Usaamah Rahim was planning to behead someone outside of Massachusetts, but changed his plan at the last minute to killing police in Massachusetts, according to a nephew David. Police showed video to community leaders today, hoping to prove that Rahim was shot while running at police with a knife, not in the back as had been claimed. His alleged co-conspirator David Wright has been held without bail. The FBI says he also conspired to obstruct justice by telling Rahim to destroy his phone before the attack. Authorities are not naming a third person they say was also involved in a Rhode Island meeting about the plot. The FBI has been on the scene investigating a Warwick, Rhode Island home. Tovia Smith, NPR News, Boston. 

 

President Obama is making another big push for Congress to pass fast-track trade authority. As NPR’s Tamara Keith reports, he’s trying to win over House Democrats. 

President Obama did a flurry of interviews with local TV from Texas, California and Washington State. The goal? To provide cover for Democratic lawmakers who have already committed to support fast-track trade authority and to try to persuade others. The fast-track authority would help President Obama seal the deal on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Speaking to Kai Ryssdal, host of Market Place for APM, Obama said the deal has China’s attention. 

“They’ve already started putting out feelers about the possibilities of them participating at some point to you, to us, to Jack Lew, the treasury secretary.” 

At this point, it’s unclear whether the fast-track trade bill has the votes to pass the House. Tamara Keith, NPR News, the White House.

 

Another Democratic challenger for the White House, former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee announcing today:

“I enjoy challenges and certainly we have many facing America. Today I’m formally entering the race for the Democratic nomination for president. Thank you.”

Outlining education, infrastructure, healthcare and a strong middle class as his priorities, started out as a Republican, briefly switching to independent before becoming a Democrat, he joins three other candidates vying for the party’s nomination—former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. 

 

The US trade gap down sharply last month, as exports posted a modest gain while imports fell. The Commerce Department says the April deficit fell 19.2% to nearly $41bn after surging in March to its highest level since late 2008. 

 

Wall Street was higher by the closing bell today. The Dow up 64. The Nasdaq up 22. 

 

This is NPR.

 

The most powerful machine in the world for smashing bits of atoms together is now back in business today. NPR’s Nell Greenfieldboyce reports that this collider wasn’t doing science for over two years. 

The Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland is truly large. Its underground racetrack for subatomic particles is 17 miles around. In 2012 physicists announced that the multi-billion dollar machine had made its first big breakthrough—confirmation of the long theorized takes bones on particle. But soon after that the collider was shut down for maintenance and repairs. Scientists gathered in control rooms full of computer screens to applaud as the collider came back on line, and champagne corks were popping because now it will have even more powerful collisions than during its first three-year run, and higher energy collisions will let physicists look for even more mysterious particles. Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR News. 

 

The cruise ship that capsized on China’s Yangtze River amidst a storm with more than 450 people on board had been cited for safety violations two years ago. That’s according to maritime agency records. More than 400 people are still unaccounted for and crews are still working to get to people who might be trapped and then also recover the victims. The ship’s captain and chief engineer, both among the few survivors, have been detained. That ship was hit by what Chinese officials are now saying was a tornado and that vessel wasn’t designed to withstand that kind of wind strength. 

 

Crude oil prices were lower by the closing bell, losing $1.62. That’s more than 2.5%, ending at $59. 64 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. 

 

This is NPR News.