NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-15-2025 9AM EDT

Episode Date: August 15, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kristen Wright. President Trump is on his way to Anchorage Alaska for high-stakes face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending Russia's war in Ukraine. The Kremlin leader is also on the way and stop first in Russia's far east. NPR's Charles Mainz reports from Moscow. In a quirk of time zones, Putin is leaving Russia Friday evening, traveling a short distance but across the international date line to arrive in Alaska Friday morning. In advance of the summit, he thanked Trump for what Putin called sincere efforts to negotiate a peace in Ukraine and suggested they used the Alaska summit to also engage in nuclear arms talks. In addition, Kremlin officials suggested the U.S. could reap huge profits from economic deals with Russia in the Arctic and elsewhere.

Those offers come, as Trump has resurfaced threats to impose sanctions and tariffs on Russia, should Putin fail to sign on to a ceasefire deal in Ukraine. Yet at least publicly, Putin has shown little sign of compromise. Charles Mainz and Pure News. D.C.'s Attorney General has filed the lawsuit challenging the federal takeover of the city's police department, setting the stage for a power clash. NPR's Amy Held reports it's unclear who's in charge of Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department. Since Trump announced the takeover Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser has largely struck a conciliatory tone.

Now she's pushing back on Attorney General Pam Bondi's latest directive, naming the Drug Enforcement Agency Chief as the city's emergency police commissioner. D.C.'s Attorney General Brian Schwab calls the move unlawful. Bondi says it's part of the administration's illegal immigration crackdown. D.C. will not remain a sanctuary city actively shielding criminal aliens. Bondi told Fox News channels Sean Hannity last night, it's not just about D.C. We are going to stop crime, Sean, in D.C., and we're going to clean it up in this country. Violent crime is down, but polling shows a majority of Americans still point to it as a big problem.

Amy held, NPR News. Texas Democratic state lawmakers who left the state to block Republican attempts to redraw congressional maps to win more seats, announced they're ready to come back under certain terms. They've been in other states boycotting a special legislative session in Austin. This is Democratic caucus chair, Gene Wu. We are going to wait until we have some victories, until our victories are certain. And those victories are what California is going to do and the end of the. this first corrupt special session. We want to see this special session dead before we do anything else. California Governor Gavin Newsom is moving ahead with plans to redraw congressional maps

in his state to favor Democrats. The state will put a ballot question to voters in November. Teams representing the U.S. and many other countries are in Beijing this weekend to prove themselves in boxing, soccer, and several other contests. This is NPR News. Teams representing the U.S., Germany, and over a dozen other countries are in Beijing this weekend, again, to prove themselves in boxing, soccer, and several other contests. But as Ashish Valentine reports, the athletes aren't human. They are robots. An ensemble of humans and machines strum guitars and duet on keyboards at the opening ceremony of the World Humanoid Robotics Games, the events co-sponsored by the Beijing. municipal government and runs till Sunday. Hundreds of different robots designed by companies and universities from around the globe will punch, race, and even dance against each other. The games are

meant to showcase China as a global innovator in robotics. In China, the sector's gotten over $20 billion in subsidies this year, and Beijing's planning another $100 billion to support robotics and AI startups. For NPR News, I'm Ashish Valentine. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says the state is getting ready to open a second immigration detention facility at a state prison outside of Jacksonville. DeSantis is calling it deportation depot. It's expected to hold 1,300 beds. Kellogg is planning to get rid of artificial dyes from all of its cereals by the end of 2027. The maker of fruit loops, Frosted Flakes, and Apple Jacks, says it wants to give consumers more of what they want and need, like whole grains and fiber, and less of what they don't. The company says it's starting with schools,

and will reformulate their cereals served in cafeterias by next school year. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation. This is Kristen Wright, and you're listening to NPR News.