NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-17-2025 3PM EDT

Episode Date: August 17, 2025

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With a major shift in our politics underway in this country, 1A is drilling down on what's at stake for you and our democracy. In our weekly series, If You Can Keep It, we put these changes into focus and answer your questions about the impact of the Trump administration on the U.S. Join us every Monday for if you can keep it on the 1A podcast from NPR and WAMU. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. The leaders of France, Britain, and Germany say they will accompany Ukrainian president, Vladimir Zelensky, when he meets President Trump at the White House tomorrow. EU and NATO leaders will also be there. The European allies want to show support at a time when President Trump is pressing Zelensky to end the war after he met Friday with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. did make progress last week in Alaska.

There were things that were identified in those talks. that we just had a couple days ago that made some progress in some directions. Now, obviously, in order for us to get a peace agreement, Ukraine has to be a part of it. They have to be included. They have to be involved. That's why the president called them on the phone.

Immediately after we got on the airplane within an hour, he talked to them for long periods of time. Rumio told ABCs this week that ultimately if these efforts don't work out, there will have to be additional consequences to Russia. Voters in Bolivia are choosing a full slate of candidates in today's presidential elections. But the biggest names in Bolivian politics of the last 20 years are not running.

NPR's Carrie Kahn has more. Ex-President Devo Morales, a controversial icon of Latin America's left, is barred from the contest. He's also facing arrest on statutory rape charges, which he denies. His socialist Moss Party has dominated Bolivia for decades. He's told his fervent supporters to nullify their ballots. The current president also from Moss isn't running either. he's deeply unpopular as Bolivia faces its worst economic crisis in decades. Inflation is soaring, poverty is rising, and dollar reserves are low, making imports, especially gas, scarce.

Leading polls are two right-wing candidates, a multi-millionaire businessman and a former president. Both have run three times before and say they will open up Bolivia's economy and improve relations with the U.S. Kerry Kahn, NPR News. The Department of Agriculture is ending a policy meant to address the long. history of discrimination against minorities and women who farm, ranch, and otherwise work the land. Ray Solomon from member station KUNC reports. The USDA has been trying to level the playing field for racial minorities and women in agriculture since the late 90s, with more access to farm loans and grants. But in July, the agency abruptly announced those efforts were over, saying past discrimination had been, quote, sufficiently addressed.

Norissa Rivera is an indigenous Diné woman farming traditional crops in Colorado. She's relying on funds from two USDA grants and calls the change extremely disappointing. We're still at a disadvantage, like even to this generation. My people were heavily farmers by taking our farms from us. There was a lot of lost knowledge around farming, and we don't have those resources.

The USDA did not respond to further questions. For NPR News, I'm Ray Solomon in Denver. This is NPR News. News in Washington. New York police are looking for those responsible for a mass shooting at a club in Brooklyn early this morning. Three people were killed and nine others were wounded. Officials say multiple shooters were involved. Police recovered at least 42 shell casings. How many steps should you take if you want to live a longer and healthier life? New research suggests 7,000 steps a day is a good target for most people. NPR's Will Stone has more.

researchers in Australia sifted through data collected from 160,000 adults. Taking 7,000 steps per day was associated with nearly a 50% lower risk of dying compared to the bare minimum of 2,000 steps. They also showed the chance of developing cardiovascular disease fell by 25% and dementia 38% among other findings. The studies authors emphasize that in many cases doing more than 7,000 steps did yield additional health benefits, but those were relatively incremental. and that the widely cited 10,000 step target isn't rooted in solid science. Other research suggests older people may need fewer steps in those under 60 to get the same results. Willstone and PR News.

In Canada, a union representing flight attendance is defying a government order to go back to work, calling it unconstitutional. The strike against Air Canada began yesterday, affecting more than 100,000 passengers a day. The government ordered binding arbitration and a return to work, work. A major issue is compensation. Workers are largely paid only when the plane is moving, but not when helping passengers to board. I'm Nora Rom. NPR News in Washington.