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NPR News: 05-18-2026 5PM EDT

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>> Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Levy Casey.

President Trump has moved to abandon his $10 billion case against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns years ago.

NPR has carried Johnson reports, the settlement creates a path for the President's allies

to recover money from taxpayers. >> The Justice Department says the President will receive an apology but no direct financial payments. Instead, DOJ will create an anti-weaponization fund. On $1.7 billion to compensate people who were targeted by the Biden administration.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch says the machinery of government should never be weaponized

against Americans. Nearly 100 Democrats in Congress are trying to block the move. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts says the new pool of money is "corruption on steroids a slush fund to reward maga allies." Watchdogs warn the new fund could be used to reward people who riot at the U.S. Capitol nearly

five years ago, Kary Johnson and PR News, Washington. >> An American doctor is among the newly confirmed cases in an outbreak of Ebola in East Central Africa.

Dr. Satish Palai with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the doctor was working

in the area. >> I can now confirm that there's one case of Ebola in an American who's exposed as part of their work in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

>> The doctor developed symptoms over the weekend and tested positively Sunday, Palai says

he has been moved to Germany for treatment. The World Health Organization is calling the Ebola outbreak in the DNC and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern. So far there are 300 suspected cases with more than 118 deaths. The variant of Ebola is rare with no approved vaccines.

>> A during California today ruled that Elon Musk waited too long to file claims against open AI CEO Sam Altman, in a case that pitted two of the tech world's biggest personalities against each other. But as NPR's John Ruich reports, Musk's legal team says they will appeal. >> Musk accused Altman and others of reaching a charitable trust when they turned open AI into

a for-profit entity that's now worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

The artificial intelligence juggernaut was founded 11 years ago as a non-profit to benefit humanity.

Musk was there at the beginning, but left after disagreement.

The argued that Altman and Open AI President Greg Brockman jettisoned Open AI's founding mission and profited from the creation of its for-profit arm. The jury of nine people took less than two hours to decide that the case, which was filed in 2024, was outside the three-year statute of limitations. The judge in the case agreed and dismissed the claims immediately.

John Ruich and PR News Oakland, California Oil prices and stock markets worldwide swung with uncertainty today over questions about the Iran War, President Trump announced today that he will hold off on a military attack planned for tomorrow. The S&P 500 swivel between gains and losses throughout a shaky Monday. This is NPR News.

One of the biggest wellness trends on social media right now is all about encouraging people to boost the fiber in their diet. It's called fiber-maxing and as NPR as Maria Gadoi reports, this is one trend many health experts support with some caveats. Only about one in 10 Americans eat the recommended amount of fiber, which is about 25 to

38 grams a day. In these days, TikTok is filled with videos offering tips on adding fiber to meals. Think it nuts and seeds on yogurt or quinoa bowls topped with avocado. Hannah Holsher of the University of Illinois says, "It's about time fiber had its moment because there are a range of health benefits."

fiber helps reduce the risk of developing obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, especially colorectal cancer. She says, "Just go slow when ramping up on fiber, too much too soon can lead to bloating and gas and drink plenty of water." Maria Gadoi, NPR News.

It will be a messy and complicated commute home from many New Yorkers this evening. A strike has shut down the Long Island Railroad, which meant no service this morning and tonight. Negotiators failed to reach a deal in time for service to resume for this morning's rush hour, leaving 250,000 commuters to scramble for alternatives to North America's largest

commuter rail system. The strike began Saturday. Negotiations to end the action ran past 1 a.m. today before the participants called it a night for about six hours. The five unions, rubbing about half the railroads, work force, have resumed negotiations.

This is NPR. On Consider This, NPR's afternoon news podcast, we cover everything from politics to the economy to the world, but every story starts with a question. NPR, we stand for your right to be curious, to make sense of the biggest story of the day and what it means for you.

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