NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-03-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: September 3, 2025

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Congress is back from its summer recess with a lot on its agenda. What's all in store for lawmakers and what does their work mean for you? Every weekday, the NPR Politics podcast unpacks Washington's inner workings. Listen to the NPR Politics Podcast on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump is disputing the notion that his administration's holding back files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. From what I understand, thousands of pages of documents have been given, but it's really a Democrat hoax because they're trying to get people to talk about something that's totally irrelevant to the success that we've had as a nation since I've been president. Earlier in the hour, women who say they were abused by Epstein, in some cases when they were underage, were speaking out on Capitol Hill.

They've joined a bipartisan congressional effort for full transparency. The women allege powerful people have yet to be held to account for participating in Epstein's crimes or covering up for him. Epstein died by suicide in 2019. President Trump addressed the Epstein file controversy as he was hosting the president of Poland. Carol Novotsky. S. May Nicholson reports Russia's war with Ukraine is on the leader's agenda. Novrodski's meeting at the White House is his first foreign trip since taking office last month, and he is expecting a warm welcome. Trump has praised Poland for spending the highest GDP percentage of any NATO member on defense.

But nervous of Russia, Novrovsky is expected to push for an increased U.S. commitment to Polish security, including keeping U.S. troops on NATO's eastern flank. And while Poland is a big purchaser of U.S. weapons, Trump is expected to push Navrotsky to buy more, both for its own defense and on behalf of Ukraine. Navrotsky has promised to continue to support Kiv, but like the U.S. administration, has accused Ukrainian president, Volodymya Zelensky, of taking advantage of Ukraine's allies. For NPR News, I'm Esmey Nicholson in Berlin. A panel of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked the Trump administration from U.S. using a wartime power to deport Venezuelans from three states. NPR's Jimenez-Bustia reports that means the issue President Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act

could wind up back of the Supreme Court. The latest court decision blocks deportations with the use of the act from Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Earlier this year, Trump invoked the 18th century wartime power to help streamline deportations of Venezuelans, he says, are members of the Thren de Aragua gang. Since then, the use of this power has attracted numerous legal challenges, including two prior Supreme Court decisions. But the High Court has yet to directly address the larger question of whether Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act at all was legal. This preliminary injunction can now be appealed by the Trump administration to settle that bigger question.

Jimenez-Austio, NPR News, Washington. At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down. More than 200 points or roughly half a percent. The NASDAQ was up more than 200. You're listening to NPR News. Newsmax is suing Fox Corporation and Fox News alleging they are breaking federal antitrust laws with efforts to block competition among right-leaning television networks. Newsmax says Fox has been, quote, coercing distributors into unfair carriage agreements designed to exclude or marginalize competitors. A wildfires destroyed homes in California's historic Chinese camp and has burned historic structures in the town Chinese. immigrants established during California's 19th century gold rush era.

The fire is one of nearly two dozen that broke out across northern California sparked by lightning strikes yesterday. A new study finds that deforestation in South America's Amazon rainforest is worsening during the dry season.

NPR's Nate Rod reports makes a region more susceptible to wildfires. Think of a tree like a water pump. Rainfalls and is absorbed by the ground, where tree roots suck it up and move it back upwards. Water vapor is then released from tiny pores and leaves far above, fueling more rain. That process is especially important in the Amazon during the dry season,

and the new study published in the journal Nature Communications finds that deforestation, mostly for agriculture, is directly responsible for 75% of rainfall decreases during the drier season. Drier vegetation means more wildfires. The researchers warn which kill trees and exacerbate the problem. Nate Rot, NPR News. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.