NPR News Now: Episode Summary – July 25, 2025

Host: Shea Stevens
Release Date: July 25, 2025
Duration: 5 minutes
Description: The latest news in five minutes. Updated hourly.

1. President Trump Visits Federal Reserve, Criticizes Renovation Costs

Timestamp: [00:16]

President Donald Trump made an unprecedented visit to the Federal Reserve, a move that is highly unusual given the Fed's tradition of independence. During his inspection of a renovation project at the central bank, Trump expressed strong criticism over the escalating costs.

• Shea Stevens: "President Trump sparred with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell Thursday during a visit to the central bank."

Timestamp: [00:32]

NPR's Rafael Nam reported that Trump's primary concern was the rising cost of the Fed's renovation, which he claimed was excessively high.

• Rafael Nam: "It was already an unusual visit. Presidents don't normally visit the Fed, which strongly protects its independence."

The disagreement centered around the final cost of the renovations. While Trump cited a figure of $2 billion, Chairman Powell provided a higher estimate.

• Jerome Powell: "We're taking a look and it looks like it's about 3.1 billion. It went up a little bit or a lot."
  [00:54]

Powell’s head shake indicated his disagreement with Trump's figure.

Timestamp: [01:02]

After addressing the cost discrepancy and clarifying that Trump's number included a building constructed five years prior, the interaction became more conciliatory.

• Rafael Nam: "After that, Trump was more conciliatory, avoiding repeating his attacks against Powell as they walked away."

2. Alarming Malnutrition in Gaza: Healthcare Workers Report Deaths

Timestamp: [01:20]

Healthcare professionals and aid organizations are raising alarms over the increasing number of deaths in Gaza due to malnutrition and lack of medical supplies.

• Shea Stevens: "Healthcare workers and aid groups say that dozens of Gazans have died in recent weeks because of causes related to malnutrition."

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that five malnourished children died over four days from a shortage of medicine.

• Shea Stevens: "The Gaza Health Ministry says five malnourished children died over four days last week alone because of a lack of medicine."

Dr. Ahmed Al Farah, who oversees pediatric and maternity care at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, provided a dire assessment of the situation.

• Dr. Ahmed Al Farah: "The situation in Gaza nowadays is very, very critical. And nowadays we can see a lot of people, they are falling in the streets. They are complaining from fatigue."
  [01:42]

Al Farah highlighted that trucks carrying essential medical supplies have been stuck at the border for months, exacerbating the crisis.

The UN humanitarian office reported that approximately 9% of over 56,000 children screened in Gaza are suffering from acute malnourishment.

3. Ukrainian President Zelensky Reverses Plan to Control Anti-Corruption Agencies

Timestamp: [01:59]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has retracted his initiative to place the country’s anti-corruption watchdogs under his direct authority, responding to public outcry.

• Shea Stevens: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reversed an effort to place his country's anti-corruption watchdogs under his authority."

NPR's Hanna Palamorenko reported from Kyiv that the reversal came after significant opposition from both the public and the heads of anti-corruption agencies.

• Hanna Palamorenko: "Ukrainians called on the president to repeal a controversial law that he had signed."

In response, Zelensky introduced a new bill designed to ensure the independence of these agencies, with active participation from the agencies themselves in drafting the legislation.

• Hanna Palamorenko: "Now the parliament is to consider the bill at its next meeting."

Public sentiment remains strong, with calls for continued protests if legislative action is delayed.

• Hanna Palamorenko: "Ukrainians on social media are calling for continued protests if the session does not take place soon."

4. FCC Approves Paramount Global and Skydance Merger Amid CBS Changes

Timestamp: [03:12]

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has given the green light to the $8 billion merger between Paramount Global and Skydance, a decision influenced by Skydance's commitments to revamp CBS.

• Shea Stevens: "The Federal Communications Commission has approved the $8 billion merger of Paramount Global and Skydance."

FCC Chair Brendan Carr highlighted Skydance’s pledge to implement significant changes within CBS as a pivotal factor in the approval.

Additionally, Paramount has faced recent challenges, including the cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" slated for next spring.

• Shea Stevens: "Paramount, which owns CBS, announced it was canceling the Late Show with Stephen Colbert next spring."

Furthermore, Paramount has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by President Trump over a 2024 "60 Minutes" interview, agreeing to pay $16 million.

5. Trump’s National Park Service Cuts: Minimal Impact at Glacier National Park?

Timestamp: [03:54]

The Trump administration’s budget cuts to the National Park Service have raised concerns about the future maintenance and operations of national parks. However, NPR’s Kirk Sigler reports that the impact at Glacier National Park in Montana appears minimal for visitors.

• Kirk Sigler: "Glacier's permanent staff has been cut by 25% through firings, buyouts and President Trump's hiring freeze on all federal agencies."

Despite these reductions, many park visitors, including Nathan Boggs from Minnesota, have not noticed any negative effects.

• Nathan Boggs: "Everything just seems really well taken care of for us."
  [04:20]

Sigler notes that while surface operations appear normal—with busy roads and clean facilities—the reduction in permanent staff has led former employees and watchdog groups to express concerns. Essential behind-the-scenes work such as infrastructure planning, wildlife studies, and future hiring have reportedly stalled.

• Kirk Sigler: "But they say all the work in the back office, like planning for infrastructure, wildlife studies, and even hiring for next year, is on hold."

6. Market Updates and Brief Economic News

Timestamp: [04:44]

U.S. futures are trading higher in after-hours on Wall Street, signaling potential gains in the upcoming trading session. Conversely, Asia-Pacific markets are experiencing declines, with Hong Kong shares down by 1%.

Note: Advertisements and non-content segments have been excluded from this summary to focus solely on the key news topics discussed in the episode.