NPR News Now: July 25, 2025, 9PM EDT
Hosted by Kristen Wright
1. Gaza Starvation Concerns and U.S. Ceasefire Stance
Aid organizations are sounding alarms over potential starvation in Gaza amid escalating tensions. The Trump administration has attributed the humanitarian crisis to Hamas's refusal to accept Israel's ceasefire terms.
President Trump criticized Hamas for their stance, stating at [00:53], "Hamas didn't really want to make a deal. I think they want to die and it's very, very bad." He further emphasized the challenges in achieving a diplomatic resolution, noting at [01:02], "Hamas understands what will happen once the remaining hostages are released. Hamas will, quote, lose their shield and lose their cover."
Trump also announced the withdrawal of U.S. and Israeli negotiating teams from Qatar after Hamas presented a counterproposal for a ceasefire that included the release of some hostages from Gaza. He described the situation as "disappointing" and expressed skepticism about the possibility of a diplomatic deal, suggesting that Israel might need to continue its efforts to eliminate Hamas in Gaza.
Source: Kristen Wright, NPR News
2. Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" and Deportation Efforts
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has initiated deportation flights from an immigration detention center in the Everglades, colloquially dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz." This facility, located at an airport in the heart of the Everglades, has seen the deportation of 100 detainees with final removal orders, with plans to increase the number and frequency of these operations.
At [01:39], Governor DeSantis stated, "100 detainees who had final removal orders have been deported from the facility located at an airport in the heart of the Everglades." He added that "hundreds more have been flown from the facility to other locations in the US before being deported."
However, the operations have faced legal challenges. Several lawsuits have been filed by elected officials and detainees' lawyers, who allege denial of access to the facility. A Florida emergency management director attributed these access issues to technology problems, promising that on-site legal representation would be available by Monday.
Source: Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami
3. Education Department Grants and Ukrainian Cyberattack
Next week, the U.S. Department of Education is set to release $5 billion in grant funding to states after a period of withholding for review. Concurrently, Ukrainian intelligence has reportedly launched a cyberattack against Russian authorities' servers in occupied Crimea.
Ukrainian military intelligence sources revealed that they accessed a substantial amount of sensitive documents detailing Russian military facilities and supply routes in Crimea. Ukrainian media reports indicated that some of these documents were marked as secret. After extracting the valuable information, Ukrainian operatives destroyed all data stored on the compromised Russian government servers. These documents are expected to play a crucial role in documenting alleged Russian war crimes in Crimea.
At [02:42], a Ukrainian Military Intelligence Source explained, "Ukraine's military intelligence... does not officially reveal any details of the operation," but emphasized the significance of the captured data for future records on Russian activities in Crimea.
Source: Paulina Litvinova, NPR News, Kyiv
4. Wastage of MPOX Vaccines Intended for Africa
Hundreds of thousands of doses of the MPOX vaccine are slated to expire without being utilized. These immunizations were part of a commitment by the United States to send vaccines to Africa to curb a significant outbreak of the virus. President Biden had pledged to deliver 1 million MPOX vaccines to Africa ten months prior, but only approximately 90,000 doses reached countries like Nigeria, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Of the remaining vaccines stored in warehouses, about half have lost their viability due to shelf life constraints, requiring at least six months to remain usable. Yap Boom from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted the financial implications, stating at [03:59], "They can no longer be sent to the continent, which is a huge loss because one dose of vaccine is $100."
Efforts to transfer the remaining 300,000 doses have been stalled by bureaucratic hurdles, exacerbated by changes in the U.S. administration and significant cuts to foreign assistance under President Trump.
Source: Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR News
5. University of New Mexico Dorm Shooting and Deportation of Former Congressman
A tragic incident occurred at the University of New Mexico when a man was arrested for a shooting at a dormitory during new student orientation. The attack resulted in one fatality and another person being wounded.
In related political news, former New York Congressman George Santos has reported to a federal prison in New Jersey to begin serving a seven-year sentence for fraud. Santos pleaded guilty to charges including wire fraud and identity theft, admitting to deceiving donors and stealing identities to fund his congressional campaign. His tenure in Congress was brief; he was expelled in 2023 after serving less than a year.
Source: Kristen Wright, NPR News
Notable Quotes
- Donald Trump at [00:53]: "Hamas didn't really want to make a deal. I think they want to die and it's very, very bad."
- Donald Trump at [01:02]: "Hamas understands what will happen once the remaining hostages are released. Hamas will, quote, lose their shield and lose their cover."
- Governor Ron DeSantis at [01:39]: "100 detainees who had final removal orders have been deported from the facility located at an airport in the heart of the Everglades."
- Yap Boom, Africa CDC at [03:59]: "They can no longer be sent to the continent, which is a huge loss because one dose of vaccine is $100."
Released on July 26, 2025
This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-relevant sections to provide a comprehensive overview of the key news topics covered in the episode.