NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-21-2025 6AM EDT

Episode Date: August 21, 2025

NPR News: 08-21-2025 6AM EDTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in Washington, on Corva Coleman, Hurricane Aaron is just starting to move away from the North Carolina coast. The storm never made landfall, but its outer winds triggered tropical storm warnings from North Carolina's outer banks to southern Virginia. Rip currents on the shore are the biggest danger. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein warned stay out of the water at all costs. Don't do it. You do not know how deep the water is or how fast it is running. are a threat all the way up to New England, these dangers will persist all day, even though Hurricane Aaron is pulling away from the East Coast. It's a category two storm with top-sustained winds of 105 miles per hour. The Texas State House has passed a Republican plan to redraw congressional

districts in that state. The GOP hopes to send five more Republicans to the U.S. House from Texas in midterm elections next year. Texas Democrats fled their state to try to block this plan, but they returned after a couple of weeks. The measure now goes to the Texas State Senate. A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked a new state law requiring the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school classroom. From Texas Public Radio, Gabrielle Alert Solario, has more. U.S. District Court Judge Fred Beery held that Texas State Senate Bill 10 more than likely violates both the establishment and free exercise clauses of the First Amendment. Plaintiff Rabbi Mara Nathan argued children's religious beliefs should be instilled by parents and faith

communities, not politicians and public schools. The bill was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in June and was supposed to go into effect on June 1st. The ruling only applies to the 11 districts listed in the lawsuit. The plaintiff's hope additional schools will adhere to the judge's ruling. I'm Gabriela Alcorda Solorio in San Antonio. President Trump's Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, says she will cut her office's budget by over 40%. NPR's Jenna McLaughlin reports this is one of Gabbard's latest efforts to reorganize the intelligence community hub. Career intelligence officials say their mission is to speak truth to power. However, the former Democratic lawmaker turned head of the office of the Director of National

Intelligence, or ODNI, has expressed her commitment to aligning the agency with President Trump's policy goals. The OD&I was created after the September 11th terrorist attacks to foster intelligence sharing between U.S. government agencies. Gabbard says she'll slash the agency's cost by over 40% by the end of September, though she didn't identify specific cuts. In a statement, the Democratic vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner of Virginia, says he would welcome the chance to review Gabbard's plans, but expresses concern, arguing Gabbard has a track record of politicizing intelligence. Jen McLaughlin, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The Israeli government has given its final approval to a plan to build thousands of new homes

in the West Bank. Israel's far-right finance minister approved the plan, saying will, quote, erase any idea of a Palestinian state. The building will commence east of Jerusalem. The construction would slice the West Bank into two parts. The number of West Bank's settlements continues to grow despite international condemnation. The upcoming Broadway season will feature some well-known stars from TV and film. A couple of revivals have been announced. The formula worked well last season. Jeff London explained several revivals were the most popular tickets all year. In December, Carrie Coon, who starred in both the White Lotus and the Gilded Age on HBO this season, will headline in a revival of the off-Broadway hit, Bug. A tense thriller, which is almost 30,

years old, it's by Tracy Letts, Coon's husband. In March, two Golden Globe winners, film and television actor Don Cheadle and Iyo Adebore, who recently starred in The Bear, make their Broadway debuts as a father and daughter in proof. The 2001 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Auburn receives its first Broadway revival. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York. Retired Rhode Island Municipal Judge Frank Caprio has died. of pancreatic cancer, according to his family, on social media accounts. He was 88 years old. He gained fame online for his work in the courtroom.

Caprio was often seen displaying kindness and compassion. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News.