CBS Evening News, 05/23/25
26:22 Share

Another app for inventory. One for CRM. Oh, don't forget accounting. Wait, which login was that? Or you could use Odoo, one fully integrated system that does it all without the hassle. Ditch the app overload. Get everything your business needs on one platform. Try Odoo free today at Odoo.com. That's O-D-O-O dot com.

This episode is brought to you by WorldID. Ever missed out on concert tickets because of bots? WorldID is a digital identity that anonymously proves you are a unique human online. It's like a priority lane for humans in the age of AI. You can easily and privately prove you are a human online and access things only humans should, like event tickets, dating apps, financial services, and video games. Join millions of humans across more than 160 countries and get your free WorldID by visiting world.org.

From CBS News headquarters in New York, this is the CBS Evening News.

Good evening. I'm Maurice Dubois. John Dickerson is off tonight. Just when it appeared that tariff tensions were easing, President Trump reignited his trade war today. He threatened a 50 percent tax on all goods sent to the United States from the European Union, one of America's top trading partners. The president also threatened to impose a tariff of at least 25 percent on iPhones not made in the U.S.,

The news upset more than the Apple cart. All three major stock indexes were down today. Apple is the nation's largest, third largest company, that is. At least 80% of iPhones are made in China. The company has been exploring the possibility of expanding production in India, which apparently stirred the president's ire. We have both fronts in the trade war covered. Elizabeth Palmer is in London with a European reaction. Nancy Cordes at the White House has the first bite of the Apple tonight. Good evening, Nancy.

Good evening, Maurice. You know, President Trump has long argued that his tariffs are meant to help U.S. businesses. But today he admitted that those businesses are sometimes paying the price. And yet he is now vowing to hit Apple and by extension its customers with a hefty new tax.

Trump's threat came, as many of his do, in the form of an early morning online post. He said if Apple doesn't start making iPhones in the U.S., he'll hit them with a 25 percent tariff starting this summer. Do you have the power to tariff one single company? It would be more. It would be also Samsung and anybody that makes that product. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair.

It's unclear what exactly set Trump off. Apple CEO Tim Cook had already vowed to invest $500 billion in new U.S. plants and workers over the next four years. But according to one estimate, moving all production to the U.S. would drive the cost of an iPhone, like the one that went off on Trump's desk today, up from $1,000 to $3,500.

And that's assuming Apple could find enough U.S. workers with the skills to make them, as Cook explained on 60 Minutes 10 years ago. You could take every tool and die maker in the United States and probably put them in the room they were currently sitting in.

In China, you would have to have multiple football fields. Apple is not Trump's only corporate target. He also lashed out at Walmart when it announced that it would have to raise some prices due to Trump's high tariffs on Chinese goods. When you say that Walmart should eat the cost of the tariffs, is that an acknowledgement that it is U.S. companies that bear the brunt of tariffs, not foreign countries? Sometimes the country will eat it, sometimes Walmart will eat it.

Sometimes there'll be something to pay, something extra. Why impose tariffs that you know are hurting American businesses? They're not hurting, they're helping because they're creating jobs in America. We're creating tremendous amounts of jobs in America like you've never seen. We're doing a very special thing. It was not a special day for Apple stock, which fell 3% in the wake of Trump's threat. Now, with a view from Europe, here's Elizabeth Palmer.

President Trump's post sent European markets plunging. It's almost eight weeks since Trump's so-called Liberation Day, when he threatened Europe with punishing tariffs. Then he backed off and negotiators started serious work on a trade deal. So today's new threat has Europeans confused and exasperated.

Take Vincent Dampf, a fourth generation French winemaker who sells 30% of his product to Americans. You've enjoyed a good and stable relationship with your buyers in the States until now? Yep.

very, very good. But like any European doing business with the U.S. now, DAF is reeling from Trump's wild tariff threats. This spring, President Trump kept changing his mind on tariffs on French wine. First, it was going to be a catastrophic 200 percent. That became 20 percent. And he finally decided

on 10%. Until today, when it's back up to 50. Dampf wants to keep supplying Americans with the Chablis they love to drink. But it's tough to make investment and sales plans with this kind of tariff chaos. So it's a...

It's really something that I dislike because we have already enough unpredictability in the work we are doing. And Europeans who since World War II regarded America as a great friend are wondering what happened to turn it into a frenemy. So Liz, with all this in mind, what do Europeans see as the way forward here?

Well, the European trade negotiators heard Scott Besant, the Treasury Secretary, say today that the 50 percent tariff threat was meant to light a fire under them. That has put pressure on the negotiations. And they were blindsided because they thought things were going pretty well. The only way really forward for them is to get back to work next week.

and talk and deal and hope that President Trump changes his mind before the end of the month. Yeah, so much on the line here. Liz, can you remind us what goods we're talking about here as people might have not remembered?

Well, yes, besides things that people might think of right away, wine, perfume, leather goods, things like that, there are serious items, planes, trains, electronics, chemicals, and more than a billion dollars worth of crucial pharmaceuticals. Okay. Liz Palmer in London tonight. Thanks so much.

The Memorial Day weekend is off to a record-setting start at the nation's airports. The TSA says more than 2.9 million people passed through checkpoints yesterday, making it the fourth busiest day in the agency's history. 18 million people are expected to be screened over the holiday weekend, and senior transportation correspondent Chris Van Cleave spoke with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy about their concerns.

I have faith in air travel. America should too. But I think if you're an American and you're seeing the cracks that I'm now seeing, you'd be angry to go, I thought my government takes care of me. I thought the government sees these problems and without me even knowing, they fix them.

And they didn't fix them. And so now it's going to take us some time, whether it's the air traffic controller piece or it's the air traffic control system piece. It takes us time to fix it. Is air traffic control, the aviation system, ready for Memorial Day weekend and this surge of people this summer? Well, listen, you've seen what's happened in Newark. We're seeing a few cracks or...

age in the system, right? We're seeing some of that. But yeah, listen, it's ready. I think we all have to be really patient, though, as we go through airports. And if you have that delay, I mean, don't be a jerk. Let's all get along. Let's all be nice. But I think people worry that they've heard about what's happened at Newark. There's been an incident in Colorado where there was a

a blip these are all short-lived but folks start worrying is this going to happen when i go to my flight in fill in the blank city yeah so listen we've been having the blips for some time right in after dca and after newark it gets a lot more attention so people think it's happening a lot more but the key is it is showing its age how big of a test is this summer which

could be a record again for the air system and air traffic control. So we are going to have, I think, historic flights, the biggest summer that we've had in American history. It's going to stress the system. And do I think it's going to be safe? Of course. We're going to get Newark fixed. But are you going to see some disruption in regard to delays? Yeah, you're going to see delays. Is it safe? Yes.

That was Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy with our Chris Van Cleave. Now more of the top stories from around the world in tonight's Evening News Roundup. In San Diego, the National Transportation Safety Board shed some lights on the deadly crash of a business jet early yesterday. Investigators say not only did the plane hit a power line while trying to land in dense fog, but the lights on the assigned runway were out of service. Six passengers were on board. None of them survived.

We are learning more about the Chicago man charged with gunning down two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington. The 31-year-old suspect appears to have posted a message online an hour after the murders, calling for action over the war in Gaza. A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from ending Harvard's ability to accept international students. It's the second time in just over a month the university has sought relief from the White House in court.

And Billy Joel has canceled all concerts for a year after being diagnosed with a brain condition. It is known as normal pressure hydrocephalus. And a post on Joel's social media account says it was exacerbated by his recent concert appearances.

We're joined by CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. John LaPook. So John, a lot of us have never even heard of this. What exactly is it? Maurice, it's called normal pressure hydrocephalus. Now, normally there's a clear fluid that bathes the brain and the spine. And if that increases abnormally, it can build up in these chambers called ventricles that are in the brain. And you can imagine that if it enlarges, they can put pressure on normal brain tissue and cause typical symptoms, which are trouble thinking, trouble walking,

and trouble with urinary incontinence. Now, you don't have to have all three of those things. And so you have to have a very high level of suspicion about, you know, is this happening? And there are lots of other things that can cause it. Ultimately, you have to really think, gee, this could be happening insidiously. And you do an MRI, which is a brain scan, and you say, oh, boy, these are enlarged. We better look into this further.

This all sounds very serious, is it? And what causes this? Yeah, it can be serious. I just spoke to a neurologist who told me, you know what? It's generally in people who are older. It may be some past brain trauma like infection or bleeding, but usually it just comes out of the blue and we really don't know why. Got to pay attention. So what about the treatment here? What's that look like? Coincidentally, I had a patient who came into my office last week. He gave me permission to say this in his 70s and he had these typical symptoms.

And he was treated by removing fluid from those ventricles and it decreased. It was a surgical procedure and now he's feeling perfectly fine. That's a really good sign. All right. Dr. John LaPook, thanks so much.

Still ahead here on the CBS Evening News, the Memorial Day weather forecast. It includes the threat of flash floods. And we'll have these stories. I'm Steve Hartman. Graduating at 79 is quite an accomplishment. But what's even more impressive is why he did it. The story when we go on the road to Orangeburg, South Carolina.

And I'm Margaret Brennan with a bipartisan effort to honor the fallen. That's next on the CBS Evening News.

Your gut affects everything, even your mood. So Oli created two brand new products to take care of your insides. Oli Big Ten Probiotic has 10 strains of probiotics, their most ever, to support a healthy gut microbiome, immune system, and stress response. And Oli Super Good Superfoods delivers 15 superfoods in tasty gummy form. Find them at Oli.com and exclusively at Walmart. Oli! These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Summer's heating up, but the savings are cooling off. It's your last chance to shop Blinds.com's Memorial Day Mega Deals. Blinds.com invented a better way to shop for window treatments, completely online with upfront pricing. No showroom markups, no salespeople in your home. Choose from classic shutters to outdoor shades and more, all backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee.

It's your last chance to shop Blinds.com's Memorial Day mega deals. Save up to 50% with minimum purchase, plus a free measure. Blinds.com. Rules and restrictions may apply. The sharp political differences in Washington are well documented. Far less so are the moments when the two major parties come together. Margaret Brennan tells us about a congressional tradition where lawmakers put aside dissent and embrace the reflective spirit of the Memorial Day holiday.

In the early morning rain, a group of congressmen, some still in suits after an all-night voting session, cleaned the memorial to the 58,000 Americans killed in the Vietnam War. The group calls itself "4 Country." It's their fourth year washing the wall.

Jack Bergman, a retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General, is one of only three Vietnam veterans left in Congress. What are you thinking when you are washing the wall? I am thinking that I am touching every person whose name that my brush passes and in some ways thanking them, but more importantly, remembering them to the American public.

In specific, I was thinking of two guys. Barry Mott, Marine corporal, killed in Vietnam a month before rotating back. Barry and I grew up together as little boys. Swam together in the local creek. And the other one I came to visit was Joel Sandberg. Joel and I went to college together. He was from Connecticut. Naval aviator, died in an OV-10 crash. For the longest time, I came here alone. But now in this new role,

I believe it's important for me to set the example for the American people to see broader that we're here by God's grace and never forget. What would you want Americans to think of this Memorial Day? Think about you're in an airport and there's a family there and they got young kids and they see someone in uniform and the parents might say, go thank that person for their service. I think the better phrase is they should say, thank you for our freedom. Freedom.

that comes at a cost. Margaret Brennan, CBS News, Washington. We cannot thank them enough. Now let's check the holiday weekend weather forecast, which includes frosty temperatures in the northeast and the threat of flooding in the south. CBS News meteorologist John Elliott is here tonight to fill us in. John.

Hey, hi, Maurice. Hi, everybody. We do have some pretty wild weather variety. In fact, parts of upstate New York and New England. Highs tomorrow just in the 40s. Austin, Texas, Phoenix, you're going to be closer to 100. Now, for New York, where Fleet Week is going on, down to Baltimore, Philly, D.C., better day by day. That's the inverse for the southeast. Rain takes over. Brighter color here indicating the possibility of convection and heavy rain. The west is clearly the best. I hope you have a great weekend from San Diego to San Francisco.

Futurecast modeling now shows, first off, the storms in the south central U.S. You're going to see more rain in parts of the southeast, and then we're going to get a break, and then we're going to charge it up again. You don't get much of a break. Brighter colors indicating more rain. Real quick snapshot and a great way to tell the story. This is an output map. These brighter colors here for parts of Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas indicating the best chances, unfortunately, for flooding. John, you say rain. How much rain are we talking about?

Maurice, this is shocking because they don't need it. We could see over six inches of rain. And real quickly, the areas that are going to be dealing with the potential for flooding next week, you're going to be dealing with temperatures well below normal. So that's some real challenging weather. Make sure you stay weather aware. All right, John Elliott, thank you so much. Steve Hartman is next with a lesson about honor and sacrifice from a 79-year-old who just graduated college. Put us in a box.

go ahead. That just gives us something to break out of. Because the next generation 2025 GMC Terrain Elevation is raising the standard of what comes standard. As far as expectations go, why meet them when you can shatter them? What we choose to challenge, we challenge completely. We are professional grade. Visit GMC.com to learn more.

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop. With Mint, you can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment.

Anyway, give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch.

This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. Not everyone is careful with your personal information, which might explain why there's a victim of identity theft every five seconds in the U.S. Fortunately, there's LifeLock. LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity. If your identity is stolen, a U.S.-based restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year by visiting LifeLock.com slash podcast. Terms apply.

There are many reasons why people might pursue a college degree later in life, including career growth or simply a thirst for knowledge. Steve Hartman is on the road tonight with a story of a recent graduate who was inspired by the desire to honor. 79-year-old Linwood Riddick of New York could have spent his golden years here in Somerville, South Carolina, tickling the ivories or whatever else tickled his fancy.

But instead, this retired shop owner has spent the last six years poring over textbooks and dragging himself to class here at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, relentless in his pursuit of a college education. I just stepped on the accelerator and didn't stop. And didn't stop. I was determined to complete what I started. To understand why it mattered so, you need to go back to 1968.

Protests against segregation were erupting across the country. One of the deadliest at South Carolina State, where three unarmed black students were shot and killed by police in what became known as the Orangeburg Massacre. Like many of us, Linwood Riddick had never heard of the Orangeburg Massacre until a few years ago when he stumbled on this campus memorial. And he says he knew right then what he had to do. I said, you know, I'm coming here.

I'm coming here. Why? Because I want to put my contributions to their sacrifice. And when I get my degree, it's going to be in their name. In his mind, he was completing their mission. University President Alexander Conyers. He started here in 2019 with zero credits, you know, driving from Somerville every day, which is almost an hour, to class and back home.

That patience and persistence earned him a bachelor's degree in music industry. Linward James Reddick. Earlier this month, he walked across the stage to a standing ovation. But the more important walk was yet to come. One done alone, without any pomp or circumstance. I've been here six years. We connected. With me graduating, you graduated. Thank you, brothers.

And with that, Linwood Riddick's mission was complete. And although it started as a symbolic gesture, President Conyers says it'll have a very real impact. Mr. Riddick has brought this back to the forefront for this university, for this community, for this state to remind us of our solemn duty to never forget. Bachelors in Music, Master of History.

Steve Hartman, On The Road, in Orangeburg, South Carolina. We end tonight with a story of a man from Norway who was no longer waiting for his ship to come in. Have a look at what Johan Helberg awoke to yesterday at his seaside cottage, the massive nose of a cargo ship, one and a half football fields long. It ran aground in his yard, plowing to a halt about 15 feet from his bedroom.

A neighbor saw the ship steaming towards the shore and made a futile attempt to stop it. You need not speak Norwegian to, you know, catch his drift.

The ship registered in Cyprus had 16 crew members on board. Nobody was hurt. The ship's watchman, though, admitted he fell asleep. Johan Helberg, meantime, is hoping his new lawn ornament can be hauled away at the next high tide.

Tough break there. That is the CBS Evening News for this Friday. I'm Maurice Dubois. We'll see you soon on CBS Evening News Plus, streaming on CBS News 24-7. Have a good night and a great weekend. Now streaming. Hi again. TV's quirkiest crime solver. I'm Elsbeth Tassini. I work with the police. It's on the case. I like my outlandish theories with a heavy dose of evidence.

And ready to go toe-to-toe with a cavalcade of guest stars. Are you saying that this is now a murder investigation? It's starting to look that way. Don't miss a moment of the critically acclaimed hit, Elspeth. All episodes now streaming on Paramount Plus and return CBS Fall. That sounds like fun. Obviously, murder's not fun. ♪

Survivor 48 is here and alongside it, we're bringing you a brand new season of On Fire, the only official Survivor podcast. If you're a Survivor super fan, you won't want to miss this deep dive into every episode where we break down how we design the game, the biggest moves, your burning questions. It's the only podcast that gives you inside access to Survivor that nobody else can. Listen to On Fire, the official Survivor podcast with me, Jeff Probst, every Wednesday after the show, wherever you get your podcasts.