NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-25-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: August 25, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day Sunday when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Keeve declared its freedom from Moscow. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Kiev, for he pledged billions of dollars in military equipment for Ukraine. We emphasize that the approach for securing peace must remain consistent with these principles of no decisions about Ukraine being taken without Ukraine and no decisions about Europe being taken without Europe.

Kearney also would not rule out the possible presence of Canadian troops at some point in Ukraine. The new congressional map pushed through the Texas legislature by Republicans is already facing a legal challenge. The lawsuit was filed just hours after the Texas Senate approved the map last week. The map was 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 hour. 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 Gonzales 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. SpaceX Sunday called off an attempt to launch its massive Starship rocket. As NPR's NPR's Nell Greenfield Boyce reports, that means space enthusiasts are still waiting for

test flight number 10. Starship is a two-stage space vehicle that stands nearly 400 feet tall. It's a key part of NASA's effort to return astronauts to the surface of the moon, as well as Elon Musk's effort to colonize Mars. But so far this year, Starship rockets have suffered a string of failures in flights. One even blew up on the launch pad during a test. All of that is why this 10th flight has been highly anticipated, and SpaceX did start loading propellant into the rocket at its Texas launch facility. But soon after, on social media, SpaceX said it was standing down to allow time to troubleshoot what it called an issue with ground systems. If it can get this issue fixed, the company has additional launch

windows in the coming days. Nell Greenfield-Boyce, NPR News. Fire officials in Oregon say about 10,000 people are under some form of evacuation order tonight as the flat wildfire continues to burn that Blaze has now grown to more than 29 square miles and so far has had no containment. In California's Napa County, meanwhile, the picket fire has grown to more than 10 square miles and is 11% contained. You're listening to NPR News. Some National Guard units patrolling the streets of the nation's capital have started carrying firearms. A Defense Department official speaking with the Associated Press says some units will be carrying handguns while others will be armed with rifles. It's an escalation in

efforts by President Trump to override local control of policing in the city. Trump has also said he may send troops into other cities led by Democratic government. governments. Climate disasters like hurricanes and wildfires threaten thousands of facilities that produce medical drugs across the U.S. That's according to a new study. NPR's Alejandra Burunda has more. Last year, flooding from Hurricane Helene shut down a manufactured facility in North Carolina that produces about 60 percent of the country's IV fluid bags. It was a wake-up call for many in the medical field. Now, a team of Harvard researchers asked, how many drug-producing facilities existed in a county that had experienced a climate disaster in the last five years.

It turns out there were thousands. Most hadn't experienced disruptions, at least not as dramatic as the IV facility during Haleen. But the study, which is published in the journal JAMA, warns continued climate change and the disasters it brings will inevitably put the U.S. drug supply chain at risk. Alejandro Burunda and PR News. Tommy Fleetwood has won his first ever PGA tour title. He shot a 68 on Sunday in Atlanta for the World. win, and he received a $10 million check, which is the richest prize on the tour. He finished with a three-stroke lead over Patrick Cantley and Russell Henley.

Scotty Sheffler had hoped for a come-from-behind in the tournament, but hit his tee shot on the 15th into the water. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News.