NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-13-2025 7PM EDT

Episode Date: August 13, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. European leaders held emergency talks with President Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky today. NPR's Rob Schmidt's reports the calls come two days before Trump is set to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine. At a press conference in Berlin, Zelensky said he told President Trump that before any negotiation on a path to peace in Ukraine, Russia must first agree to a ceasefire and security guarantees. He said Trump voiced his support for this idea. President Trump is scheduled to meet one-on-one with Putin in Alaska on Friday to discuss an end to the war. German Chancellor Friedrichs told reporters he and his European colleagues told Trump,

Ukraine is prepared to negotiate on territorial issues, but legal recognition of Russian occupation is not up for debate. Whether Putin agrees to any of this is an open question. Rapshitz, then Pernier. Berlin. A key voting block that helped get President Trump re-elected last year is starting to back away from him and the Republican Party. NPR's Ashley Lopez reports new polling shows a third of Latino voters who supported Trump don't plan on voting for Republicans next year. Caitlin Jerry with the Latino polling group Eki's research found that economic issues like persistently high prices on groceries and health care are driving Latinos shift away from Trump. But so far, she says, it hasn't translated into more support for Democrats.

To me, it's clear that neither party should assume that they have Latinos in their pocket one way or another. Republicans have failed to deliver on a lot of their campaign promises, particularly around lowering the cost of living. Jury said if Republicans want to keep gains among these voters, they need to deliver on those promises. And if Democrats want to take advantage of this opportunity, she says, they need to provide a sweeping economic vision ahead of next year's midterm elections.

Ashley Lopez, NPR News. Harvey Weinstein appeared in court in Manhattan today. NPR's Chloe Weiner reports, New York prosecutors want to try the disgraced movie mogul for rape for a third time. In June, Weinstein was convicted of criminal sexual assault, but found not guilty of another charge. And he hasn't been sentenced yet because a third charge of rape ended in a mistrial. Prosecutors now say they're ready to move forward with a retrial for that charge of rape in the third degree. Outside the court, an attorney for Weinstein told reporters Weinstein doesn't want to pursue a plea deal, adding Weinstein, quote, doesn't want the word rape associated with him, end quote. A judge said that if a retrial does happen, it'll be this year.

It could be Weinstein's third time on trial for allegations from former actress Jessica Mann. His conviction in 2020 was thrown out last year on procedural grounds. Chloe Weiner and PR News, New York. This is NPR News in Washington. A new study finds that reindeer, yes, the deer of Christmas fame, are in trouble. NPR's Nate Roth reports, climate change is to blame. You don't need to be all that well-versed in Christmas lore to know that reindeer, or caribou, as they're also called, prefer colder climates. Human activities, though, chiefly the burning of fossil fuels are warming the planet and making their habitat in the Arctic less so.

suitable. The new study published in the journal Science advances warns that without dramatic reductions and climate warming emissions, reindeer populations could drop by nearly 60 percent by the end of the century. North American reindeer, an important food source for other wildlife and for some indigenous groups, could drop by 80 percent. The loss, the researchers say, would affect both people and the broader tundra ecosystem. Nate Roth, NPR News. President Trump announced today that he will personally host this year's Kennedy Center honors a noteworthy break from tradition. Trump says this year's honorees include actor Sylvester Stallone, country legend, George Strait, disco icon, Gloria Gaynor, the rock band Chris, Kiss, and actor Michael Crawford.

Trump said he was 98% involved in selecting the honorees, rejecting those he considered, quote, to woke. Trump took control of the Kennedy Center's board earlier this year, pledging to restore its prestige. Past honorees have included actress Merrill Streep, Beatles legend Paul McCartney, singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, and actor Dick Van Dyke. I'm Windsor-Johnson and PR News in Washington.