NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-06-2025 3AM EDT

Episode Date: August 6, 2025

NPR News: 08-06-2025 3AM EDTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Federal funding for public media has been eliminated, which means decades of support for public radio and television from both political parties is ending. To be clear, NPR isn't going anywhere, but we do need your support. We hope you'll give today to keep rigorous, independent, and irreplaceable news coverage available to everyone free of charge. Make your gift at donate.npr.org. And thank you. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan. The fight over the Texas congressional map could be spreading to other states. Illinois' Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker says he'll ask lawmakers to redraw that state's congressional districts in a move to counter the plan in Texas that would benefit Republicans.

Alex Degman from member station WBEZ reports. More than two dozen Democrats from the Texas State House fled to Illinois to try to deprive their legislature of a quorum and block it from passing new voting maps. They're typically redrawn at the start of the decade. but President Trump wants Texas to do it now for next year's election to pick up five new Republican seats in Congress. Pritzker says what Republicans are doing is cheating, but he might want to follow suit. There are no rules anymore, apparently. And so we're going to have to play by the set of rules that are being set out in front of us, which frankly, none of us believes is the right way

to operate. Pritzker was with several Texas lawmakers. Democrats outnumbered Republicans 14-3 in Illinois's House delegation with districts already drawn in their favor. For NPR news, I'm Alex Degman in Springfield. President Trump is eyeing candidates for the Federal Reserve who will lower interest rates. NPR's Franco Ordonez reports Trump says he's ruling out the Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessett. President Trump says he's narrowed the field of potential candidates to lead the Federal Reserve to about four people. He told CNBC that likely candidates include Director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hathett, and former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh.

Trump would not say who the remaining candidates are, but pointed out that Treasury Secretary Scott Besson is not one of them. Because I asked him just last night, is this something you want? Nope, I want to stay where I am. He actually said, I want to work with you. It's such an honor. I said, that's very nice. I appreciate that.

Jerome Powell is the current chair of the Federal Reserve. His term ends in May, and Trump has frequently attacked Powell for not lowering interest rates. It's Franco or Donias. NPR News, the White House. The manhunt continues in Montana for Michael Paul Brown. He's the 45-year-old suspect who, in the mass shooting in Anaconda, Montana that left four people dead. Montana's governor signed an executive order making more resources available to capture him. The Attorney General Austin Knutzen told reporters,

more than three dozen law enforcement agencies are now involved in the search. Without stating too much, I mean, I think the last concrete time we can say for sure he was seen was Friday. Now, there is certainly evidence in our search area that he's present and that, you know, we're hunting in the right haystack. The U.S. Marshal Service has increased the reward to $10,000 for any tip that leads to Brown's apprehension. This is NPR. Four European countries have agreed to buy more than $1 billion worth of U.S. weapons and send them to Ukraine. NPR's Greg Myrie reports it's part of a new arrangement that President Trump announced last month. The Netherlands says it will send American missiles and other components used in the U.S. Patriot Air Defense Systems.

In addition, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark say they've agreed to support a package of U.S. weapons as well. Ukraine's president, Volodomir Zelensky, announced the assistance in a social media post. He also said he had a productive conversation with President Trump, adding that the two countries coordinated their position on the war. Trump opposes more U.S. military aid for Ukraine, but he said in July that NATO countries can buy U.S. weapons and send them there. Greg Myrie, NPR News, Keeve. The president of Switzerland is scheduled to meet with the Trump administration official. concerning plans to impose steep tariffs on that country. The tariff 39% set to go into effect on Thursday. A former Miami Heat and NBA security officer who was a one-time Miami police officer

has been charged with selling stolen NBA jerseys and other memorabilia worth millions of dollars from the team's equipment room. 62-year-old Marcos Thomas Perez is accused of stealing more than 400 game-worn jerseys and other items. He was one of the few arena employees with access to the area for the team where they stored their equipment. One of the items stole and was an NBA jersey worn by LeBron James that was later sold at auction. This is NPR News. Congress has approved a White House request to eliminate federal funding for public media.

NPR remains committed to our mission of informing the public, increasing your understanding of the world and enriches. everyday life. But without federal funding, we are relying on your support now more than ever. Please give today at donate.mpr.org.