NPR News: 08-18-2025 4PM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now: 08-18-2025 4PM EDT

Date: August 18, 2025
Host: Lakshmi Singh (primarily)
Duration: ~5 minutes
Theme:
A concise roundup of major U.S. and world events—politics, weather, state updates, societal trends, and quirky language news.

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Major Headlines and Segments

1. Global Diplomacy: Ukraine Peace Efforts

[00:26 - 01:28]

• President Trump is pushing for a trilateral summit involving himself, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
  • Reported by NPR’s Tamara Keith.
  • The meeting aims to build on the recent Alaska summit and find a resolution for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
• European leaders at the White House express “cautious optimism” about emerging peace talks.
  • Quote:
    "President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine. And this is one of the key points that we need to consider..."
    — President Putin [00:58]
  • Potential exchange of territory is on the table as part of discussions.
  • Both Trump and Zelensky are hopeful for a quick trilateral meeting.

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2. Texas Political Standoff Ends

[01:28 - 02:17]

• Texas House Democrats return to Austin after a two-week absence, ending a quorum break.
  • Reported by Andrew Schneider, Houston Public Media.
  • Their return allows the Republican-controlled legislature to pursue a new congressional map, aiming for added GOP seats in the coming midterm elections.
• Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows reflects on the institution’s resilience:
  • Quote:
    "This body has endured wars, economic depressions and quorum breaks dating back to the very first session. It will withstand this, too. And what will remain is a chamber where the majority has the right to prevail and the minority has the right to be heard."
    — Texas Speaker Dustin Burrows [01:50]
  • Democrats with arrest warrants will remain in custody of state troopers to ensure their presence for critical votes.

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3. Mississippi Joins Federal Policing Effort

[02:17 - 02:40]

• Mississippi becomes the fourth GOP-led state to pledge National Guard troops to Washington, D.C.
• Move supports President Trump’s federal response and policing initiatives in the capital.

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4. Hurricane Erin Threatens North Carolina’s Outer Banks

[02:40 - 03:14]

• Mandatory evacuation orders issued for Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands due to the threat of flooding and dangerous surf—even though a direct landfall is not expected.
  • Reported by Sharee Piggott, WNC.
  • Local officials urge residents to leave starting Tuesday morning.
  • The National Weather Service warns of heavy surf, high winds, and potential highway washouts.
  • Economic and tourism impact noted as beaches close at peak season.
  • Quote:
    "Coastal flooding is expected to begin as early as Tuesday and last through Thursday. That means beaches in the area are closed, too, at the height of tourism season."
    — Sharee Piggott [03:01]

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5. Market Update: Dow Jones Slips

[03:14 - 03:23]

• Dow Jones Industrial Average closes down 34 points at 44,911.

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6. Media Rebranding: MSNBC Becomes Ms. Now

[03:23 - 03:36]

• MSNBC to rebrand as "My Source News Opinion World" (Ms. Now), dropping the peacock logo.
• Change precedes Comcast's spin-off of a new media company: Versant.

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7. Dress Code Shift for Latter Day Saints

[03:36 - 04:34]

• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints releases its sacred garment in a sleeveless version for the first time in nearly 200 years.
  • Reported by Sarah Hewlett, KUEER.
  • Young women, such as BYU student Dara Layton, express excitement over new clothing options:
    • Quote:
      "So I went on probably the biggest shopping spree I’ve ever gone on in my entire life, but I was just like so excited to have new styles that I could wear."
      — Dara Layton [04:08]
  • Some women question why the change took so long after generations of shoulder coverage requirements.

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8. Language Evolution: Cambridge Dictionary Adds New Words

[04:34 - 05:04]

• Over 6,000 new words make the cut, including "skibidi" and "dulu."
  • "Skibidi," from a viral internet series, can mean either "bad" or "cool."
  • Colin McIntosh (Cambridge Dictionaries) remarks on internet culture’s powerful influence on English.
  • Quote:
    "Internet culture is changing the English language. And enter skibidi, a nonsensical slang coined by the creator of an animated YouTube series that can mean bad or cool."
    — Colin McIntosh [04:49]

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Notable Quotes

• President Putin:
  "President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine. This is one of the key points..." [00:58]
• Texas Speaker Dustin Burrows:
  "This body has endured wars, economic depressions and quorum breaks... What will remain is a chamber where the majority has the right to prevail and the minority has the right to be heard." [01:50]
• Dara Layton (BYU Student):
  "I was just like so excited to have new styles that I could wear." [04:08]
• Colin McIntosh (Cambridge):
  "Internet culture is changing the English language... enter skibidi." [04:49]

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Memorable Moments

• The announcement of Russia's conditional acceptance of security guarantees for Ukraine represents a possible turning point in the conflict.
• The Texas political standoff ends but with Democrats still under watch.
• Latter Day Saints’ shift to sleeveless garments sparks a generational conversation.
• Whimsical new words like "skibidi" underscore the language's continual evolution.

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks: 00:26 – 01:28
• Texas Politics: 01:28 – 02:17
• Mississippi National Guard Deployment: 02:17 – 02:40
• Hurricane Erin/Outer Banks Evacuations: 02:40 – 03:14
• Market/Media Update: 03:14 – 03:36
• Latter Day Saints Garment Change: 03:36 – 04:34
• New Dictionary Words: 04:34 – 05:04

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This episode delivers a fast-paced overview, seamlessly shifting from world diplomacy to regional weather, state politics, religious cultural evolution, and even the playful world of internet slang.

Transcript

[John Legend]

Stars. They're just like us. John Legend goes to cbs. Well, that's because he has his own skincare line.

[Celebrity Branding Expert]

It was so exciting to actually go into one of those stores. We had the end caps.

[John Legend]

Were you like, I don't want this locked up? John Legend is one of many stars riding the celebrity branding wave. He tells us about it on the indicator from Planet Money. Listen in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump says he is hoping to schedule a trilateral meeting with himself and President Vladimir Putin of Russia and Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky. NPR's Tamara Keith reports. Zelensky and European leaders are at the White House today in a follow up to President Trump's Alaska summit with Putin.

[European Leader]

At the start of the White House meeting, European leaders expressed cautious optimism as President Trump outlined the contours of a potential peace deal to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

[President Putin]

In a very significant step, President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine. And this is one of the key points that we need to consider and we're going to be considering that at the table also, like who will do what?

[European Leader]

But he added, there would likely need to be a possible exchange of territory where Russia has made gains. Trump said he hoped a trilateral meeting would be possible very soon, and Zelensky echoed that hope. Tamara Keith, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Texas House Democrats have returned to the state Capitol in Austin, ending their two week quorum break. Houston Public Media's Andrew Schneider reports. A Democrats return opens the door to Republicans passage of a new congressional map that would help the GOP gain five seats in next year's midterm elections.

[Andrew Schneider]

Texas speaker of the House Dustin Burrows said the time had come for the chamber to get back to business.

[Texas Speaker Dustin Burrows]

This body has endured wars, economic depressions and quorum breaks dating back to the very first session. It will withstand this, too. And what will remain is a chamber where the majority has the right to prevail and the minority has the right to be heard.

[Andrew Schneider]

That said, Burroughs announced that those Democrats for whom arrest warrants had been issued would only be allowed to leave the chamber in the custody of Department of Public Safety troopers who would ensure their return on Wednesday. For NPR News, I'm Andrew Schneider in Houston.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Mississippi is now the fourth Republican led state to pledge the deployment of hundreds of National Guard forces to Washington, D.C. all part of President Trump's federal policing of the nation's capital. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for portions of North Carolina's Outer Banks due to possible flooding from Hurricane Erin. Sharee Piggott of member stationWNC has the latest.

[Sharee Piggott]

Evacuation orders are in place for Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands in Daren Hyde counties, where officials are urging residents to leave starting Tuesday morning. While Hurricane Erin is not expected to make direct landfall, the storm system could increase in size. The National Weather Service says Erin could bring several of heavy surf and high winds as well as washout parts of the main highway on the Outer Banks. Coastal flooding is expected to begin as early as Tuesday and last through Thursday. That means beaches in the area are closed, too, at the height of tourism season. For NPR News, I'm Cherise Piggott In Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

[Lakshmi Singh]

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 34 points, ending the day at 44,911. This is NPR News. MSNBC will soon be Ms. Now. The company says it's changing its name to My Source News Opinion World and dropping its peacock logo. All part of Comcast plan to spin off a new company called Versant. It's a new kind of summer for some members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They're getting relief from the heat by showing their shoulders. Sarah Hewlett of member station KUEER spoke with some Mormon women faithful.

[Sarah Hewlett]

Latter Day Saints wear religious garments under their normal clothes, but this is the first summer the church is offering the sacred garment without sleeves Its nearly 200 year history. Brigham Young University student Dara Layton is very excited.

[Dara Layton]

So I went on probably the biggest shopping spree I've ever gone on in my entire life, but I was just like so excited to have new styles that I could wear.

[Sarah Hewlett]

Adult church members receive the garments in temple ceremonies. Layton says they're part of a commitment to God. But some Latter Day Saint women are frustrated by the garment change. They wonder why they had to cover their shoulders for so long only for them to be okay to show now. For NPR News, I'm Ciara Hewlett in Provo, Utah.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Words like skibidi and dulu made the cut. They're among more than 6,000 new words, a Cambridge dictionary added. Colin McIntosh, the lexical program manager for the world's largest online dictionary, says Internet culture is changing the English language. And enter skibidi, a nonsensical slang coined by the creator of an animated YouTube series that can mean bad or cool. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.

[Andrew Schneider]

Listen to this podcast sponsor free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to NPR News Now. Plus, at plus.NPR.org that's plus.NPR.org.