NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-27-2025 6AM EDT

Episode Date: August 27, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. 50% tariffs on Indian goods take effect today, some of the highest in the world. NPR's Dia Hadid reports the Trump administration says the move is in response to India's ongoing purchases of Russian oil. The tariff's signal a stunning collapse in relations after decades of bipartisan policy to strengthen India to counter a muscular China. America is India's largest export market, and the tariffs are likely to impact half that trade. worth between $50 billion to $60 billion. Traders have already halted some exports to the U.S., including frozen shrimp. Washington accuses India of fueling the invasion of Ukraine through its purchases of Russian oil.

But it has not sanctioned the other chief buyer, China. India says it will not halt its purchases for now. Dear Hadid, NPR News, Mumbai. President Trump held a marathon cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday to highlight his crime-fighting efforts in Washington, D.C. NPR's Tamri-Keeh reports that Trump also received plenty of praise from his top officials. Trump boasted that bringing in thousands of National Guard troops and federal agents has made the nation's capital safe and said he wants any murders committed in the district to be punished by the death

penalty. Trump also repeated a line he has used several times lately, saying people would be okay with the dictator. If he stops crime, he can be whatever he wants. I'm not a dictator, by the way, but he can be whatever he wants. I think it's going to be a big, a big, big subject for the midterms, and I think the Republicans are going to do really well. This set a record as Trump's longest event ever. Tamara Keith, NPR News, the White House. Tech companies in Silicon Valley are pouring more than $100 million into a campaign to block new rules on artificial intelligence. NPR's Bobby Allen reports the effort comes as states begin to weigh a series of AI regulations. A network of political action committees known as Leading the Future will begin fanning out across states, including New York, California, and Ohio.

While Congress has not enacted any AI laws, states have been busy at work. The group fighting back includes tech leaders from the firm Adreason Horowitz and executives at OpenAI. They plan to argue in digital ads and to state lawmakers that A. AI regulations could hurt innovation and give China an edge in AI development. The tech execs are pushing back against what they see as AI doomers, who they say fear societal upheaval. But AI critics say while places like Europe reign in AI, the U.S. is making a mistake by taking a largely hands-off approach. Bobby Allen, MPR News. This is NPR News in Washington.

The Food and Drug Administration has suspended the license for a chicken. Gugia vaccine. NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports the decision leaves the United States with just one vaccine against the mosquito-borne illness that's on the rise globally. Chicken guinea disease is very rare in the U.S. but causes severe joint pain in hundreds of thousands of people worldwide each year. In 2023, the FDA-approved vaccine called Ixchik, manufactured by Valneva. In the U.S., it's given mostly to travelers. In May, FDA and the European Union equivalent recommended a pause in the use of the vaccine in older adults after reports of the vaccine causing symptoms of the disease itself. Both agencies reversed the pause in early

August, but last week, the FDA pulled the vaccine's license. In response, Valneva said the adverse events are in line with what was reported before approval. Jonathan Lambert and PR News. Three, two, one. After a series of setback, SpaceX was able to launch its massive starship rocket from a facility in South Texas last night. The 400-foot rocket deployed eight dummy Starlink satellites into orbit before both stages splashed down safely. Company officials say the mission met all of its major objectives, delivering crucial data to help refine the rocket's design. Stocks across Asia traded mixed today.

Markets in Hong Kong and China closed lower, while shares in Japan were higher. I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington. It's that time of gear again. Planet Money Summer School is back. This semester with help from professors, policy experts, and yes, even a Nobel laureate, we're diving into how government and the economy mix and asking the big questions like, what role should government play in our economy? Does government intervention help or hurt and how big should the government be?

That's on Planet Money Summer School from NPR, wherever you get your podcasts.