NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-29-2025 10AM EDT

Episode Date: August 29, 2025

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These days, there's so much news. It can be hard to keep up with what it all means for you, your family, and your community. The Consider This Podcast from NPR features our award-winning journalism. Six days a week, we bring you a deep dive on a news story and provide the context and analysis that helps you make sense of the news. We get behind the headlines. We get to the truth. Listen to the Consider This podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The White House says it's taking back an additional $4.9 billion in foreign aid using a method known as a pocket rescission. That means the request to cancel funds comes too late in the fiscal year for Congress to weigh in, effectively sidestepping lawmakers control over spending. Stocks on Wall Street opened lower this morning as the Commerce Department reported, reported a modest jump in core inflation last month. MPR, Scott Horsley reports the Dow was down 108 points in early trading. Consumer prices in July were up 2.6 percent from a year ago, according to the Commerce Department's inflation yardstick, which is closely watched by the Federal

Reserve. Stripping out volatile food and energy cost, core inflation was 2.9 percent, up slightly from the 12 months ending in June. Flood damage at an Indiana oil refinery caused a temporary spike in gas prices this month, but prices are settling down again heading into the holiday weekend. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to lower its benchmark interest rate in about two and a half weeks. It's not clear whether Fed Governor Lisa Cook will take part in that meeting. President Trump sought to fire Cook this week, but Cook is fighting her dismissal as an unlawful attack on the central bank's independence. Scott Horsley, MPR News, Washington. The ousted head of the CDC says she's still fighting her dismissal. The White House says

Susan Menares was removed for not aligning with the administration's agenda, including new directives from the health secretary. Former acting CDC director Richard Besser says he spoke with Menares about why she refused to go along. There were two lines. One is that she would never do anything that was illegal. And the other was that she would never do anything that flew in the face of science. And she was being asked to do both of those things. Manara says the only person who can fire her is President Trump and says she still hasn't heard from him. Two firefighters have been arrested by Border Patrol this year while working to contain one of Washington State's largest blazes. Gustavo Sagrero from member station KU.O.W. has more.

David Buenos Diaz is a crew boss leading one of a few freelancer teams combating the Bear Gulch fire. Diaz was there when he saw Border Patrol arresting the two firefighters. The teams he works with are composed of visa workers for Mexico, U.S. citizens, and members of the confederated tribes of the Humatilla Indian Reservation. Everybody works, you know, no matter what intensity you are, we're all there for the same thing. We're all there to help the communities out, help the forest, and, you know, just protect and serve. The morning of the arrest, Diaz says the lead fire management team sent the men out to cut wood. That's when Border Patrol came to check.

on the workers and arrested the two men. For NPR, I'm Gustavo Sagrero in Seattle. This is NPR News. Tariffs on small packages from around the world take effect today under a new executive order from President Trump. Until now, shipments valued under $800 could enter the U.S. Duty-free. That changed earlier this year for packages from China and Hong Kong, and now the same rules apply everywhere else. Packages will now face tariffs and inspection. The White House says the move closes a loophole that let foreign shippers dodge tariffs and slip counterfeit goods and drugs into the country.

Scientists are sticking out their necks about how we consider giraffes. The world's tallest land mammal was once believed to be a single species. But as NPR's Amy held reports, giraffes are now recognized as four species. Turns out, giraffes are turning heads for a new reason. This month, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, announced four distinct giraffe species. They are the northern giraffe, reticulated giraffe, masai giraffe, and the southern giraffe, all living in different African regions, woodlands and grasslands.

And while scientists had already recognized subspecies, they say those unique settings and careful study of giraffe's genetic differences and bone structure informed the change. The group says a more nuanced understanding of the animals can help with their conservation as giraffes face threats like habitat loss, climate change, and poaching. Amy Held, NPR News. I'm Windsor Johnston, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington. It's that time of gear again. Planet Money Summer School is back. This semester with help from professors, policy experts, and, yeah, even a Nobel laureate, we're diving into how government and the economy mixed 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.