NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-14-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: August 14, 2025

NPR News: 08-14-2025 2AM EDTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This message comes from the Kresge Foundation. Established 100 years ago, the Kresge Foundation works to expand equity and opportunity in cities across America. A century of impact, a future of opportunity. More at Kresge.org. Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Dua Halisa Kautel. This year's Kennedy Center honorees were presented and selected far differently than previous ones. First, there was a press conference when you. Usually the honorees are named only in a press release,

and second President Trump announced all the winners, from Grammy Award winner George Strait to the Phantom of the opera singer Michael Crawford to Gloria Gaynor. I will say that I Will Survive is an unbelievable song. I've heard it, you know, like everyone else here, thousands of times. And it's one of those few that get better every time you hear it. And nobody can sing it like her. And that's an honor.

So Gloria Ganner. President Trump said he always wanted to be among those honored at the Kennedy Center. Their prestigious awards have been given since 1978. Now that he's chairman, he said, quote, next year will honor Trump. Wisconsin's governor has asked FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to start a formal preliminary assessment of damage in the state after recent extreme storms and flooding. Mayan Silver from Member Station WUWM in Milwaukee reports.

In a 24-hour period last weekend, torrential rain fell in Wisconsin, causing rivers to flood, vehicles to wash out, and power to be cut to thousands. In hard-hit southeastern Wisconsin, where Milwaukee is, there were more than 3,000 reports of structural damage. Democratic Governor Tony Evers declared a state of emergency on Monday, a precursor to getting federal aid. Wisconsin Emergency Management then conducted an initial review of the damages, which Iver's office says suggests the state will meet the threshold for federal assistance. A formal declaration

to bring federal relief to Wisconsin would have to come from GOP President Donald Trump. For NPR News, I'm Ayon Silver in Milwaukee. The city of Juneau has not yet fully tallied how many homes were damaged by a flood of glacial meltwater that crested Wednesday. But they say they're in touch much better, than when a similar flood damage hundreds of homes last year. As member station KTOO's Alex Solomon reports, that's due to a temporary levy the city installed. Locke and Melissa Brown are pumping water out of the crawl space of their home. The Menon Hall River hit a record-breaking crest of more than 16.5 feet before starting to recede Wednesday morning.

But the Browns say their home fared better than it did when it flooded the past two years. That's because of the city's new levy, which is made of steel baskets filled with sand, stacked between their house and the river. If they weren't here, it would have been catastrophic for us. Without the barrier, city officials say hundreds of homes would have been damaged. This is NPR news. Hospital officials in Gaza say Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed at least 123 Palestinians. Meanwhile, humanitarian groups tell Reuters that, trucks filled with much-needed aid, including medicine, continued to be rejected at the Gaza border.

In the last 24-hour reporting period, the health ministry said at least eight people died from starvation or malnutrition. Amazon is once again expanding into grocery delivery, adding same-day orders of perishable foods at hundreds of cities around the country. This sets up new competition for Walmart and food meal delivery services, as NPR's Alina Seluk reports. Amazon has spent years trying to take a bite out of the grocery market that's dominated by Walmart. Now it's touting its, quote, most significant grocery expansion to date, saying it plans to do same-day delivery in 2,300 cities by the end of the year.

This will include produce, dairy, meat, and bakery, as well as frozen items, all of which have required much work to set up storage and warehousing. And note that Amazon is among NPR's financial supporters. The company is also lowering the barriers for participation, no longer requiring a separate subscription to get grocery delivery and Amazon is opening the door for people without prime memberships for a fee of $13 per order. Alina Selhu, NPR News.

In Chattanooga, Tennessee, more rain is forecast where heavy rain flooded interstates and shut some down overnight. The local Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management says a large tree fell and killed two adults and one child. This is NPR News from New York. Thank you.