NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-23-2025 5AM EDT

Episode Date: August 23, 2025

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It's that time of gear again. Planet Money Summer School is back. This semester with help from professors, policy experts, and yes, even a Nobel laureate, we're diving into how government and the economy mix and asking the big questions like, what role should government play in our economy? Does government intervention help or hurt and how big should the government be? That's on Planet Money Summer School from NPR, wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. A federal judge in California has ruled that the Trump administration cannot deny federal funding to dozens of cities over their so-called sanctuary policies. MPR's Matt Bloom reports it follows a similar decision from earlier this year. In a ruling this past March, U.S. District Judge William Oreck said the administration's attempt to withhold funding from cities that don't follow its immigration agenda was unconstitutional. And late last night, Oric echoed that opinion in favor of Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, and at least 30 other cities that say billions of federal aid dollars are at stake.

The administration has argued that Oric's decision to grant an injunction to the cities is wrong. And it's already appealed his previous ruling. The man who's become a symbol of President Trump's immigration policies is back in Maryland. Kilmara-Breggo-Garcia was ordered released on bail from custody in Tennessee after he was wrong. wrongfully deported to El Salvador. He's now on home detention awaiting trial on criminal charges. His case raises questions about due process under President Trump's trackdown on immigrants in the country illegally. Trump administration has indicated it may withhold tens of millions of dollars in election security funding of states don't comply with its voting policy goals. Here's NPR's Miles Parks.

Almost $28 million in election security grants are now at risk after the Trump administration changed the requirements for how states can qualify for them. NPR is the first to report on the development. The Department of Homeland Security, which manages the grant program, is now requiring states to prioritize compliance with election certifications that are so new, no jurisdiction in the country has equipment yet that meets the standards. DHS also wants officials to use a new tool that developed this year for citizenship verification, but it hasn't proven the tool works or explained how the data the tool analyzes is secured. NPR spoke with multiple state voting officials who say in many people,

places, the money just won't be spent because of the new rules. Miles Parks, NPR News, Washington. At least five people have died. Dozens of others were injured Friday after their tour bus crashed just east of Buffalo, New York from Buffalo, Toronto. Public Media, Michael Lulse reports. The bus was bringing more than 50 people back to New York City after a visit to Niagara Falls when it lost control and rolled over on Interstate 90. Major Andre Ray, commander of New York State Police Troop T, says that while operator impairment has been ruled out, other driver-related causes are being investigated. It's believed the operator became distracted, lost control, over-corrected, and ended up on the right shoulder there. The investigation is still underway. It's too early to state

whether or whether or not charges will take place. Dozens were taken to hospitals. Initial reports that a child was among those killed have since been corrected. For NPR News, I'm Michael Loss in Buffalo. And from Washington, this is NPR News. Texas's new congressional voting map is now heading to Governor Greg Abbott for his signature. The Texas Senate gave the plan final approval overnight. It was sought by President Trump to improve Republican chances of retaining control of the House in next year's midterm elections. And it has set off a tit for tat over redistricting, notably in California, and potentially

in other states as well. Stocks got a lift on Friday. when Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell hinted at a possible interest rate cut. MPR. Scott Horsley reports the Powell's comments came at the end of a mixed week on Wall Street. Powell told a gathering of economists and central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming,

that it could soon be time for a change in Fed policy. He stopped short of promising a rate cut at the next Fed meeting in September, but said the risk of inflation, which is still elevated, has to be weighed against signs of a weakening job market. Investors were already betting on a September rate cut, but Powell's comments made them more confident.

Several big retailers warned this week that President Trump's tariffs will lead to rising prices. But so far, retailers have absorbed most of the cost those import taxes. For the week, the Dow jumped one and a half percent. The S&P 500 index rose a quarter percent, and the tech-heavy NASDAQ fell, six-tenths of a percent. Scott Horsley, Impair News, Washington. In South Williams, poor Pennsylvania, the right to play for the Little League World Series Championship is on the line today. The winners of the U.S. and international brackets will play for the title tomorrow. A team from Fairfield, Connecticut will take on a team from Las Vegas today.

Chinese Taipei will play Aruba. I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News from Washington.