NPR News: 08-11-2025 5AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: August 11, 2025, 5AM EDT

Released on August 11, 2025

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1. Trump-Putin Meeting Aims to End Ukraine War

[00:18]
Host Dave Mattingly reports that the White House is gearing up for a pivotal meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Scheduled to take place in Alaska on Friday, the talks are focused on negotiating an end to Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine.

[00:42]
NPR’s Chandelyse Duster conveys Vice President Anthony Vance's optimism about the meeting, describing it as a potential breakthrough in American diplomacy. Vance emphasized that while the negotiations aim for a settlement acceptable to both Ukrainians and Russians, it may not fully satisfy either side.

[01:00]
Vice President Vance stated:
"We're going to try to find some negotiated settlement that the Ukrainians and the Russians can live with, where they can live in relative peace, where the killing stops. It's not going to make anybody super happy. Both the Russians and the Ukrainians probably at the end of the day are going to be unhappy with it."
[01:00]

[01:16]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed support for President Trump’s efforts to broker a peace deal. However, he firmly stated that Ukraine will not concede any territorial gains, underscoring the nation's commitment to its sovereignty.

[01:27]
In related international news, Australia has announced its intention to recognize Palestinian statehood at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting next month.

[01:38]
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remarked:
"The situation in Gaza has gone beyond the world's worst fears. Far too many innocent lives have been lost."
[01:38]
Albanese highlighted the severe humanitarian conditions in Gaza as a driving factor behind Australia’s decision.

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2. Tragic Shooting at CDC Headquarters in Atlanta

[01:47]
A Georgia man opened fire at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, resulting in the death of a police officer. The shooter, who blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for his depression and suicidal tendencies, unleashed dozens of rounds at the complex. Law enforcement sources confirmed that the gunman was neutralized either by police intervention or a self-inflicted wound.

[02:35]
Sophie Gradas with Georgia Public Broadcasting reports that former and current CDC employees gathered at a local park to protest the violence and call for the resignation of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

[02:45]
Abby Tai, a former CDC staff member, stated:
"He, along with others in this administration, have sown distrust among the American people, dehumanizing CDCers and pointing to us as villains."
[02:45]
Tai and her colleagues criticized the administration's rhetoric, which they believe has undermined public trust in health institutions.

[02:54]
In response to the shooting, RFK Jr. referred to the incident as "unsettling" in a statement circulated to CDC employees. Consequently, many CDC staff will begin the week working from home, with plans for an all-staff meeting later in the week.

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3. Minor Incident: Delta Jet Collision in Atlanta

[03:12]
Delta Air Lines reported that one of its aircraft inadvertently made contact with a parked Delta jet while maneuvering away from a gate in Atlanta. Fortunately, there were no injuries among the 192 passengers and six crew members aboard the flight. Passengers were accommodated on another plane after experiencing some delays.

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4. U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Celebrates Young Champion

[03:12]
NPR’s Matt Bloom covers the triumph of 17-year-old Hesley Rivera, who emerged as the national champion in the U.S. women’s gymnastics finals held last night in New Orleans.

[03:49]
Hesley Rivera shared her sentiments after securing the all-around first place title:
"So much work in the gym, hard work, blood, sweat and tears. So I'm just so grateful that I'm here today."
[04:12]

Rivera achieved top scores in three events: balance beam, uneven bars, and floor exercise. This victory adds to her accolades, including her contribution to the U.S. women's team’s gold medal at the Paris Olympics last summer. Fellow Olympian Liane Wong secured second place, positioning both gymnasts as strong contenders for the upcoming World Championships in Indonesia and the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

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5. Wildfire Update: Gifford Fire in California

[04:32]
Crews battling California’s largest wildfire, the Gifford Fire, report progress in containment efforts within the Los Padres National Forest. Currently, about one-third of the fire is contained. The blaze, which has been raging for over a week, affects San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, leading to evacuations and the destruction of more than 118,000 acres of land.

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This summary provides an overview of the key topics discussed in the NPR News Now episode released on August 11, 2025. For more detailed information, listeners are encouraged to tune into the full broadcast.

Transcript

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[Dave Mattingly]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. The White House is preparing for this week's meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin today discuss ending Russia's war with Ukraine. The two are scheduled to hold talks in Alaska on Friday. As NPR's Shondalyse Duster reports, Vice President Vance is describing the meeting as a breakthrough.

[Chandelyse Duster]

Vance says the upcoming Alaska meeting between President Trump and Russian President Putin follows months of US Officials trying to break a logjam in the war. Vance told Fox News the meeting is a major breakthrough for American diplomacy, but cautions that Ukraine and Russia may not be content with the deal.

[Vice President Vance]

We're going to try to find some negotiated settlement that the Ukrainians and the Russians can live with, where they can live in relative peace, where the killing stops. It's not going to make anybody super happy. Both the Russians and the Ukrainians probably at the end of the day are going to be unhappy with it.

[Chandelyse Duster]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday he supports Trump's efforts to leverage a peace deal, but that Ukraine will not give up any land. Chandelyse Duster, NPR News.

[Dave Mattingly]

Zelensky is not scheduled to attend the talks. Australia is the latest country to announce it will recognize Palestinian statehood at next month's meeting of the UN General Assembly.

[Anthony Albanese]

The situation in Gaza has gone beyond the world's worst fears. Far too many innocent lives have been lost.

[Dave Mattingly]

That's Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who says the decision was prompted in part by the humanitarian conditions in Gaza. A Georgia man who opened fire on the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta blamed the COVID 19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal. That's what a law enforcement official tells the Associated Press. Dozens of rounds were fired into the CDC complex on Friday. The shooting left a police officer dead. It's unclear if the gunman was killed by police or from a self inflicted wound. In the aftermath of the shooting, some current and former employees of the CDC are criticizing Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Sophie gratis with Georgia Public Broadcasting has more.

[Sophie Gradas]

Clustered at an Atlanta park on Sunday, Abby Tai and other former and current CDC staff denounced the violence and called for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To resign.

[Abby Tai]

He, along with others in this administration, have sown distrust among the American people, dehumanizing CDCers and pointing to us as villains.

[Sophie Gradas]

Ty says her child was also on lockdown during the shooting at a nearby daycare. In a statement emailed to CDC employees, RFK Jr. Called the shooting, quote, unsettling. Many CDC employees will start the week working from home with plans for an all staff meeting this week. For NPR News, I'm Sophie Gradas in Atlanta.

[Dave Mattingly]

This is NPR News from Washington. Delta Air Lines says one of its jets made contact with a parked Delta jet while pushing back from a gate in Atlanta yesterday. No injuries were reported among the 192 passengers and six crew members. They were transferred to another plane after a delay. U.S. women's gymnastics has one of its youngest national champions. As NPR's Matt Bloom reports. 17 year old Hesley Rivera came out on top in last night's finals in New Orleans.

[Matt Bloom]

Rivera earned her first all around first place title with top scores in three events, balance beam, uneven bars and floor exercise. It marks the New Jersey teen's latest high profile win after helping the U.S. women's team earn gold in the Paris Olympics last summer. Here's Rivera speaking to NBC after coming off her winning floor routine.

[Hesley Rivera]

So much work in the gym, hard work, blood, sweat and tears. So I'm just so grateful that I'm here today.

[Matt Bloom]

Fellow Olympian Liane Wong nabbed second. The two are early favorites to represent the US at the World Championships in Indonesia this fall and Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028. MATT BLOOM, NPR News, New Orleans.

[Dave Mattingly]

Crews in central California say they're gaining more ground on the state's largest wildfire. Containment on the Gifford fire in a remote area of the Los Padres National Forest is now at 1/3 it. It's been burning for more than a week in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, prompting some evacuations. It's blackened more than 118,000 acres. I'm Dave Mattingly in Washington.

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