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

Episode Date: August 9, 2025

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Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Doa Lise, Kowtel. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are confirmed to meet in Alaska next Friday to discuss terms aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Trump has been pushing to end fighting there since he took office. Nina Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at the New School in New York, says a deal may be difficult to come by. We know that the deal is that Putin wants the... whole of Danyetsk region, which was originally the beginning of this conflict in 2014.

But Ukraine still has 25% of that territory. So will Ukraine be willing to get out of this territory and basically give it to Putin without him invading it? Ukraine's president is not scheduled to attend the summit. Today he rejected President Trump's idea that there could be some, quote, swapping of territories. Zelensky added any decisions made against us. decisions without Ukraine are at the same time decisions against peace. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth retweeted and praised a video of a Christian Nationalist pastor who doesn't think women should vote.

More on this from NPR's Julia Simon. The video that Secretary Hegseth retweeted is a CNN interview with Doug Wilson, the leader of an influential Christian nationalist church in Idaho. Wilson's views on the role of women aren't confined to voting. In the CNN interview, Wilson says, Women are the kind of people that people come out of. In an emailed statement to NPR, Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Pernel says Hegeseth is, quote,

a proud member of a church affiliated with a congregation of reformed evangelical churches, which was founded by Pastor Doug Wilson. The secretary very much appreciates many of Mr. Wilson's writings and teachings. In his retweet of the Wilson interview, the U.S. Secretary of Defense wrote, quote, all of Christ for all of life. Julia Simon and Pierre News. The Texas Rangers have released a formal list of people lost in the July 4th flood in Kerr County. Texas Public Radio's Jerry Clayton reports.

The list contains the names and ages of 117 people who died and two who remained missing. In a joint statement, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring and Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said the names were not new to their community, calling them family, friends, and neighbors. They also thank the first responders and those who are still supporting recovery efforts. The catastrophic flooding event happened in the Hill Country region in the early morning hours of July 4th, taking the lives of at least 135 people. Among the dead were 27 young campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, a popular summer camp along the Guadalupe River. I'm Jerry Clayton and San Antonio. Michigan's governor met privately with President Trump to urge him to change course on tariffs.

You're listening to NPR News from New York. Jen Powell is making history in the field of baseball today. The first woman to umpire a regular season MLB game, three, in fact, during this weekend's Marlins' Brave Series in Atlanta, the 48-year-old from New Jersey, says umpiring is in her DNA, and she's focused on getting the calls right. The co-owner of several President Donald Trump-themed Houston area burger restaurants is facing deportation proceedings. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Houston Public Media's Kyle McClinigan reports. According to ICE, 28-year-old Roland Biani is an immigrant from Lebanon who overstayed his visa. ICE arrested him in May, and he is currently out on bond awaiting his immigration proceedings.

Bianney opened his first Trump burger restaurant in 2020 during the president's first term. Each location features decor, menu items, and merchandise themed around Trump. An ICE official said the department would enforce immigration laws, quote, regardless of what restaurant you own or political beliefs you may have. Biani's attorney declined to comment. I'm Kyle McClintigan in Houston. U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy is hosting Vice President J.D. Vance at his home near London today. They are attending a security meeting with other officials with a focus on ending the war in Ukraine.

Russia confirmed its president Vladimir Putin will meet with President Donald Trump in Alaska. But that meeting, of course, is said to take place without Ukraine's president, Volodymy Zelensky. Zelenskyy says Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier. I'm Dwa Lisa Kautel, NPR News in New York.