NPR News: 08-18-2025 12AM EDT

Summary

---

NPR News Now: August 18, 2025, 12AM EDT

Host: Dale Willman
Date: August 18, 2025
Duration: ~5 minutes

---

Overview

This concise episode delivers a roundup of top global and domestic stories: Ukraine peace negotiations, a mass shooting in Brooklyn, ongoing labor strikes among California health care workers, updates on Hurricane Erin, Spain’s wildfire response, the death of actor Terence Stamp, and results from the PGA Championship. Each segment features first-hand commentary, expert analysis, and local perspectives.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ukraine Peace Talks and Reactions

[00:18–01:02]

• Ukraine’s President Meets Trump: Scheduled meeting with President Trump aims for a possible peace deal with Russia; European leaders also involved. Notably follows Trump’s recent Alaska meeting with Vladimir Putin.
  • Contextual Tension: The proximity of meetings between US and Russian presidents stirs strong responses.
• Refugee Outrage in North Carolina:
  • Quote:

    "The way I see it, is this murderer the dictator Vladimir Putin should be judged and should be at this time in jail, not shaking hands with the leader of a free world, not being accepted by the greatest democracy in the world. This is all just insane."
    — Natalia Bondarenko, North Carolina-based Ukrainian refugee [00:40]

---

2. Mass Shooting in Brooklyn, NY

[01:02–01:57]

• Incident Report: Early Sunday at the “Taste of the City Lounge” in Crown Heights, multiple shooters opened fire, killing 3 and wounding 9 (victims aged 19–61).
  • Police Response: 42 shell casings found; NYPD searching for several suspects.
• Crime Context & Reaction:
  • Quote:

    "We have the lowest number of shooting incidents and shooting victims seven months into the year that we've seen on record in the city of New York. Something like this is, of course, thank God, an anomaly."
    — Jessica Tisch, NYPD Commissioner [01:36]

  • Majority (approx. 60%) of city shootings are gang-related; this incident also suspected gang-related.

---

3. California Health Care Worker Protests

[01:57–02:56]

• Protests Planned: Health care workers plan a week of demonstrations, citing chronic understaffing and below-average pay leading to unsafe environments and frequent turnover.
  • Worker Testimony:

    "Anybody would be frustrated when you're going… into an emergency department because you feel like you're having an emergency situation, but you have to wait hours on end."
    — Niki Sandu, Sutter Health employee [02:28]

• Employer Statement: Sutter Health expresses “disappointment” that workers are “prioritizing public demonstrations over engaging in constructive dialogue.”

---

4. Hurricane Erin Approaches East Coast

[02:56–03:52]

• Current Status: Downgraded to Category 3, but strengthening; potentially life-threatening surf/winds anticipated along Eastern Seaboard, especially NC’s Outer Banks.
  • Evacuation Ordered: Hatteras Island evacuations begin Monday.

---

5. Wildfires in Northwestern Spain

[03:52–04:37]

• Situation Update: Spain dispatches 500 additional soldiers to fight 12 major wildfires near Orense; area burned equals size of metropolitan London.
  • Climate Note: Europe warming twice as fast as global average since 1980s, heightening wildfire vulnerability.

---

6. Remembering Terence Stamp

[03:52–04:37]

• Death of British Actor: Terence Stamp passes away at 87.
  • Career Highlights: From 'Billy Budd' (innocent sailor, 1962) to roles as villain (Superman I & II: "Kneel before sun"), and as Bernadette in ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.’
    • Quote:

      "Had he been less of an actor, he might have stayed a heartthrob. Instead, he challenged himself every time out…"
      — Bob Mondello, NPR Critic [04:04]

    • Memorable Moment:

      "Being a man one day and a woman the next is not an easy thing to do."
      — From ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ [04:29]

---

7. PGA Championship: Scotty Scheffler’s Comeback Win

[04:37–04:57]

• Result: Scheffler rallies from four shots behind, chips in from 82 feet on 17th, wins by two shots; marks fifth PGA win of the year and first back-to-back “five-plus” win years since Tiger Woods.

---

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Natalia Bondarenko on Trump-Putin meeting:
  "This is all just insane." [00:40]
• Jessica Tisch on Brooklyn shooting:
  "Something like this is, of course, thank God, an anomaly." [01:36]
• Niki Sandu on ER conditions:
  "You have to wait hours on end." [02:28]
• Bob Mondello on Terence Stamp’s career:
  "Had he been less of an actor, he might have stayed a heartthrob." [04:04]
• Terence Stamp (‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’):
  "Being a man one day and a woman the next is not an easy thing to do." [04:29]

---

Episode Structure & Timestamps

• [00:18] – Ukraine peace negotiations; Bondarenko’s reaction
• [01:02] – Brooklyn mass shooting; police and crime analysis
• [01:57] – California health care worker protests
• [02:56] – Hurricane Erin update and evacuation orders
• [03:52] – Spain wildfires; European climate context
• [03:52–04:37] – Terence Stamp tribute
• [04:37] – PGA Championship results

---

Transcript

[Capital One Advertiser]

This message comes from Capital One. With the Venture X card. Earn unlimited double miles on everything you buy, plus get premium benefits at a collection of hotels when booking through Capital One Travel. What's in your wallet? Terms apply [e-mail].

[Dale Willman]

Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. Ukrainians Ukraine's president is meeting with President Trump on Monday to discuss a possible peace deal with Russia. He'll be joined by other European leaders just days after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. In North Carolina, where many Ukrainian refugees now live, Natalia Bondarenko shared her outrage about the Alaska meeting.

[Natalia Bondarenko]

The way I see it, is this murderer the dictator Vladimir Putin should be judged and should be at this time in jail, not shaking hands with the leader of a free world, not being accepted by the greatest democracy in the world. This is all just insane.

[Dale Willman]

A mass shooting early Sunday Morning in Brooklyn, New York, left three people dead and nine others wounded. The victims ranged in age from 19 to 61. As NPR's Amy Held reports, police say a dispute broke out at a lounge and they're looking for several possible shooters.

[Amy Held]

It was crowded at the Taste of the City Lounge after 3am Sunday in the Crown Heights neighborhood when multiple people opened fire. Authorities say police responded quickly and found the victims inside. Police plus 42 shell casings. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch says the shooting is terrible and not typical.

[Jessica Tisch]

We have the lowest number of shooting incidents and shooting victims seven months into the year that we've seen on record in the city of New York. Something like this is, of course, thank God, an anomaly.

[Amy Held]

Tish says the incident appears to be gang related, as are around 60% of the city's shootings. Amy Held, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

Health care workers in California are gearing up for a week of protests. They're calling out their employer for what they say are chronic staffing shortages and low wages. From member station kqed, Dana Cronin reports.

[Dana Cronin]

Say years of below average pay have caused high turnover and that there's not enough staff to properly care for patients. Niki Sandu works at a Sutter Health facility in Berkeley, California. She says she's been assaulted by frustrated patients as a result of the staffing shortage.

[Natalia Bondarenko]

Anybody would be frustrated when you're going.

[Dale Willman]

Into an emergency department because you feel like you're having an emergency situation, but you have to wait hours on end.

[Dana Cronin]

This comes as the union backed workers negotiate a new contract with Sutter Health. In a statement, a representative for the nonprofit health system said they are disappointed in the workers decision to quote prioritize public demonstrations over engaging in constructive dialogue. For NPR News, I'm Dana cronin in Oakland, California.

[Dale Willman]

Hurricane Erin has been downgraded to a Category 3 storm, but officially officials say it continues to gain strength and could cause life threatening surf later this week along the Eastern seaboard, particularly North Carolina's Outer Banks. Emergency officials are ordering the evacuation of Hatteras island starting Monday because of expected heavy surf and high winds. This is NPR News. Spain is using another 500 soldiers to help battle wildfires this weekend in that country's northwestern region. There are 12 major fires burning near the city of Orense. Fires in Spain so far this year have burned an area roughly roughly as big as metropolitan London. Europe has been warming twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, and that has made that region more vulnerable to wildfires. British actor Terence Stamp, who starred in Billy Budd and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, has died. He was 87 years old. NPR's Bob Mondello has this remembrance.

[Bob Mondello]

In his 1962 debut, his sailor, Billy Budd watched a flogging with eyes so innocent.

[Dale Willman]

What was his crime?

[Bob Mondello]

God only knows, young man. Audiences just melted.

[Dale Willman]

You mean you don't know what he did?

[Bob Mondello]

Had he been less of an actor, he might have stayed a heartthrob. Instead, he challenged himself every time out as a psychopath in the Collector, a seductive stranger in Theorem, an ex con bent on revenge in the Limey. The roles for which later audiences best remember him are a good indication of his range. A supervillain in Superman I and ii, Kneel before sun and Bernadette, a middle aged trans woman in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

[Dana Cronin]

Being a man one day and a.

[Dale Willman]

Woman the next is not an easy thing to do.

[Bob Mondello]

There wasn't much that actor Terence Stamp couldn't play. Bob Mondello, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

Scotty Scheffler rallied from a four shot deficit to win this weekend's PGA Championship in Owings Mills, Maryland. Scheffler chipped in from 82ft on the 17th and finished with a two shot lead. It's his fifth PGA win this year and it's the first time for five plus wins in consecutive years since Tiger Wood. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.

[Amy Held]

This message comes from Saatva. Getting quality sleep can improve athletic abilities, increase energy and boost memory and learning. Saatva mattresses are designed to promote that kind of sleep. Save $200 on $1,000 or [e-mail] NPR.