NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-25-2025 7PM EDT

Episode Date: August 25, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. A federal judge in Maryland is expected to halt the deportation of Kilmar, Abrago Garcia. At least for now, he's the man wrongfully sent by the Trump administration to El Salvador, despite a court order barring his deportation there. Abrago Garcia was detained again this morning, just days after being freed from a detention facility in Tennessee to await trial on human smuggling charges that his lawyers say are preposterous. Parasario Martitas Beltran has the latest. Based on a standing court order, the earliest Abregio Garcia could be removed is Wednesday. But Maryland District Judge Paula Sinis says she is likely to hold his deportation until at least Friday. Sinis expressed concerns about the U.S. government's decision to send Abrago Garcia to Uganda, a country to which he has no connection, and that has not said which protections it will grant the deportee. Cynics also prohibited the government from moving Abrago Garcia from the immigration detention facility where he is now and proposed a new hearing for Friday.

Sergio Martinez Beltran, NPR News. National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., now carrying weapons a change from their original orders. NPR's Jennifer Lodden reports the Trump administration says they'll use force only as a last resort. The task force overseeing the deployment says the National Guard will be able to perform duties that help with law enforcement, but service members will only use their weapons in response to, quote, an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm. There are now more than 2,000 National Guard troops in D.C. from six different states and the district. President Trump deployed them two weeks ago to crack down on what he called out-of-control crime. So far, though, guard troops have

mostly patrolled near popular tourist areas. Deployed officers from a string of federal agencies have made hundreds of arrests, many for immigration enforcement. or low-level crimes. Jennifer Lutton, NPR News, Washington. The window is now open for the launch of that massive rocket called Starship. NPR's Nell Greenfield-Boyce reports that Sunday's attempt was called off, just as the rocket was being fueled up. The two-stage nearly 400-foot-tall rocket was being filled with liquid methane and liquid

oxygen at the launch site in Texas when SpaceX workers suddenly stopped and drained the tanks. Elon Musk posted on social media that a groundside liquid oxygen leak needed to be fixed and that they would aim for another launch attempt on Monday. The space community has been waiting for this 10th test flight with a lot of interest because the Starship program has suffered a string of failures this year. One of the rockets even exploded on the launch pad during a test. And this rocket is a key part of NASA's effort to return astronauts to the surface of the moon. Nell Greenfield-Boyce, NPR News. This is NPR News. More than 180 current and former employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency have signed on to a letter warning that FEMA is not ready to respond to hurricanes and other disasters.

The letter cites funding cuts and concerns about current management and coincides with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. 35 of the signers included their names and majority remained an honor. The U.S. Open Tennis Tournament is underway in New York, and tonight, Venus Williams, at 45 years old, is making a return to the sport. MPR's Becky Sullivan has more. It's been three decades since Venus Williams made her professional debut. She has never formally retired, even as she spent more than a year off the court recently due to health issues. Still, it was a surprise to many when she returned to the tour this summer. Now Williams is back at a grand slam after the U.S. Open granted her a wildcard entry.

Super thrilling to be back. It does not get old. It just gets more exciting. In the first round, Williams will face the world's number 13 player, Carolina Mohova. Williams has won the U.S. Open twice back in 2000 and 2001 the year she beat her sister Serena in the final. But now Venus, ranked below 500, is a long shot to make a deep run. The favorites on the women's side are Igas Fiatek and Arena Sabalanka. Becky Sullivan and PR News. American Madison Keys has been knocked out of the final. Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.

Keys was upset at the U.S. Open today, losing her first round match in New York to 82nd ranked Renata Seruah of Mexico. Keys won her first major championship. The Australian Open back in January. I'm Jail Snyder. This is in...