Live from NPR News in Washington, on Corva Coleman, the state visit of Britai...
and Queen Camilla is continuing they've just arrived at the White House for a formal visit.
“There's a full day of events planned there, the King will deliver a speech to a joint meeting”
of Congress later this afternoon. NPR's Danielle Kurtz-Labin reports King Charles's visit comes and mid-heighten tensions between the two countries. Today's schedule includes a traditional military arrival ceremony and inspection of the troops on the south lawn and the exchange of gifts between the leaders.
In the afternoon, King Charles will address Congress and a speech that will focus on reconciliation and renewal of the relationship between the two countries according to the palace. That relationship has been strained in recent months as British Prime Minister Kier Starmer has said he will not let the U.S. draw the U.K. into the war in Iran. Trump has repeatedly rebuked Starmer over this.
There will also be a state dinner hosting the King and Queen at the White House tonight. Danielle Kurtz-Labin and PR news.
“The Trump administration is withdrawing its nominee to lead the National Park Service.”
As NPR's Kirk Siegel reports, Scott Sosha had no prior experience in government. Scott Sosha runs one of the biggest concessionaires for the National Park Service Delaware North, which operates cafes and hotels and tours inside and near parks like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. Former Park Service employees had pointed to Sosha's ties to interest pushing for more privatization of National Parks.
But Sosha's TLNPR, his nomination, had also been on hold for weeks due to other ethics and conflict of interest concerns. It is unusual, though not unprecedented for the Park Service to be without a Senate confirmed director.
The agency operated with all acting directors during the first Trump administration.
The withdrawal of Sosha comes as many national parks are seeing record visitation while dealing with billions of dollars in maintenance backlogs and about 25% less staff since President Trump's Doge cuts last year. Kirk Siegel and PR news, Boisey.
“Late night, host Jimmy Kimmel is responding to criticism from first lady Melania Trump.”
She says Kimmel's joke about her last week was "hateful and violent." President Trump is calling on the ABC Network to "fire" Kimmel, now that the suspect is charged with trying to kill him. Kimmel expressed sympathy for the first lady, but rejected their claim, saying that he made the joke three days before the event.
"It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he's almost 80 and she's younger than I am. It was not by any stretch of the definition of call to assassination, and they know that I've been very vocal for many years speaking out against gun violence in particular." Kimmel was briefly suspended last September after he talked about the politics surrounding
the slaying of activist Charlie Kirk. There was a substantial backlash ABC then restored Kimmel to the air. You're listening to NPR. The United Arab Emirates says he's going to leave the World Oil Cartel, OPEC. The UAE has been pummeled in the war against Iran, especially with blocked exports
of crude oil. The UAE's departure follows years of friction and wants to pump more oil, the cartels largest producer and dominant force Saudi Arabia wants to limit oil production.
A group of low-cost airlines says it's asking the Trump administration for $2.5 billion
in aid. The money would pay for jet fuel costs have spiked since the start of the war against Iran. Trump administration officials say Congress needs to play a role in that request from the airlines. One of the world's largest religious pilgrimages has ended on the island of Taiwan,
more than 450,000 people walked more than 200 miles to honor a beloved deity. NPR's Emily Fang reports. The Thats down Matsu Prcession kicked off early here at this month. The volunteers welcomed a statue of the goddess Matsu, an ocean spirit who was celebrated in both Taiwan and parts of southern China.
Hundreds of thousands of people did help accompany that statue of Matsu as it was brought from one temple to another. Pilgrims often sleep outside on the road along the way and they're fed by volunteers along the procession route. Another Matsu pilgrimage already ended earlier this April, but this one, the Thats down Matsu Prcession ended late this year because of foot traffic.
Tens of thousands of devotees gathered in Taiwan's Taijong city to see the statue make its final leg. Emily Fang and Pernus. This is NPR.
