NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-15-2025 12AM EDT

Episode Date: August 15, 2025

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Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Dua Lysa Kautel. The United Nations this week warned that starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at its worse since the war began. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to repeat that there is no hunger or policy of starvation. He's considering permitting foreign journalists to enter Gaza and today at the White House, President Trump weighed in. I'd like to see that happen, too. I would like to see it happen. I would be very fine with journalists going in. It's a very dangerous position to be interviewed, as you know, if you're a journalist,

but I would like to see it. The number of children who have acute malnutrition in Gaza varies and even the World Health Organization says the numbers are likely an undercount, but the U.N. says July statistics showed some 12,000 children under five suffering from acute malnutrition. California Governor Gavin Newsom has formally unveiled his plan to counter efforts by Republicans in Texas to redraw congressional districts. From Los Angeles, Steve Futterman reports.

Newsom made it clear he feels what's taking place in Texas is a potential threat to the nation. We can't stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district. Under Newsom's proposal, voters here will decide in November whether California should redraw its congressional maps. The efforts in Texas are designed to get five or more Democratic seats to go Republican. The Newsom plan is designed to do the opposite. have Republican seats go Democratic.

I know they say don't mess with Texas. Well, don't mess with the great golden state. As the News Conference was taking place inside a downtown L.A. building outside, more than a dozen Border Patrol agents showed up. Newsom's office tweeted, we will not be intimidated. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. In Utah, the Willard fire in North Ogden City has burned more than 750 acres and is 0% contained. Pamela McCall from member station KUER reports the blaze started as a car fire.

Firefighters have not been able to stop the fire from spreading and fire conditions are not making their job any easier. Conditions are bone dry and winds gusting to 25 miles per hour are expected along with frequent dried lightning strikes. Last night residents were asked to stop using cell phones so emergency responders could connect with one another. At one point, 30,000 people were without electricity, and those who still had power were asked to shut off air conditioning units and other appliances. People using an irrigation system had to shut off valves so helicopters fighting the fire could scoop water from its tanks. And the county fairgrounds have been open to people who need to move livestock away from the flames. For NPR News, I'm Pamela McCall.

Hundreds of homes there have been evacuated. You're listening to NPR News. Washington, D.C. has a new emergency police commissioner, Terry Cole. He's the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration and was named late Thursday to temporarily manage the federal takeover of law enforcement in the nation's capital. The African Union is backing calls by activist groups to replace the standard map of the world with one that accurately represents the continent's size. Kate Bartlett reports from Johannesburg. For years, some groups have urged government.

tech firms and international organizations to stop using the 16th century Mercator world map saying it distorts continent sizes. The African Union is backing the movement, the Reuters News Agency reports, quoting the EU Commission's deputy chairperson as saying the Mercator map makes Africa look marginal. The map, created by Flemish geographer Gerrida's Mercator, enlarges areas near the poles like North America and Greenland while shrinking Africa and South America, Africa is actually 14 times the size of Greenland. For NPR News, I'm Kate Butler in Johannesburg. A federal building that houses the Department of Homeland Security and Field Office of ICE

or U.S. Immigration Aid and Customs Enforcement in New York City was evacuated Thursday afternoon when envelopes containing an unknown white powder were found on the building's ninth floor. During an evening press conference, officials said two people were exposed to the powder. a hazard team was dispatched immediately. New York City officials are awaiting test results for those. I'm Duahli-Sai Kautau. NPR News in New York City. 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.