NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-15-2025 2PM EDT

Episode Date: August 15, 2025

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This week on Consider This, President Trump and Vladimir Putin one-on-one. We're here at their summit in Alaska to spell out what the president says about those talks and what might actually happen next in Ukraine. Also on the show this week, the U.S. is rewriting the rules on global trade. What happens if other countries try that too? You can listen each afternoon to consider this from NPR. Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Four days after President Trump announced a one-month federal takeover of law enforcement of the nation's capital, D.C. Attorney General Brian Chob is suing.

The federal government got in the way of more than a billion dollars of fiscal year 25 funding. That's taxpayer dollars, D.C. taxpayer dollars that could be used for programs and law enforcement here in the city. So the federal government wants to help VC be safer. We welcome help. We do not need a hostile and illegal takeover. Schwab on CNN. The lawsuit was filed in court today, hours after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi put a federal official in charge of the MPD. The administration says it's taking necessary measures to bring the rate of crime back down in D.C. But local and federal data show violent crime had already been falling. Black and Democratic mayors of other major cities are monitoring how things unfold in D.C. After President Trump also mentioned their cities, such as Baltimore and Chicago, when he talked about using national. Guard troops to help fight crime. Civil rights groups argue Trump's actions are not about public safety, but power. A federal appeals court has ruled that the administration's move to lay off

most of the employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau can proceed. NPR's Laurel Wamsley reports a ruling could result in a far smaller consumer watchdog. The union representing CFPB employees fought the cuts, but the court's ruling means the Trump administration can proceed with the reduction in force it attempted in April. Layoff notices were sent to more than 1,400 staffers, leaving about 200 remaining. The administration says its aim is a more streamlined bureau with new priorities. The CFPB was founded in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and has dozens of congressionally required responsibilities. It's long been a target of Republicans, and some on Wall Street and Silicon Valley, who say it overreaches in its regulation. The administration has already

reduced the Bureau's impact, dismissing some two dozen pending enforcement actions. Laurel Wamsley, NPR News. As the president of Russia prepares to soon meet his American host for a summit in Alaska, the Russian military has significantly increased drone attacks most nights on Ukraine. NPR's Greg Myrie is in Kiev. In July, Russia averaged more than 200 drones a night, many at civilian targets. Ukraine really has to scramble to put up a wide range of defenses. Now, I should add that Ukraine is also on the offensive with its own drones.

It strikes deep inside Russia at oil refineries and railway stations. It's targeting the Russian transportation network that's used to send ammunition and other supplies to its troops. That's NPR's Greg Mirey reporting. At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 155 points at 45,063. This is NPR News. Flood rescues and emergency relief are underway in northwest Pakistan and neighboring India. The Associated Press reports about 1,600 people from two mountainous districts have been saved. But both countries are also reporting that they've lost about 280 lives to flash floods,

a majority of the fatalities reported in Pakistan. According to AP, a study released this week by World Weather Attribution and Network of International Scientists found Rainfall in Pakistan from June 24th to July 23rd was 10% to 15% heavier because of global warming. For the first time, scientists have recorded a human embryo implanting in a womb. NPR's Rob Stein has that story. Researchers at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia in Spain created an artificial womb in their lab and placed human embryos inside. The research team then used time-lapse photography under a microscope to record the embryos as they burrowed into the womb. The scientists were surprised by how much force the embryos used, especially compared to mouse embryos,

which appear to lie passively as a womb envelops them. The scientists hope these experiments will help them learn more about why implantation fails. That's a major cause of infertility and miscarriages. Rob Stein, NPR News. U.S.S. docks are mixed this hour. The NASDAQ is down 56 points, the SMPs off seven, and the Dow has gained 127 points. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News. Listen to this podcast, sponsor-free on Amazon Music, with a prime membership, or any podcast app, by subscribing to NPR NewsNow Plus at plus.npr.org. That's plus.npr.org.