NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-24-2025 10AM EDT

Episode Date: August 24, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. The new congressional map pushed through the Texas legislature by Republicans already facing a legal challenge. The lawsuit was filed just hours after the Texas Senate approved the map requested by President Trump to improve Republican prospects in next year's midterm elections. Texas Public Radio's Jerry Clayton has more. Lawmakers approved the map on Saturday in the early morning hours. The new map heavily favors Republicans and was pushed by the Trump administration. to shore up Republican ranks in Congress for the approaching midterm elections. The lawsuit was filed against Governor Greg Abbott and Secretary of State Jane Nelson

on behalf of 13 Texas residents collectively called the Gonzalez Plaintiffs. The suit claims the redrawn map is racially discriminatory and also argues that the redrawing of congressional maps before the next census is unconstitutional. The map was pushed through by Republicans after a lengthy battle which saw Democrats at one point fleeing the state to break quorum. For NPR news, I'm Jerry Clayton in San Antonio. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky marked his country's Independence Day today with a speech from Kiev's Independence Square, saying Ukraine will never surrender its freedom. We are building a Ukraine that will have enough strength and power to live in security and peace,

so that on this square, on the Maidan of our independence, under our flags, on our land, Our children and our grandchildren will celebrate Independence Day, in peace, tranquility, with confidence in the future and with respect and gratitude to all who defended Ukraine in this war, the war for independence. Zelensky heard there through a BBC interpreter as President Trump and other world leaders congratulate Ukraine. President Zelensky posted a letter from Trump online

in which he said Ukraine's courage has inspired many and that he supported a negotiated settlement to the war. National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation in a Friday's deadly tour bus crash near Buffalo, New York. Five adults were killed, dozens more injured. NPR's Ava Pukatch reports on the investigation so far. The bus was traveling from Niagara Falls to New York City when it departed the travel lanes and rolled over. The cause is still unclear. NTSB investigator Tom Chapman says the bus was equipped with seatbelts,

but some passengers may not have been wearing them. Part of our investigation will be to determine the extent to which seatbelts were being used and the extent to which the lack of seatbelt use may have been a factor in some of the passengers being ejected. New York State Police have launched their own investigation and say the bus drivers showed no signs of impairment and the tour bus did not have any mechanical failure. Eva Pugatch and PR News. And from Washington you're listening to NPR News.

Amid that heat wave and the Pacific Northwest fire crews in northern California have been working this weekend to corral the picket fire in Napa County. It's burned more than 6,000 acres and has led to evacuations in rural communities. The first round of the U.S. Open gets underway today in Flushing Meadows, New York. As NPR's Matt Bloom reports, some of the biggest names in tennis are set to compete in the final Grand Slan Tennis Tournament of the Year. This year's lineup includes top seeds arena Sabalanka from Belarus for the women and Italian Yanik Sinner for the men. The defending champs join a crowded field of contenders, including

four-time U.S. Open champion Novak Djokovic, who skipped all tournaments after Wimbledon to focus on this Grand Slam. Tennis legend Venus Williams is also making history as the oldest singles player in the tournament in more than four decades. She was excited. She was extended a wild card invitation to the U.S. Open. I want to be my best. That's the expectation I have for myself to get the best out of me, and that's all any player can ask for. Williams' first match is scheduled for Monday.

The Open will last two weeks. Map Bloom and PR News. SpaceX is set to launch another test flight of its huge Starship rocket. Lip-off is scheduled for this evening at the private company's Star Base headquarters in South Texas. Starship, the largest rocket ever built. Three previous tests this year have resulted in failure of fourth blew up during testing on the ground. I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News from Washington.