NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-24-2025 5PM EDT

Episode Date: August 24, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Janine Hurst. It's another deadly day in Gaza as the Israeli military continues its push into the besieged territory. Dozens of Palestinians were killed as Israeli warplanes and tanks struck areas around Gaza City as part of an offensive to capture it. NPR's Jackie Northam reports. 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-hot hostages held by the militants. Jackie Northam, NPR News, Tel Aviv. The White House is denying that the Trump administration is carrying out politically motivated probes. And Pierce Tamer Keith reports this even as investigations into Trump's political enemies pile up. On Friday, the FBI searched the home and office of Trump's first-term national security adviser John Bolton. On NBC's Meet the press, Vice President J.D. Vance was asked if Bolton is being targeted because he is a

vocal Trump critic. And Vance denied it. We're going to be careful about that. We're going to be deliberate about that because we don't think that we should throw people, even if they disagree with us politically, maybe especially if they disagree with us politically. You shouldn't throw people willy-nilly in prison. This investigation doesn't come in isolation. Senator Adam Schiff, who led a Trump impeachment and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who prosecuted Trump for fraud, now both face highly publicized DOJ investigations into alleged mortgage fraud. Tamara Keith, NPR News. Millions of people in the West are facing dangerous heat that's increasing wildfire risks.

And Piracondelees, Duster, has more. Extreme heat watches and warnings are in effect for parts of California, Oregon, and Washington State through at least Tuesday. The National Weather Service says some places will see temperatures surpassing 100 degrees with little relief at night. The heat, coupled with dry conditions, is also fueling wildfires such as a lot of weather. the flatfire in Oregon. Operation Section Chief Eric Perkins says they are hopeful they can prevent the blaze from spreading, but weather is making it difficult.

We are in a firefight and the weather's not that favorable. It's more favorable for the fire than the firefighters today. Officials are warning residents in places facing extreme heat to stay in cool areas and drink plenty of water. Shandalee Duster, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Today could be test flight number 10 for Starship, the largest rocket ever built. Space X says the launch could come as soon as 7.30 p.m. Eastern time.

As NPR's Nell Greenfield voice reports, Starship has recently suffered some failures. In June, an engine test on the launch pad resulted in a spectacular explosion, completely blowing up a starship vehicle. And during the last test flight, in May, a fuel leak made the vehicle lose control. Getting this massive rocket to work is critical for both NASA and SpaceX. NASA is depending on this vehicle to land astronauts on the moon, and SpaceX wants to use it to deploy satellites and eventually put people on Mars. If weather or glitches prevent SpaceX from trying to launch today, they can try again on Monday or Tuesday.

Nell Greenfield-Boyce, NPR News. Veteran character actor Jerry Adler has died at the age of 96. He started his career behind the scenes in theater, working on more than 50 Broadway productions. He later transitioned into acting in his 60s, gaining fame for roles on the HBO hit Sopranos and The Good Wife. Adler's acting career spanned more than 30 years with appearances in shows like Northern Exposure, Rescue, Rescue, and Mad About You, among others. He also returned to Broadway on stage this time. He came from an entertainment family. His cousin was famed acting teacher Stella Adler. I'm Janine Herbst, NPR News, in Washington.