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

Episode Date: August 23, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rom. The U.S. government plans to deport Kilmar Abrago Garcia to Uganda next week. According to his lawyer's court filing this weekend, Abrago Garcia, who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador earlier this year, was released from federal custody yesterday. NPR's Kamila Domenoski reports. In an admitted mistake, federal officials sent Abregio Garcia to a notorious Salvador in prison. On his return, the government charged him with human smuggling, which he denies. Abreco Garcia, who has not been convicted of any crime, left a Tennessee jail on Friday to return to his family in Maryland.

The Department of Homeland Security responded to the release with a statement calling him a monster. Abreco Garcia's lawyers say that prosecutors have offered to deport him to Costa Rica if he pleads guilty to the charges. Now, immigration officials say he will face deportation to Uganda, a choice the lawyers call coercive. Camilla Dominovsky, NPR News. The California Parole Board has denied parole for Lyle Menendez, who served 35 years in prison for murdering his parents.

His younger brother, Eric, was denied parole on Thursday for the same crimes. In both cases, the board noted their use of contraband cell phones. New court documents show Elon Musk attempted to enlist Mark Zuckerberg for an open AI takeover. As NPR's Bobby Allen reports, the two billionaire rivals, both see Chat GPT as a man. major threat. Musk approached Zuckerberg as part of Musk's unsolicited $97 billion bid for open AI and Zuckerberg did not move forward. That's according to a new legal filing in Musk's lawsuit against open AI 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. Canada is dropping retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. to match U.S. tariff exemptions for goods covered under the trade pack signed by U.S., Mexico, and Canada in 2020. The move is designed to restart trade negotiations with the U.S. But Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says the tariffs on steel will stay in the the meantime. Canada will retain our tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos, as we work intensively

with the United States to resolve the issues there. Karni says Canada and the U.S. have reestablished free trade for the vast majority of their goods. Gaza health authorities say at least eight people have died due to malnutrition since yesterday. This week, international experts declared a famine in Gaza City and surrounding areas. This is NPR News. A bridge under construction collapsed yesterday in northwest China. According to state media, 12 construction workers were killed and four are still missing. Seven lawmakers from Taiwan's opposition party are declaring victory after today's recall election. They'll all stay in office as Ashish Valentine reports from Taipei.

That's a big win for the opposition, which favors closer ties with China. Taiwan, join. That's Yang Chonging of the opposition KMT, celebrating her victory and footage by Taiwanese news channel TVBS. Results show she and six other opposition lawmakers have all kept their seats in the second round of Taiwan's largest ever recall campaign. In both rounds, a total of 31 opposition lawmakers have survived their challenges. Grassroots protesters had launched the elections, arguing the opposition was blocking President Li Qingdo's efforts to prepare for a potential Chinese invasion. President

Lai recently pledged to boost defense spending to over 3% of GDP next year. These results indicate he'll have a tough time getting there. For NPR News, I'm Ashish Valentine in Taipei. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is expected to sign a Republican bill to redraw the state's congressional map. Lawmakers gave final approval this morning. President Trump had urged the unusual mid-decade redistricting as a way to improve a Republican representation in the U.S. House. Democrats in California have responded by pursuing their own redistricting in that state. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News.