NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-19-2025 6AM EDT

Episode Date: August 19, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington on Corvick Coleman, President Trump says he started planning for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymy Zelensky to end Russia's war in Ukraine. Trump says he also wants to plan another meeting that would include those two men and himself. This comes after yesterday's big gathering at the White House where Zelensky and several European leaders met with Trump. Afterwards, Zelensky said no date has been set for the three-way meeting. We don't have any day. We just conformed after this productive meeting with the president and then with all our colleagues with the partners, we conformed that we are ready for a trilateral meeting.

President Trump says the U.S. will help with security guarantees for Ukraine, but Trump did not explain what the U.S. role might look like. He did say the Europeans would be a first line of defense for Ukraine. The House Oversight Committee says the Justice Department has agreed to provide the panel with records related to, late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. NPR's Ryan Lucas reports the committee subpoenaed the Epstein materials earlier this month. The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Kentucky's James Comer, says the Justice Department will begin turning over Epstein-related

records this Friday. He says it will take some time for all the materials to be provided to the committee because the department has to first redact the identities of victims as well as any child sexual abuse materials. The Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department two weeks ago for the files. The Trump administration has faced intense public blowback, including from some Republicans in Congress, over its handling of the Epstein matter, and for failing to follow through on its pledges of transparency. Ryan Lucas NPR News, Washington. The White House says dozens of homeless encampments have been cleared in Washington, D.C. A week ago, President Trump sent hundreds of federal agents and

National Guard troops to the city. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports it's not clear where the people who have been displaced have gone. Homeless service providers say many likely opted to stay outside, moving around to evade authorities. Some are in shelters, the city made more beds available, or hotels paid for by community members. Jesse Rabinowitz, with the National Homelessness Law Center, says the mass displacement will make it even harder to eventually connect people to housing. It was so fast that I worry people were not able to save vital documents, medication, then airlooms, clothes, things like that.

The White House says it has not arrested any people for being homeless, and service providers are relieved about that. But they suggest the money this federal surge is costing could have gone toward affordable housing instead. Jennifer Lutton and Pier News, Washington. Hurricane Aaron is moving north through the Atlantic Ocean with top-sustained winds of 115 miles per hour. It's not expected to hit the U.S. East Coast,

but forecasters say it will grow in size. This is NPR. Hamas says it's accepted a ceasefire plan for Gaza. It's been strongly backed by Egypt and Qatar. This resembles a plan put forward by the Trump administration. It calls for some Israeli troops to be moved, some hostages to be freed, and more aid sent to civilians in Gaza. Israel previously agreed to this plan,

but it's not clear if that agreement is still in effect. The final defendant accused of illegally selling ketamine to actor Matthew Perry has agreed to plead guilty. Perry died nearly two years ago after taking an overdose. Steve Futterman reports on the woman who admits she gave the drug to Perry. Jasveen Sanga, who prosecutors say was known as the ketamine queen, has agreed to plead guilty to five counts, including the most serious distribution resulting in death. Senga is one of five people accused of supplying ketamine to Perry. The others have previously entered guilty pleas.

When charges were announced last year, then DEA administrator Anne Milgram talked about Perry desperately wanting the drug. That is how he ended up buying from street dealers who sold the ketamine that ultimately led to his death. Perry openly talked about his struggles with substance abuse. In the final three days of his life, prosecutors say Perry received 27 injections of ketamine. For NPR news, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. The Air Force's chief of staff, General David Alvin, says he's going to retire in coming months. He's only served two years of his four-year rotation. The Pentagon did not disclose the reason for his early departure.

This is NPR.