NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-22-2025 12AM EDT

Episode Date: August 22, 2025

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On Fridays, the 1A podcast is all about helping you cut through the info fog and get to what's important in the news. Close out the week with us on our Friday News Roundup. Here from reporters who've been embedded with the biggest news of the week. Join us every week for the Friday News Roundup. Listen to the 1A podcast from NPR and WANU. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Roman. A California board has denied parole to Eric Menendez. one of two brothers who brutally murdered their parents in a sensationalized murder case

more than three decades ago. Steve Futterman reports. The board met for nearly 10 hours, hearing testimony from Eric Menendez and others, including his supporters and relatives, who urged the board to recommend release. The LA County District Attorney's Office also took part, arguing against any release. In announcing the decision, Commissioner Robert Barton said, I believe in redemption, but believe you pose.

a continued risk to public safety. He acknowledged the sexual abuse suffered by Menendez at the hands of his father. However, he said there were other things he could have done, including reaching out to police. Eric Menendez can next appear before a parole board in three years. On Friday, his brother Lyle will have his hearing. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in San Diego. With thousands of federal police and National Guard troops patrolling Washington, D.C., the Trump administration insist its plan to reduce crime is working. But Justice Department figures before the August 7th crackdown began showed crime in D.C. was steadily declining to a 30-year low. In Atlanta Thursday, Vice President J.D. Vance said other cities should take note of what the White

House is doing. What we've done is we have focused on Washington, D.C., because it's a federal city under our jurisdiction, but we certainly hope that whether it's Atlanta or anywhere else, people are going to look around and say, we don't have to live like this. It turns out, if you just go and arrest the bad guys, you can have cities and streets that are safe again, and we hope that people see what we're doing in Washington, D.C., and follow our example all across the country. While the Trump administration says streets in D.C. are much safer. Some restaurant owners say business is down since the extra patrols began. Hurricane Aaron is lashing the coast of North Carolina where flooding threatens the major highway that connects the barrier island known as

the Outer Banks. Sherees Pickett from members, Station WUNC has more. The National Weather Service says the forecast still shows the potential for tropical storm force winds and dangerous surf with waves of 20 feet. Bob Woodard chairs a local board of commissioners. He says they're working with North Carolina's Department of Transportation. We've got multiple places where the overwash came over on NC12. We'll be able to get some pumps out there to pump MC12 and NCDOT will be working very, very

diligently to try to reestablish the dune line. The dune line is what protects NC Highway 12. Woodard says he expects more ocean overwash later in the day after the area's last high tide. For NPR news, I'm Cherise Piggott. On Wall Street, the Dow, the NASDAQ, and the S&P were all in negative territory during Thursday trading. You're listening to NPR. A very public spat between Israel and Australia is coming to a head. The breakdown in relations started slowly after Australia last week said it would join other Western nations and recognize a Palestinian state. NPR's Jackie Nordham reports from Tel Aviv. Shortly after Australia announced its decision to recognize a Palestinian state, it rejected a visa application from a hard-right

Israeli politician, accusing him of intending to spread a message of hate during a proposed speaking tour. Israel quickly revoked the visas of two Australian representatives to the Palestinian authority. And then things got personal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, a weak leader who betrayed Israel. Albanyes said he didn't take the verbal attack personally, but his home affairs minister shot back saying strength was more than, quote, how many people you can blow up. Jackie Northam, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Longtime Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett, who represent Austin, Texas, reportedly will not seek re-election next year if a new redrawn map is in place for the 2026 midterm election.

Doggett is seating the new Texas 35th congressional district to Congressman Greg Cesar, who represent a nearby district, so Cesar, who is 42 years younger, can seek re-election to Congress without the two having to run against each other. Meanwhile, the Texas State Senate is expected to vote Friday on the new district maps. The lower house of the legislature passed those maps on Thursday. It could give Republicans five seats. This is NPR News. This message comes from WISE, the app for using money around the globe.

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