NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-24-2025 12PM EDT

Episode Date: August 24, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. Two weeks after President Trump launched a federal takeover of Washington, D.C., he's looking to deploy the military in Chicago next. That's according to reporting by the Washington Post, which cites unidentified officials. NPR's Amy Held reports. Governor J.B. Pritzker says Trump is, quote, attempting to manufacture a crisis and Illinois didn't ask for federal help. Trump declared a crime emergency in D.C. before stepping in. Friday, he indicated that's just the start. Chicago's a mess. You have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent. And we'll straighten that one out probably next. Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke Saturday in Chicago.

What's being painted by the federal government is false. Like in D.C., violent crime is down in Chicago. Same in New York City, where Trump says a federal crackdown will likely follow. All cities led by black Democrats. Trump has a lot more. power over D.C., but presidents can federalize state guards elsewhere in an emergency, like Trump did in L.A. in June. Amy Held and PR News. Ukrainian President Vladimir 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 is heard here through a BBC interpreter. Meanwhile, Russia is accusing Ukraine of drone strikes that sparked a fire to nuclear plant in Russia's curse region. It's another deadly day in Gaza as the Israeli military continues its push into the besieged territory. Dozens of Palestinians were killed as part of an offensive to capture Gaza City. NPR's Jackie Northam reports on the story from Tel Aviv. Israel considers the densely populated

Gaza City to be one of the last major strongholds of Hamas and has been preparing for an assault over the past week, mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists and hammering the outer regions with airstrikes. Israel has been warning Palestinians and health care facilities to evacuate Gaza City ahead of a full-scale attack. But there are few places to go. There's widespread condemnation of the military offensive both domestically and internationally. Gaza City and other areas are in the grip of a famine, and Israelis fear and attack on a Hamas stronghold could lead to the deaths of more Israeli hostages held by the militants. Jackie Northam, NPR News. Tel Aviv. This is NPR News in Washington. The state of Texas is being sued over its new

congressional map. Lawmakers gave final approver early yesterday morning to the redistricting. It's designed to add more Republicans to the U.S. House in the midterm elections next year. The lawsuit was brought by 13 Texas residents who say that redistricting in the middle of a decade violates the Constitution, and the new map discriminates against black and Latino communities. Veteran character actor Jerry Adler died this weekend at the age of 96. He was best known for roles in TV series such as The Sopranos and the Good Wife, but Jeff London reports acting was Adler's second career. Long before he became known as HASH, Tony Sopranos' advisor on the HBO hit The Sopranos,

Jerry Adler had a distinguished first act as a stage model. manager and director on Broadway. Born to a theatrical family, his cousin was famed acting teacher Stella Adler, he worked on the original Broadway productions of gentlemen prefer blondes and my fair lady as a stage manager. It wasn't until he was in his 60s that Adler started acting and he constantly worked on Northern Exposure, Mad About You and Transparent among other shows, and returned to Broadway as an actor in a couple of of roles beginning in 2000. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York. SpaceX will try again tonight to launch its new starship rocket. In previous tests,

the huge rocket has either exploded or burned up in the atmosphere. I'm NPRROM. NPR News in Washington.