NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-23-2025 3AM EDT

Episode Date: August 23, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. President Trump and chipmaker Intel say the U.S. government is taking a 10% stake in the company. That stake is worth about $11 billion. As NPR's John Ruich reports, the unusual deal marks an escalation in the Trump administration's efforts to bring cutting-edge chipmaking back to the United States. Trump dialed up pressure on Intel CEO Lip Bhutan this month, saying he should resign after reports surfaced about his connections to Chinese companies. A few days later, Tan visited the White House.

House. Trump says he came in wanting to keep his job and agreed to let the U.S. government take a 10% stake in the Santa Clara, California-based company. Intel says the government will not have board representation or other governance rights. The government's also agreed to vote with the company's board on matters that require shareholder approval with limited exceptions. On social media, Trump called it a great deal for America and Intel and says building leading-edge semiconductors and chips, which is what Intel does, is fundamental to the future of our nation. John Rewitch, NPR News, Washington. A U.S. District Court judge in California has ruled that the Trump administration cannot deny federal funding to dozens of cities over their so-called sanctuary policies.

As NPR's Matt Bloom reports, the ruling follows a similar decision from earlier this spring. U.S. District Judge William Oric ruled the Trump administration offered no opposition to a request for an injunction from over 30 cities who had their funding threatened, except to say that a similar work. request earlier this year was wrong. The list of cities includes Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other major metro areas that limit police cooperation with federal immigration agents. The cities say billions of dollars of funding are at risk. Orick's ruling echoes a similar one for March when the administration's threats were declared unconstitutional. Trump's efforts to crack down on sanctuary cities comes amid a larger push to remove millions of undocumented migrants from the country.

Mabloom, NPR News. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated Friday that the central bank may soon cut interest rates. But as NPR Scott Horsley tells us, the conditions for such a cut still remain a bit murky. Now, the unemployment rate is still very low, just 4.2%. But that's largely because the workforce is growing very slowly or maybe even shrinking. Immigration is pretty much dried up. At the same time, a lot of baby boomers are retiring. so even though the job market looks to be in balance right now, Powell says it's a precarious balance.

This unusual situation suggests that downside risks to employment are rising. And if those risks materialize, they can do so quickly in the form of sharply higher layoffs and rising unemployment. Powell says that uneasy job market may warrant a cut in interest rates, and that was enough to cheer stock market investors who were already betting on a rate cut at the next Fed meeting in September. That's NPR's Scott Horsley with our report. report. And you're listening to NPR News. The Texas state legislature overnight honored a demand by President Trump by passing a mid-decade redistricting plan. The measure will add as many as five Republican seats to their slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bill will now be sent to Governor Greg Abbott, whose promise to sign it into law. California officials have denied parole for another Menendez brother. As Steve Futterman reports, the two were found guilty of brutally killing their parents. in 1989. On Thursday, Eric Menendez was denied parole. On Friday, his older brother met the same fate. During his hearing, Lyle Menendez described repeated abuse by his father, and for the first time, he disclosed that he was also sexually abused by his mother. The panel called Lyle Menendez in many ways a model prisoner, but said he has disobeyed many prison rules, including possessing a contraband cell phone, and said he isn't quite ready to be set free. Anna Maria

Baralt, the brother's first cousin, who has campaigned for their release, was encouraged. A couple of years ago, this was not even a possibility. There is still light at the end of the tunnel. The brothers' next appearance is set in three years, but they could request an earlier parole review. For NPR news, I'm Steve Futterman in San Diego. Aki-O-I has taken a three-stroke lead at the LPGA event underway near Toronto this weekend. She's hoping to win for the second straight week after coming in first last weekend in the Portland Open. She sits at 9 under 133 after two rounds. World

number one, Gino Titical, had a 70 and shares second place with Minjili and Leon McGuire. I'm Dale Wilman and PR News.