NPR News: 08-13-2025 10PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: August 13, 2025 – Detailed Summary

Release Date: August 14, 2025
Host: Windsor Johnston, NPR

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1. U.S.-Russia Summit and Ukraine Involvement

Overview:
President Donald Trump is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, a meeting that may pave the way for a subsequent conference involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, Trump is cautiously managing expectations regarding the potential for a second gathering.

Key Points:

• Upcoming Summit: President Trump announced that his meeting with Putin on Friday at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage will be pivotal in determining whether a follow-up meeting, including President Zelensky, will occur.

• Trump's Statement: “Now, there may be no second meeting because if I feel that it's not appropriate to have it because I didn't get the answers that we have to have, then we're not going to have a second meeting.” ([00:42])

• Positive Preliminary Communications: Trump mentioned that a call with Zelensky and other European leaders earlier in the day was productive.

• European Perspectives: Following Trump's call, German Chancellor Friedrich Mayers emphasized that Ukraine must be included in negotiations with Putin, highlighting the European stance on the matter.

Attribution:
Windsor Johnston and Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News

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2. Brazil Responds to U.S. Tariffs

Overview:
Brazil is taking significant steps to support its exporters impacted by the 50% tariffs imposed by President Trump on Brazilian exports. The Brazilian government has introduced a multi-billion-dollar fund to aid affected companies.

Key Points:

• Brazil’s Initiative: President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva announced approximately $5.6 billion in subsidized loans aimed at helping Brazilian companies affected by U.S. tariffs.

• Accusations Against the U.S.: Lula criticized the U.S. for portraying Brazil negatively, stating, "The US has portrayed Brazil as a devil they must fight. Brazil had no reason to be taxed. We respect human rights," ([01:30]).

• U.S. Criticisms of Brazil: The U.S. has accused Brazil of censoring critics and suppressing free speech through social media regulations. Brazil’s finance minister countered by asserting that Brazil is "more democratic than its aggressor."

• Political Tensions: Trump has demanded that Brazil drop a criminal case against its former far-right president, who was charged with attempting a coup to remain in power after losing his re-election bid.

Attribution:
Windsor Johnston and Kerry Kahn, NPR News, Rio de Janeiro

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3. Impact of Ending Temporary Protected Status on Care Workers

Overview:
President Trump's decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from several countries is creating instability among care workers in the United States. This policy change poses a threat to families reliant on these essential workers.

Key Points:

• Affected Populations: Immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, and other nations will lose their authorization to live and work in the U.S., including those employed in home health care and nursing homes.

• Union Concerns: Arnoufal de la Cruz, leader of SEIU Local 2015 in California, expressed worries that the policy changes would negatively impact families who depend on these care workers.

• Trump’s Justification: “We were already in a huge care shortage, so there's not enough caregivers to,” ([02:51]) – Donald Trump.

• Administration’s Rationale: The Trump administration argues that TPS has been misused as an "asylum system," allowing unvetted individuals to reside in the U.S. indefinitely without proper screening.

Attribution:
Windsor Johnston and Andrea Hsu, NPR News

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4. AOL Discontinues Dial-Up Internet Service

Overview:
AOL has announced the discontinuation of its dial-up Internet service, marking the end of an era for a technology that once dominated early Internet access. The company attributes this decision to the obsolescence of dial-up in the modern digital landscape.

Key Points:

• Technical Limitations: Dial-up requires a modem to convert digital data into audio signals over standard phone lines, limiting users to one device connection and significantly slower speeds compared to broadband.

• Usage Decline: As of 2022, only about 0.1% of American households relied on dial-up, according to Census Bureau data.

• AOL’s Statement: The company acknowledged that dial-up technology is no longer compatible with current operating systems and user needs, leading to its phase-out.

Attribution:
Windsor Johnston and Ayanna Archie, NPR News

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5. President Trump to Host Kennedy Center Honors

Overview:
In a surprising move, President Trump announced that he will personally host the annual Kennedy Center Honors, a departure from tradition. This decision follows his acquisition of control over the Kennedy Center's board earlier in the year, with promises to implement significant changes.

Key Points:

• Selected Honorees:

  • Entertainment Industry: Actor Sylvester Stallone and actor Michael Crawford
  • Music Legends: Country singer George Strait, past disco icon Gloria Gaynor, and the rock band Kiss

• Trump’s Vision: He aims to "restore" the Kennedy Center's prestige through major alterations in its management and event execution.

• Historical Context: Previous honorees have included distinguished figures such as actress Meryl Streep, Beatles legend Paul McCartney, singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, and actor Dick Van Dyke.

Attribution:
Windsor Johnston, NPR News

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Note: This summary excludes all advertising segments and focuses solely on the news content presented during the episode.

Transcript

[Capital One]

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[Windsor Johnston]

[e-mail] live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. President Trump says his upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin could lead to a second meeting. That discussion would include Ukrainian President Volodymyr zelensky. But as NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports, Trump is also managing expectations.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

Trump says that Friday's meeting with Putin in Alaska will determine whether they have another gathering that includes Zelensky.

[Donald Trump]

Now, there may be no second meeting because if I feel that it's not appropriate to have it because I didn't get the answers that we have to have, then we're not going to have a second meeting.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

A White House official said the meeting will take place at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. Trump also said a call he had with Zelenskyy and other European leaders this morning went well. After that call, German Chancellor Friedrich Mayers said Ukraine must be at the table for negotiations with Putin. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News, the White House.

[Windsor Johnston]

Brazil says it's ready to help companies hurt by the 50% tariffs slapped on its exports by President Trump. The president of the South American country announced a multi billion dollar fund exporters and what he says is a fight Brazil did not start. NPR's Kerry Kahn reports.

[Kerry Kahn]

President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva says his government will provide about $5.6 billion in subsidized loans for companies hurt by the Trump tariffs. He said the US has portrayed Brazil as a devil they must fight. Brazil had no reason to be taxed. We respect human rights, he says. The US Accuses Brazil of censoring critics and suppressing free speech with regulations of social media. The finance minister says Brazil is more democratic than its aggressor. Referring to the US Trump has demanded that Brazil drop a criminal case against its former far right president, charged with attempting a coup to stay in power after losing his bid for re election. Carrie Kann, NPR News, Rio de Janeiro.

[Windsor Johnston]

President Trump's decision to end temporary protected status for immigrants from a number of countries has rattled care workers. NPR's Andrea Hsu has more in coming months.

[Andrea Hsu]

Immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti and other countries are set to lose their authorization to live and work in the U.S. among them are home health care workers and nursing home workers, some of whom have been in the US for decades. Arnoufal de la Cruz leads SEIU Local 2015, a union representing care workers in California. He worries the policy changes will hurt families who need help.

[Donald Trump]

We were already in a huge care shortage, so there's not enough caregivers to.

[Capital One]

Be matched with people who need care.

[Andrea Hsu]

The Trump administration says temporary protected status has been abused as a de facto asylum system, allowing unvetted people to settle in the US Indefinitely. Andrea Hsu, NPR News.

[Windsor Johnston]

This is NPR News in Washington. AOL has announced that it's getting rid of its dial up service. The tech giant had a dominant stake in the early days of Internet access, but in a statement, the company acknowledged that the technology is optimized for older operating systems. NPR's Ayanna Archie reports.

[Ayanna Archie]

Dial up uses a modem to convert digital data from a computer into audio signals, which can then travel over standard phone lines. Users plug their computers into a phone jack using software that allows the computer and dial up service to sync up. The technology has its drawbacks, like not being able to use the phone and Internet at the same time and being much slower than the broadband Internet that's widely offered today. Still, 0.1% of American households relied on it as of 2022, according to data from the Census Bureau. Ayanna Archie, NPR News.

[Windsor Johnston]

President Trump announced today that he will personally host this year's Kennedy Center Honors, a noteworthy break from tradition. Trump says this year's honorees include actor Sylvester Stallone, country legend George Strait, past disco icon Gloria Gaynor, the rock band Kiss, and actor Michael Crawford. Trump took control of the Kennedy Center's board earlier this year, pledging major changes to restore what he calls its prestige. Past honorees have included actress Meryl Streep, beatles legend Paul McCartney, singer songwriter Joni Mitchell and actor Dick Van Dyke. I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington.

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