NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-14-2025 10PM EDT

Episode Date: August 15, 2025

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Support for NPR and the following message come from the Limelson Foundation, working to harness the power of invention and innovation to accelerate climate action and improve lives around the world. Learn more at limelson.org. Live from NPR News, I'm Janine Herbst. President Trump is heading into high-stakes talks with his Russian counterpart at a time when the State Department has lost a lot of expertise on Russia and Ukraine. And Pierce Michelle Kellerman reports, career ambassadors to both countries, recently retired, and that has some in Washington concerned. The ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Gene Sheen, has been alarmed by the way Trump's envoy, Steve Whitkoff, goes to meetings in Moscow without any U.S. experts, and she fears this doesn't bode well for Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It makes a difference. Diplomacy is not successful very often. often when it's done, fly by the seat of your pants. And that's what we're seeing too often here with this administration. She says the reduction in forces at the State Department, as well as retirements, are putting the U.S. at a disadvantage. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department. President Trump brought in the National Guard this week and put federal officials in charge of law enforcement in Washington, D.C., saying the city's full of bloodthirsty criminals. But The Justice Department says violent crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low.

Impairs Meg Anderson reports. Violent crime has been falling citywide after a surge in 2023, but it doesn't feel that way to everyone. NPR spoke with residents in several neighborhoods in D.C. that have more violent crime than the citywide average. They all say crime is a problem, but they also say this temporary crackdown isn't the answer. Michael Fletcher, a barber in Southeast D.C., says he would like to see officers be more proactive in preventing crime. But doesn't think sending in federal forces will do that. It's not fixing the problem. It's only making people hate the law. Still, he said he had yet to see any noticeable increase in policing for himself. Meg Anderson, NPR News, Washington. California Governor Gavin Newsom

is calling for a special election on November 4th to introduce new U.S. House maps with the goal of winning more Democratic seats. It's in response to Republican efforts to gain five seats. through redistricting in Texas. Some Democrats left the state so Republicans had no quorum to vote on redrawing the maps, favoring the GOP that President Trump wants. Now they say they will come back,

but they want some concessions first. Texas State Representative Gene Wu is one of the Democrats who fled the state. We are going to wait until we have some victories, until our victories are certain, right? And those victories are what California is going to do and the end of this. first corrupt special session. We want to see this special session dead before we do anything

else. California state lawmakers plan to declare a special election next week. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The number of people who say they drink alcohol has fallen to its lowest level in at least 86 years. A Gallup poll shows 54% of Americans say they drink, and that's the lowest number Gallup has reported since that started tracking drinking levels in 1939. The poll shows the majority of Americans feel that even moderate drinking, defined as one or two drinks a day, is unhealthy. A new report confirms that 2024 set record temperatures across the globe. And Pierce-Loren Summer reports that has contributed to extreme weather.

2024 was hot, partly because of the natural climate pattern of El Nino, which raises temperatures. It was also hot because emissions from burning fossil fuels. fuels hit record levels. That's according to a new report from the American Meteorological Society. As a result, glaciers melted, producing the greatest average ice loss in the last 50 years. That contributes to raising sea levels, which hit the highest level in modern record keeping. Extreme rainfall also hit record levels because a hotter atmosphere can hold more water vapor. Because El Nino has now faded, scientists aren't expecting 2025 to take over as the hottest year, but it's still likely to be in the top three.

Lauren Summer, NPR News. Mortgage rates are falling for the fourth week in a row. Mortgage buyer of Freddie Mac says the average rate on a 30-year note fell this week to 6.58% its lowest level in nearly 10 months. 15-year fixed rate mortgages also fell down to 5.71%. I'm Janine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington. This message comes from NYU The NYU Langone Health app gives you access to your electronic health record.

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