conflict involves the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. Some cases of the virus have been confirmed in the area. Aid groups are struggling with distrust in healthcare, historical issues and misinformation, alongside a critical shortage of PPE and medical supplies. U.S. aid cuts have also further exacerbated the situation, Livingstone says.

Approximately 50,000 residents in Garden Grove, Calif., remained under evacuation orders yesterday as emergency response teams worked to manage a potentially explosive situation at the GKN Aerospace manufacturing plant. Late Saturday, firefighters found a potential crack in a tank at the facility. Orange County Fire Division Chief Craig Covey says a crack in the tank could be a good outcome. While not ideal, it would be better if the chemicals leaked out slowly rather than exploding. This tank contains around 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a highly toxic and flammable chemical used to make resins and plastics. Emergency responders say the incident started on Thursday when chemicals in a tank at the facility began exceeding safe temperature limits. Authorities evacuated residents to protect them from the risk of a large explosion and the harmful fumes it could produce. Since the fire department cannot predict the direction in which the fumes might move, they had to clear a wide area around the plant.

Pope Leo XIV addressed the rise of artificial intelligence today in his first encyclical, a major teaching addressed to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. Leo's “Magnificent Humanity” urges Catholics to engage in shaping AI ethics instead of leaving it in the hands ofl of wealthy tech elites.

🎧 Pope Leo is concerned that Silicon Valley is pushing the idea of a hybrid human-machine world, says Claire Giangrave, Vatican correspondent for NPR's partner organization Religion News Service. Giangrave says the pope sees AI as a new Industrial Revolution and believes the Catholic Church can help guide society toward a more human and humane future. The pope describes a new face of colonialism, where people's data and information are exploited. He calls it "one of the most urgent moral challenges of our time" and argues that governments and international organizations must step up to place laws and regulations around AI use. While some AI companies resist any regulation of AI development, others in Silicon Valley are actively seeking guidance from religious traditions as they navigate new and unexpected technological advancements, Giangrave says.

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Church and State

The Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial on July 3, 2006, in San Diego, CA. The cross is the centerpiece of the memorial, which sits atop a mountain overlooking San Diego.

Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images

This week at NPR, we're going to explore the increased intermixing of God and government in a new series we're calling Church and State. It's an idea that has been gaining momentum through the first and second Trump administrations, not only within U.S. politics but also throughout American culture, in songs and paintings, schoolbooks and worship events infused with faith and politics.

In a new survey, Americans say religion is gaining greater influence over the United States’ government. Most respondents expressed discomfort with the rising influence. NPR religion correspondent Jason DeRose says the Church and State project was developed following his team's coverage of actions by the Trump administration that warranted further exploration. Among those topics is a recent Department of Justice report on anti-Christian bias, which highlights policy differences stemming from animosity towards Christians. Additionally, earlier this month, the administration hosted a prayer service on the National Mall, where cabinet members prayed in front of a giant cross.

On Morning Edition, DeRose shares insights into the stories that will be featured in the Church and State series this week and explains why his team pursued this project.

Watch This

Byron Allen smiles as he sits by a mic for an interview. He is wearing a dark suit coat, a light blue vest and a white collared shirt.

Nickolai Hammar/NPR

Go face-to-face with the person of the moment. NPR’s Newsmakers video podcast brings the biggest names in politics, business, sports, arts, and culture out of the headlines and into the interview chair to discuss the mark they’re making on the world. Follow the Newsmakers podcast or subscribe to NPR's YouTube channel to get new episodes as soon as they’re available.

On Friday, Byron Allen brought his show Comics Unleashed to the CBS time slot that was long held by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The media mogul and former stand-up comedian has praised Colbert but noted that his show will avoid the political comedy Colbert was known for, moving away from the typical late-night format. Colbert's show was canceled despite its high ratings, a decision many viewed as politically motivated because of Colbert's frequent criticism of Trump and his administration. CBS said that the cancellation was "purely a financial decision." Allen maintains that no one at CBS or its parent company, Paramount, imposed any restrictions or boundaries on his show.

Allen sat down for an NPR Newsmakers interview with NPR's Ailsa Chang ahead of the debut episode of Comics Unleashed. He discussed his plans for the show, why he believes there is still plenty of political comedy available after Colbert's cancellation and the importance of Black Americans owning and producing media.

Watch the conversation on YouTube, listen to the interview or read the article about their discussion.

3 things to know before you go

Left to right: Tilda Swinton poses with Renate Reinsve, Cristian Mungiu and Sebastian Stan during the awards ceremony at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival.

Andreea Alexandru/AP

1

Romanian director Cristian Mungiu won the top award at the 79th Cannes Film Festival on Saturday for his culture-war drama Fjord.

2

Felix Rosenqvist overtook David Malukas to clinch the victory in the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500. He won by a mere 0.0233 seconds, the closest finish in the race’s history. (via WFYI)

3

Shein, the ultrafast-fashion giant, is acquiring Everlane, a brand that once pitched millennial shoppers with its dream of "ethical factories" and "radical transparency" in clothing production and pricing.

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This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.

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