NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-22-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: August 22, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Roman. Hurricane Erin is beginning to churn up large waves in the northeastern U.S. after it pelted North Carolina's outer banks with strong winds and swells that caused flooding along the state's barrier islands. Arryn is an unusually large hurricane, which is slowly moving from the east coast further out to sea. Already, East Coast utilities are prepared for what damage Aaron may have caused. Dominion Energy already has people on standby in case the hurricane's winds not

out power. Azaria Hochsteadler is with the utility as a storm patroler. Keep away from those power lines. Sometimes you might see them fall, like your service drop to your home might, you know, come down into the driveway. Avoid it at all cost, stay inside and just call us. In its latest report, the National Hurricane Center said Aaron has maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour and is about 400 miles north of Bermuda. Canada's prime minister says a long-awaited phone call with President Trump Thursday was wide-ranging and productive. As Dan Carpenchuk reports, it's the first time the two leaders have spoken since failing to reach a trade agreement earlier this month.

A readout from Prime Minister Mark Carney's office said the two leaders spoke about trade challenges between Canada and the U.S., as well as long-term peace and security in Ukraine. The conversation comes in the middle of a protracted trade war. It's the first time Carney and Trump have talked since the two sides failed to reach a trade agreement by the first of the month. Carney, who initiated the call, said he brought up the issue of a new economic and security relationship. The two countries have been locked in a trade war since Trump imposed tariffs on

Canadian goods earlier this year, allegedly to spur Ottawa to crack down on fentany, crossing the border into the U.S. Karnie's office said the two leaders agreed to meet again soon. For NPR News, I'm Dan Carpenchuk in Toronto. A New York Appeals Court threw out a massive civil fraud penalty against President Trump, overturning an order from early 2024. NPR's Kat-Lonsdorf reports it would have cost Trump hundreds of millions of dollars. In February 2024, a New York judge found Trump had engaged in fraudulent business practices, exaggerating his wealth and patting his financial statements for lenders and insurers. Trump was ordered to pay $355 million in penalties, now around half a billion

with interest, a sum that threatened to wipe out his cash reserves. But a divided five-judge panel in New York's mid-level appellate division court ruled that penalty was, quote, excessive and eliminated it while declining to overturn the case, meaning Trump can appeal it yet again to New York's highest court. The case was one of several lawsuits against Trump working their way through the courts during the 2024 presidential campaign, including a criminal case in which he was convicted and has also appealed. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News. It was a losing day on Wall Street for the Dow, the NASDAQ, and the S&P. You're listening to NPR News.

Brazilian officials appear not to be tempering their comments or judicial rulings despite warnings from the U.S. they could be punished. President Trump has slapped one of the highest tariffs in the world on Brazilian exports citing the ongoing court case against the country's former far-right president. The police have filed yet more charges against the ex-leader. NPR's Kerry Kahn reports. President Luis Sanacio Lula de Silva says he does not need to. Trump's opinion in Brazilian matters, telling supporters that, quote, I want to take care of this

country, so the American president shouldn't give his opinion here. Lula has made multiple defiant comments about the 50% tariff slapped on Brazilian goods. Trump has demanded the ongoing case be dropped against former president Jair Bolsonaro, who's charged with attempting a coup. Meanwhile, Brazil's federal police indicted Bolsonaro and his son on additional charges this week, including accusations they both tried to, quote, coerce the Supreme Court into not prosecuting the coup case. Bolsonaro denies the new charges. Kerry Conn, NPR News, Rio de Janeiro. The California Parole Board has denied parole for Eric Menendez, ending for now his push to be released early from prison.

His older brother Lyle still has a court hearing scheduled for Friday. The two were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for killing their parents in 1989. They admitted to the killings but said they maintained it was in self-defense and they had been sexually abused. Both men are eligible for parole under California's youthful offender law. This is NPR News. Support for NPR. This message comes from WISE, the app for using money around the globe. When you manage your money with WISE, you'll always get the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees.

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