NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-13-2025 5AM EDT

Episode Date: August 13, 2025

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There's a lot of news happening. You want to understand it better, but let's be honest, you don't want it to be your entire life either. Well, that's sort of like our show, here and now anytime. Every weekday on our podcast, we talk to people all over the country about everything from political analysis to climate resilience, video games. We even talk about dumpster diving on this show. Check out Here and Now Anytime, a daily podcast from NPR and WBUR.

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingley. The White House is downplaying expectations for this week's summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. They're scheduled to meet Friday in Alaska to discuss ending Russia's war with Ukraine. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt says a peace agreement is unlikely to be reached at the meeting with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, not attending. She describes the talks as a listening exercise for Trump to get a better understanding of what it will take to bring that war to another.

end. A court hearing in Miami is scheduled to resume today in a lawsuit that seeks to temporarily shut down an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades. As NPR's Greg Allen reports, the Trump administration and state officials have been unable to clarify details about the facility, and that's left a federal judge frustrated. Several times during the three days of hearings, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams has asked, who's running the show at the detention Center dubbed alligator alcatraz. It's a question that lawyers for Florida and the Trump administration have avoided answering directly. Environmental groups cite comments by Trump administration officials that it's an immigration and customs enforcement facility.

Lawyers for Florida say it's a state detention center operating under ICE authority, but couldn't tell the judge who actually is in charge at the site. The plaintiffs say it's rust construction without public input or an environmental impact assessment violate federal law, and they're asking the judge to shut it down. Greg Allen, NPR News. A federal judge in California is ordering the Trump administration to reinstate millions of dollars in science research funding to UCLA. Steve Futterman has more from Los Angeles. The order comes as the White House is involved in a huge battle with UCLA. The administration is trying to block around 800 federal grants totaling more than a half billion dollars.

This order involves around a third of those programs, specifically those tied to the national science. Foundation. Judge Rita Lynn had previously issued an order preventing termination of the programs. The administration tried to find a way around it. Rather than calling it a termination, Justice Department attorneys call it a suspension. The judge said it was essentially the same thing. The Justice Department, of course, could appeal for the moment it's been ordered to show the court next week what progress has been made to restore the grants. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. Pfizer says the Food and Drug Administration may withdraw its authorization of the company's

COVID-19 vaccine for very young children. It's been made available to children ages six months to four years under an emergency use authorization. Pfizer says the FDA is now advising the company it may not be renewed. Very young children are at risk for serious complications. This is NPR News. Wall Street is coming off a day of sharp gains and record high closes for the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ. The Dow, the S&P, and the NASDAQ each gain more than 1% yesterday.

Economists say investors were encouraged by the Labor Department's report on consumer prices in the U.S. It showed prices in July were up 2.7% as compared to the same month one year ago, matching the annual inflation rate scene in June. investors are growing more confident the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates at its September meeting. A tropical storm in the Atlantic is expected to strengthen into a hurricane sometime tomorrow. As NPR's Joe Hernandez reports, Aaron currently has top sustained winds of 45 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Erin 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 Leward 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. Erin would be the first hurricane of this year's Atlantic hurricane season. Typhoon Potal made landfall today in Taiwan where schools and government offices are closed.

That storm has delayed or canceled a number of airline flights. I'm Dave Mattingly, NPR News, in Washington. I'm Rachel Martin, host of Wildcard from NPR. I've spent years interviewing all kinds of people. And I've realized there are ideas that we all think about, but don't talk about very much. So I made a shortcut, a deck of cards with questions. that anyone can answer questions that go deep into the experiences that shape us. Listen to the Wild Card podcast only from NPR.