NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-08-2025 3PM EDT

Episode Date: August 8, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The Texas House of Representatives has again tried to convene to hold a redistricting vote, as heard here through the Associated Press, but as the state speaker noted, Democrats were still absent. There being 95 members' presence, a quorum is not present. Dozens of Democratic lawmakers left Texas Sunday. To block a vote on redrawing the state's congressional map ahead of next year's mid-term. term elections. Gene Wu, the chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, spoke to NPR from Chicago. Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton have no power outside of the state. If they follow the law, the FBI, President Trump, has no power to intervene in something that they do not

have jurisdiction to intervene in. That's assuming that they follow the law. State Republican leaders threatened to take legal action to force Democrats back to Texas. President Trump has said the GOP is entitled to pick up five seats in Texas. Israel's security cabinet has approved a plan to expand the war in Gaza and take control of Gaza City. It's one of the last areas of the territory not already under Israeli control. Public opinion inside Israel is divided over whether to end the war, but this decision has prompted criticism from human rights groups and some of Israel's closest allies. And PR's Lauren Freire has more from London.

British Prime Minister Kier Starmar says Israel's decision to take over Gaza is wrong and will only bring more bloodshed. In a statement from his office, Starmor says he's urging the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reconsider, saying the prospect of peace is, quote, vanishing before our eyes. Polos show Britons are increasingly critical of Israel's actions in Gaza. Starrmer plans to recognize a Palestinian state next month if Israel does not agree to a ceasefire in other conditions. All of this is likely to be on the agenda as the British Foreign Secretary David Lammy hosts Vice President J.D. Vance at his country estate near London this weekend. Lauren Freyer, NPR News, London. Trump's hosting the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House.

Here's NPR's Frank Ordonez. The leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia will agree to a, quote, roadmap for peace at a White House ceremony. The agreement will include commercial plans with the United States and start talks on developing a trade corridor. which will be called the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity. White House officials say the corridor would reduce Russian, Chinese, and Iranian influence in the region. The two former Soviet republics had fought over a disputed territory of Azerbaijan since the late 1980s. Two years ago, Azerbaijan launched an offensive in the region that caused tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians to flee.

A ceasefire later that year averted a wider war, while the country is. continued peace talks. That's Franco Ordonez. It's NPR News. A federal appeals court has tossed out a judge's criminal contempt finding against the Trump administration over deportations to a notorious prison in El Salvador. The decision from a divided three-judge appeals court panel in Washington, D.C., vacates an earlier finding from U.S. District Judge James Boseberg. Bosberg ruled in April there was probable cause. to hold the administration in criminal contempt of court. He'd vowed to hold officials accountable for allegedly violating his order in the high-profile immigration case. NASA is exhilarating

plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. NPR's Sean DeLeste Esther reports some researchers believe it's time, but others worry about the cost. A new directive from acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy calls for development of a nuclear reactor for the moon by 2030. Roger Myers is a space nuclear power expert. He says that nuclear power is the only option for astronauts facing two-week-long lunar night time. The sun and batteries does not work. We're going to have to have nuclear power. Myers applauds the decision to accelerate the nuclear power program.

But Katie Huff of the University of Illinois is worried the moon reactor will come at the cost of other important work. Earth science, climate observation, space-based, weather forecasting, all the kinds of things that NASA does in a public-serving way for our day-to-day needs. The Trump administration has proposed slashing those programs in next year's budget. Shandalee's Duster, NPR News. So that is up 224 points. It's NPR. Listen to this podcast, sponsor-free on Amazon Music, with a prime membership, or any podcast app, by subscribing to NPR NewsNow Plus at plus.npr.org.

That's plus.npr.org.