"Live from NPR News in Washington.
Xi Jinping met for about two hours today in Beijing. China's official Shenhua News Agency
“reports Xi told Trump, "Relations between the two countries will remain stable, depending”
on how the U.S. handles the issue of Taiwan. She added the U.S. and China risk clashes and conflicts if Taiwan is not handled well." Trump has said he wants to focus on trade during the summit, ahead of their bilateral meeting, Trump prays Xi and their relationship. "You and I have known each other now for a long time. In fact, the longest relationship of our two countries that any President and President has had, and it's to me and
honor." Trump traveled to China with a group of corporate CEOs and hopes to secure deals for more agricultural products and commercial airliners. With the war between the U.S. and Iran unresolved and the Strait of Hormuz still closed more commercial ships are moving through the Panama Canal. And as NPR's Jackie Northam reports, its costing shipping companies
more.
The Panama Canal Authority says daily trends have increased more than 10 percent over the past
“two months, but the biggest change has been the types of vessels using the canal. The”
number of container ships has dipped slightly while the number of tankers carrying oil and liquefied natural gas has jumped 29 percent as they search for other options beyond the Strait of Hormuz. They are in last-minute reservations and have to use an auction system. In April, fees averaged $380,000, nearly six times higher than before the start of the Iran war.
The Panama Canal Authority says some vessels are paying more than a million dollars to cross. In a press release, the canal Authority said amid all the geopolitical complexities, the canal remains an open and reliable option for vessels. Jackie Northam, NPR News. The Democratic activist Denise Powell has been declared the winner of her party's primary
for Nebraska's second congressional district seat, that's according to the Associated
Press, Molly Ashford with Nebraska Public Media reports. Powell beat out a crowded field of Democrats, including her closest competitor, State Senator John Cavadonne, and an often-contentious race that saw an influx of outside spending. Powell left her watch party and looking towards November. "It is time now to really build the biggest British coalition that we can, with voters
of all stars and stripes all across the district." Powell will face off with Republican Brinker Harding in the general election. Democrats see
“the district as a key pickup opportunity to help them regain control of the house.”
Before NPR News, I'm Molly Ashford in Omaha, Nebraska. Later today, Oklahoma is scheduled to execute its second death row inmate this year, Raymond Johnson was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend and her infant daughter. This is NPR News. Japanese automaker Honda is reporting its first full-year loss in company history, citing President
Trump's tariffs and the high-cost subproducing electric vehicles on to says it lost $2.7 billion.
The automaker has scrap plans for many of its EV models, citing those high-production costs and declines in consumer demand. Honda says vehicle sales dropped for the fiscal year ending in March. Songs by Beyonce, Vince Gill and Paul Anker, being added to the national recording registry at the Library of Congress, here's NPR's Elizabeth Blair.
This year's editions span generations and genres. There's music by Spike Jones and his city selectors, Jose Feliciano, and the 1975 original cast album of Chicago. There's music from Shaka Khan, Taylor Swift, the video game doom, and wheezer. The Library of Congress says the registry preserves the defining sounds of American
history and culture. A spokesperson says even digitized music needs preserving to make sure it's compatible with digital formats a hundred years from now. Elizabeth Blair and PR News U.S. Postal Service has released special edition stamps featuring a bald eagle to help celebrate
America's 250th anniversary. They run veiled at the National Eagle Center in Minnesota. The bald eagle has been a national emblem since Congress adopted the great seal back in 1782. I'm Dave Maddingley in Washington. News shows new music, new movies, keeping up with pop culture sometimes feels like a full-time
job. Thankfully over at pop culture happy-hour, it's literally our job. We break down what's actually worth watching, listening to, and pretending you already knew about. So the next time someone says, "Did you see that?"
You can say, "Yeah, obviously." Follow NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.
