NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-09-2025 7AM EDT

Episode Date: August 9, 2025

NPR News: 08-09-2025 7AM EDTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Charles Snyder. Israel's plan to take over Gaza City is renewing international calls for an end to the conflict. Foreign ministers from the U.K., Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and Australia have released a joint statement, saying such a move would aggravate an already catastrophic situation in Gaza, and Pierre Zia Petrawe. The U.K., for example, called this the wrong decision. France said it couldn't support the move because it fuels escalation without offering real solutions. and Germany, Israel's second largest arm supplier after the U.S. announced today it would halt weapons sales to Israel that are used in the war in Gaza. But ultimately, it's President Trump's reaction

that carries the most weight. But we've seen him backing Netanyahu at every turn, even as he pushes for the release of hostages. Israel's security cabinet approved that plan yesterday. That includes taking control of Gaza City amid a worsening hunger crisis. President Trump says a ceasefire deal in Ukraine is close. He's announced on social media that he will meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week, and that a deal would involve an exchange of territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is warning against reaching a peace deal that excludes Ukraine. The police forces of several federal agencies have mobilized in Washington, D.C. after a former Trump administration staffer was badly beaten last week in an attempt to carjacking. After the incident,

Trump took to social media saying crime in the district is out of control, but as NPR's Meg Anderson reports, Crime in the city is actually falling. Motor vehicle theft in the district is at the same level it was at this time last year. That's according to preliminary data released this week from the Metropolitan Police Department. From 2023 to 2024, motor vehicle theft in the city fell by 25%. That decline is in line with a nationwide trend. Crime and violent crime in particular is falling. In Washington, D.C., homicides are down by more than 10% this year and robbery by almost 30%.

Like much of the country, D.C. saw a surge in crime in 2020. That continued in the district until 23. In 2024, local lawmakers passed a far-reaching bill aimed at improving public safety in the city. Meg Anderson, NPR News. Despite a new round of higher tariffs, the stock markets rallied this week. Here's NPR Scott Horsley. Earlier this year, investors dumped stocks every time President Trump tried to raise tariffs, a warning sign that often prompted the president to back down. But this one, week, investors seemed to shrug off the higher import taxes, even as the average tariff on imported products jumped to around 18%. That's about seven and a half times what importers had to pay at the

beginning of the year before Trump returned to the White House. Warnings that the new tariffs will lead to higher prices and slower economic growth did little to dampen the market rally. For the week, the Dow gained one and a third percent. The S&P 500 index jumped 2.4 percent, and the NASDAQ soared nearly 3.9 percent. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. And you're listening to NPR News. Firefighters are said to be making progress in the battle against a brush fire in the mountains north of Los Angeles. Officials say the canyon fire in Ventura and L.A. counties is now roughly 28% contained. In Greece, officials say a wildfire on the outskirts of Athens has been contained, but firefighters remain on alert in France.

Residents are being allowed to return home after evacuating in the face of the country's largest wildfire in decades. A preseason football game between the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions was suspended in the fourth quarter last night after a player was seriously injured. From member station WABE in Atlanta, Alex Helmick has more. Lion's safety, Maurice Norris Jr. was hurt trying to make a tackle on a falcons running back. He took a hard hit to his head and neck area. As he laid motionless on the ground with medical staff attending to him, players from both sides knelt around Norris before he was taken by ambulance to a nearby Atlanta hospital. hospital. The preseason game was not resumed. Here's Lions head coach Dan Campbell after the game giving an update on Norris. He's breathing, you know, he's breathing, he's talking. It's good. He's got

some movement, so, and now they're running more tests. Campbell said he and Falcons coach Rahim Morris agreed not to resume the game after Norris's injury. For NPR news, I'm Alex Helmick in Atlanta. The southern Japanese city of Nagasaki marked today's 80th anniversary. of the U.S. atomic bomb attack that killed tens of thousands and destroyed the city, representatives from more than 90 countries attended a memorial event at the city's peace park. I'm Jail Snyder. This is NPR News.