Loading summary
Andrew Schneider
On the next through line from NPR.
NPR Host
The man who saw a dangerous omission in the U.S. constitution and took it upon himself to fix it.
Political Analyst
If something happened to a president who is still alive, the consequences for the country would have been enormous.
NPR Host
The 25th Amendment. Listen in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Lakshmi Singh
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. A congressional redistricting map aimed at helping Republican capture five currently Democratic seats is heading to the floor of the Texas Senate. Houston Public Media's Andrew Schneider says the measure sought by President Trump could soon go to Governor Greg Abbott to be signed into law.
Andrew Schneider
The map passed the Texas House Wednesday evening, and a GOP dominated Senate committee took it up this morning without hearing any public testimony. Republican State Senator Phil King was clear that he was sponsoring the bill to help the GOP maintain its congressional majority.
Political Analyst
And I'm very concerned that if the Republicans lost the majority in the US House that the two years following the midterms could be very harmful to Texas and to the United States.
Andrew Schneider
The committee passed the map on a party line vote. The full Senate could vote on it as early as tonight. For NPR News, I'm Andrew Schneider in Houston.
Lakshmi Singh
An appeals court has thrown out a $500 million civil fraud penalty against President Trump after determining it was excessive. However, the Court upheld the 2024 ruling that Trump fraudulently exaggerated his wealth and padded his financial statements for lenders and insurers. Trump, his two eldest sons and other key Trump organization figures are banned from serving in corporate leadership roles or for applying for loans in New York for as long as three years. Hundreds of employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are getting their permanent termination notices this week, according to their union. The American Federation of Government Employees says the firings only compound the trauma workers went through during the recent targeted shooting in Atlanta, where the CDC's base, WABE's Lily Oppenheimer reports.
Lily Oppenheimer
Union leaders say the U.S. health and Human Services Department, led by anti vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is firing many workers who even supported violence prevention work in wake of the shooting. Authorities say the gunman who stormed a campus In Atlanta fired 500 shots at CDC buildings, killing a local police officer. Officials say he blamed the COVID 19 vaccine for his mental health issues. Union officials are now demanding more safety precautions and are calling on the Trump administration to condemn vaccine disinformation. The union also says it plans to appeal the layoffs with the federal Merit Systems Protection Board. For NPR News, I'm Lily Oppenheimer in Atlanta.
Lakshmi Singh
The world's oldest living person turns 116 today. Social media images show Ethel Caterham of Surrey, England, as the guest of honor at her birthday bash in the senior care facility where she lives. In a statement to Good Morning America, the facility says Ms. Caterham prefers to spend the day quietly with family, though the king may be her one concession. According to the Associated Press, her secret to longevity. Don't argue. This is NPR News. U.S. and European national security leaders have been attempting to draft security guarantees for Ukraine to help bring its current war with Russia to an end. NPR's Greg Myhre's in Kyiv, where he says there's widespread skepticism Russia intends to end its military assault.
Political Analyst
Russia carried out one of its largest ever airstrikes overnight, more than 600 drones and missiles. And President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this includes a Russian cruise missile that hit an American electronics factory. More a dozen people were wounded. This plant, which makes civilian electronics, is in an isolated part of far western Ukraine.
Lakshmi Singh
NPR's Greg Myhre reporting. New research in the journal Science finds that globally, human exposure to fires in natural areas has grown 40% over the past two decades. NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports. The vast majority of people exposed to fires and their health hazards is in Africa.
Jonathan Lambert
Major wildfire disasters like those that occurred earlier this year in Los Angeles understandably get the most attention. But less intense fires outside of urban areas can still pose health risks. Worldwide. Air pollution from fires is estimated to kill one and a half million people each year. To get a global picture of human exposure to fires in natural areas, researchers analyzed global records and population data. They found 440 million people were directly exposed to such fires, 85% of whom live in Africa. The researchers say climate change and human development of natural areas, including intentional burns for agriculture, are likely at play. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.
Lakshmi Singh
It's npr.
Jonathan Lambert
Listen to this podcast sponsor, free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app, by subscribing to NPR news now@plus.NPR.org that's plus.NPR.org.
Host: Lakshmi Singh
Duration: 5 minutes
This episode of NPR News Now delivers concise updates on key national and international news events. The main themes cover political maneuvering in Texas' congressional districts, legal consequences faced by former President Trump, CDC employee layoffs and safety concerns, a historic birthday, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and new research on global wildfire exposure.
[00:25 – 01:19]
[01:19 – 01:44]
[01:44 – 02:49]
[02:49 – 03:10]
[03:10 – 04:02]
[04:02 – 05:01]
On Texas Redistricting:
"I'm very concerned that if the Republicans lost the majority in the US House that the two years following the midterms could be very harmful to Texas and to the United States." – Political Analyst [00:59]
On CDC Layoffs:
"Union leaders say the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, led by anti vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is firing many workers who even supported violence prevention work in wake of the shooting." – Lily Oppenheimer [02:08]
Advice for Longevity:
"Don't argue.” – Ethel Caterham [02:57]
Ukraine Under Fire:
"Russia carried out one of its largest ever airstrikes overnight, more than 600 drones and missiles." – Political Analyst [03:39]
Wildfires' Human Impact:
"Air pollution from fires is estimated to kill one and a half million people each year.” – Jonathan Lambert [04:20]
| Segment | Timestamps | |----------------------------------------|--------------| | Texas Redistricting Map | 00:25–01:19 | | Trump Civil Fraud Ruling Update | 01:19–01:44 | | CDC Layoffs & Atlanta Shooting Fallout | 01:44–02:49 | | Oldest Living Person’s Birthday | 02:49–03:10 | | Ukraine War & Security Guarantees | 03:10–04:02 | | Global Wildfire Exposure Findings | 04:02–05:01 |
This summary captures the key developments, context, and significant quotes from the NPR News Now 3PM EDT newscast on August 21, 2025, in a clear, accessible format for listeners who missed the episode.