NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-14-2025 12PM EDT

Episode Date: August 14, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are both sounding optimistic about the prospects of a productive summit in Alaska tomorrow, although Trump's predicted tomorrow will be more of a setup for a second, much more crucial ceasefire deal-making meeting. That would also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. As diplomacy surrounding an end to war takes shape in Kiev, of NPR's Greg Myrie says Russia's keeping up strikes in Ukraine and escalating battles near

a key city. A small number of Russian troops pierced Ukraine's defensive lines this week on the main battlefront in the east of the country, near the city of Pachrosk. Ukraine's military says it's tracking down the Russians who are on foot or in light vehicles. The military says many of the Russians have been killed or captured. Russia has tried to take Pachrosk for more than a year and now surrounds it on three sides, but has yet to reach. reach the city. This battle reflects broader trends in the war, a large Russian force making incremental gains and suffering huge losses, while smaller Ukrainian units try to hold the line. Greg Myrie, NPR News, Keeve. Washington, D.C. residents are processing a new reality,

at least for the next several weeks now that more federal agents are on patrol in Washington, D.C. round the clock. Keith Fung commutes from suburban Maryland to D.C. If the police is capable of doing their job, there's absolutely no reason for there to be military force. And I think it's just to show a force and show power for no reason other than to make people feel insecure. In Congress Heights, a D.C. neighborhood that's already seen 38 homicides this year. Property manager Alicia Cooper seems to like what President Trump's doing. When I go into the train, I can see that green jacket and I know, okay, you're not about to take my purse. You're not about to push me because somebody's going to come on guard.

Well, former D.C. police officer identifying himself only as Aaron to protect his government job, says he doesn't like where things are headed. It's the old king mentality. I think it's almost like I'm in control. You'll bow when I say bow. And if you don't, then here's what I'm going to do. It's almost like retribution. Trump has said the current federalization of local law enforcement is about addressing high crime in the District of Columbia. But local and federal data show overall violent crime in the city has fallen nearly. 30%. The Labor Department's reporting a jump in wholesale inflation. It says reports the producer price index, which tracks the average change over time in prices before they reach consumers, rose 9 tenths of a percent last month from June. That marked the biggest increase in more than three years. Rising wholesale prices are often passed down to consumers. At last check on Wall Street,

the Dow Jones Industrial average was down. 152 points. at 44,770. This is NPR News. The Texas Legislature's special session wraps up tomorrow a week earlier than schedule, and then lawmakers are expected to promptly be called back. The Texas Newsrooms blaze gaining reports on the battle over the state's congressional map. House Democrats remain out of state to block the redistricting bill, which could add five more Republican seats to Congress.

Speaking in Chicago, House Democratic Caucus chair, Representative Gene Wu, of Houston said they expect new maps would eventually become law, but wanted to be sure that other Democratic-led states were ready to fight back. Texas is determined to do this. If other red states are determined to do this, then we will have other states who will make sure that it does not matter what they do, that we will nullify their actions. Several Democratic-led states across the country have said that they too will redraw their congressional maps.

For NPR News, I'm Blaise Ganey. Scientists say they have discovered the 2.6 million-year-old teeth of a previously unknown human cousin. And Pierre's Nate Roth has more. We've all seen the T-shirts are memes of a series of apes standing up straighter and strater and morphing into modern coffee-drinking man and woman. Anthropologists, though, have long known that human evolution was not a linear process, and the new findings published in the journal Nature adds another piece to the puzzle. The teeth, the researchers believe, belonged to a new species of Australopithical.

an upright walking ape-like species that coexisted with early human ancestors in East Africa. The discovery provides more evidence to researchers say that human evolution was similar to that of other species with many branches and dead ends. Nate Roth, NPR News. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.