NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-14-2025 3AM EDT

Episode Date: August 14, 2025

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Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Doa Lai-Kautau. Friday's summit in Alaska between President Trump and Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, does not include European heads of state or Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky. So on Wednesday, Trump and those other leaders met for a virtual summit, NPR Berlin correspondent Rob Schmidt's reports. As it stands, Russia controls around a fifth of Ukraine. That includes Crimea, all of Lujansk and more than 70% of the regions of Donetsk, Zaparisia, and Kersom. Putin wants all of that territory, and he also wants the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from parts of Donets, that Peresia and Kersone that they still control in the east of the country.

Putin's territorial demands would mean Ukraine handover more than 8,000 square miles of its land to Russia. Putin is also demanding that Kiv would have to officially notify Russia that it's abandoning its plans to join NATO. And P.R.'s Rob Schmidt's reporting from Berlin. Days after President Trump took over the D.C. Police Department, its local chief says she sees the surge in federal officers as an opportunity. NPR's Luke Garrett reports Pamela Smith says the additional officers are helping. The D.C. Police Chief remains on the force, working police operations, despite the federal takeover of the city law enforcement agency. Smith tells Fox 5 that the federal presence is positive. The surge of law enforcement personnel, I tell you, it will help me to do the things that I need to do. Smith says her force is down nearly 800 officers.

The chief hopes federal agents and her officers will work together to build lasting relationships beyond Trump's 30-day takeover. This enhanced presence clearly is going to impact us in a positive way. Hundreds of federal officers descended into D.C. this week after Trump took control of the local police and deployed the National Guard. The city's mayor, Muriel Bowser, has expressed concern over the state. the move and defended the city's 30-year low violent crime rate. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington. In western Colorado, the Lee fire has exploded to more than 180 square miles, making it the fifth largest wildfire in the state's history. It is only 4% contained. Colorado Public Radio Stina Sieg reports locals are feeling both gratitude and grief. On almost every block of the small ranching

town of Meeker, homemade signs thank the firefighters who help save this place. Katie Conrado feels grateful and also... I'm heartbroken. Devastated for the nearby ranchers who've lost everything and for the surrounding grasslands and mountains burned beyond recognition. I will never see the land in the same condition it was as I've always known it, as I've known it in my whole life. Others in town worry how the fire will affect the fastly approaching hunting season,

a huge economic driver for the area. For MPR News, I'm Stina Sain. Sieg, in Grand Junction, Colorado. And you are listening to NPR News from New York. The Trump administration can continue to freeze or terminate billions of dollars previously earmarked for global health programs, including HIV and aid services. This is because federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled two to one in favor of President Trump, noting that the plaintiffs' international aid groups that were recipients of the foreign

aid grants, quote, did not have legal standing to bring a lawsuit. Info Wars, conspirators Alex Jones, may be about to lose control of his media empire. A Texas state court has appointed a new receiver to sell the companies. Zendpiers-Tovia Smith reports proceeds will go to the families who won a $1.3 billion defamation case against Jones for spreading his false stories that the 2012 Sandy Hook School shooting never happened. The new receiver is authorized to take over InfoWars cash, cameras, and the InfoWars brand with sheriffs, if needed. After years in federal bankruptcy court payouts may start in weeks to the families who say they were tormented by Jones's followers who believed his lies that they were just actors.

Chris Maddie is one of the family's lawyers. Alex Jones has had this justice coming for a long time, and through many twists and turns, the families are finally holding Alex Jones accountable for years, harm. Maddie says the move could also mean the satirical site the onion will buy info wars. Jones's lawyers did not respond to requests for comment, but Jones claimed on his show that the judge's order appointing the receiver is not legal. This is NPR News.