NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-22-2025 8PM EDT

Episode Date: August 23, 2025

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There's a lot of news happening. You want to understand it better, but let's be honest, you don't want it to be your entire life either. Well, that's sort of like our show, here and now anytime. Every weekday on our podcast, we talk to people all over the country about everything from political analysis to climate resilience, video games. We even talk about dumpster diving on this show. Check out Here and Now Anytime, a daily podcast from NPR and WBUR.

Live from NPR News, I'm Janine Herbst. The Justice Department has released. transcripts of a recent interview with the former girlfriend of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. And Pierce Carey Johnson reports on new details from Gieland Maxwell, who's serving a 20-year prison sentence. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche traveled to Florida this summer to conduct an unusual interview with Maxwell. He released the transcripts on social media and what he called the interest of transparency. Maxwell told DOJ she may have met now President Trump because he was friendly with her father. She also called Trump a gentleman in all respects.

The president's allies have been clamoring to see the Justice Department's files on Jeffrey Epstein in case they reveal new information about the source of his wealth and his sex trafficking of underage girls. David Marcus, a lawyer for Maxwell, says she told the truth and that she's a scapegoat. After her interview, Maxwell was moved into a less restrictive federal prison in Texas. Carrie Johnson and PR News, Washington. A U.S. official tells NPR, President Trump's defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has fired the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency. NPR's Jenna McLaughlin reports it's the latest in a series of sackings of senior military and national security officials. Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth has removed Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruz as the head of the military intelligence and combat support agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, or the DIA.

It wasn't immediately clear why Cruz was fired. However, the dismissal comes just months after the DIA made an assessment, concluding that a missile strike launched by the Trump administration likely failed to completely destroy Iran's nuclear sites. The White House has insisted the strike obliterated those facilities. Members of President Trump's cabinet, including Hegsef and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, have recently pushed to revoke security clearances or fire many senior national security officials, particularly after pressure from right-wing activists like Laura Lumer. Jenna McLaughlin, NPR News. Advocates are celebrating a federal judge's ruling to wind down and transfer out detainees at the Everglades Immigrant Detention Center, officials dubbed Alligator Alcatraz. From member station WLRN, Joshua Saballios has more.

Following the ruling, environmentalists who sued the federal government celebrated. They argued that the facility did not have the required environmental impact survey needed before construction. Eve Samples is the executive director. of the nonprofit Friends of the Everglades. What we saw from the court is not only a victory for the Everglades. It is a victory for the rule of law. But the state of Florida has already appealed District Judge Kathleen Williams' decision. Williams ordered officials to stop processing new detainees

and shutter the site in 60 days. Plaintiffs say they're prepared to fight the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. For NPR News, I'm Joshua Sabios in Miami. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Washington. The U.S. government is taking a 10% stake worth about $11 billion in chipmaker Intel. That's according to President Trump and the company. The unusual deal marks an escalation in the Trump administration's efforts to bring cutting-edge chipmaking back to the United States. Intel says the government, though, won't have board representation or other governance rights. Documents show Elon Musk attempted to enlist Mark Zuckerberg for an open AI takeover.

As MPAs Bobby Allen reports, the two billionaire rivals see ChatGPT as a major threat. Musk approached Zuckerberg as part of Musk's unsolicited $97 billion bid for OpenAI, and Zuckerberg did not move forward. That's according to a new legal filing in Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI for allegedly violating its founding principles as a research lab. Musk has long had animosity towards Zuckerberg, once challenging him to a cage match that never happened. In recent months, Zuckerberg and OpenAI have been in a fierce competition for top AI talent. But that showdown did not inspire Zuckerberg to join Musk's attempt to acquire the chat GPT maker. OpenAI says the company is not for sale and has dismissed Musk's bid as a publicity stunt.

Bobby Allen and PR News. After firing or pushing out 25% of its workforce, the eye. IRS now says it wants them back. This is a tries to make up for staffing losses after the Trump administration's push to reduce the number of federal employees. I'm Janine Herbst, NPR News, in Washington. 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. Join millions of customers and visit Wise.com. T's and Cs apply.