NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-13-2025 1AM EDT

Episode Date: August 13, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Roman. Some of the First National Guard troops have joined D.C. police and other federal law enforcement agencies patrolling D.C. streets one day after President Trump ordered a 30-day takeover of that city's police department. D.C.'s Mayor Muriel Bowser met Attorney General Pam Bondi Tuesday to discuss what the federal government's role will be and what the chain of command is expected in law enforcement. Meanwhile, D.C. residents are being asked how they feel having more officers in the city. Melissa Vasquez says she's worried the president's law and order campaign could carry racial overtones. I feel like there's been an increase of like almost like racial profiling and stuff.

So it's like, I guess it's concerning for, I think, individuals who I guess are just worried about how they might be perceived while they're going about their like day to day life. DC officials say they will cooperate with the White House, but they say that takeover is not necessary. They point to Justice Department numbers showing a 30-year decline in crime. After months of delay, the State Department has released its annual Human Rights Report on countries around the world. NPR's Graham Smith reports there are big changes. NPR obtained internal memos earlier this year detailing instructions on slashing the scope of the human rights reports, removing whole categories of violations and minimizing documentation of other abuses. Editors spent months deleting thousands of violations.

Among the changes seen in these new reports, gone are citations of poor prison conditions in El Salvador and government corruption in Hungary. Violations of freedom of assembly are no longer tracked in China. NPR analysis shows the new reports are two-thirds as long as previous iterations. Rights activists say these changes show the U.S. abandoning its position as a leading defender of human rights. Graham Smith, NPR News. An investigation is underway to determine what caused a deadly explosion at a U.S. steel plant near Pittsburgh Monday. Member station reporter W.E.S.A. Kyle Kosinski, Kylie Kousinski has more.

Investigators say Clarton Coke's crews were preparing two Coke batteries for routine maintenance before the explosion, which residents reported could be felt from two miles away. But U.S. Steel CEO, David Burritt offered few details during his latest press conference outside the plant, stressing that the investigation has just begun. We're not going to speculate. We're going to let the people do their work and support them in that important job. We will share as much as we can, as soon as we can. Local officials said the risk of air pollutants associated with the blast remains low.

Two workers were killed in the explosion and 10 others were hospitalized. For NPR News, I'm Kylie Kaczynski, in Perman. Pittsburgh. On Wall Street, the Dow, the NASDAQ, and the S&P, all in positive territory on Tuesday. This is NPR. Budget airliner spirit airlines, which just emerged from bankruptcy in March, says it may not continue to operate unless its financial results improve quickly. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the airline said it is taking immediate steps to improve its cash flow and liquidity. The airline says it's considering selling some airplanes, real estate or losing some airport gates to raise additional cast.

A tropical storm that is churning in the Atlantic Ocean off of the coast of Africa could become the first hurricane of the 2025 season. Forecasters expect Tropical Storm Erin to gain strength over the next couple of days. Here's NPR's Joe Hernandez. The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Erin could become a hurricane by late Thursday. The storm is on track to pick up wind speed and is quickly moving. west toward the Caribbean and the U.S. Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the northern Leeward Islands could see impacts

from the storm. Forecasters say it may also be felt on the east coast. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it expects to see an above-average Atlantic hurricane season in 2025. That's due in part to warmer ocean temperatures and weak wind shear. Joe Hernandez, NPR News. Police in Austin, Texas, say the man who shot and killed three people Monday in the parking lot of a Target store randomly picked his victims. A grandfather, his four-year-old granddaughter, and a target employee died in the gunfire.

The man is being held on three counts of murder. More charges could be filed. From Washington, you're listening to NPR News. Support for NPR.