NPR News: 08-23-2025 10PM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now – August 23, 2025, 10PM EDT

Host: Jeanine Herbst
Date: August 24, 2025
Duration: 5 minutes

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Overview

This episode of NPR News Now provides succinct updates on major national stories from immigration and White House renovations to ongoing wildfires, a pivotal Supreme Court ruling on research grant funding, and the latest activity from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

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1. Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Deportation Controversy

• Summary: The U.S. government now plans to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda, following a series of complicated legal and bureaucratic mishaps.

• Details:

  • Abrego Garcia was previously wrongfully deported to El Salvador earlier in the year and spent time in a notorious prison there.
  • Upon return, he was charged with human smuggling, a charge he denies. He has not been convicted.
  • After release from a Tennessee jail, DHS referred to him as a "monster," while prosecutors offered an alternative: plead guilty for deportation to Costa Rica.
  • Now, lawyers claim officials are coercively forcing deportation to Uganda.

• Notable Quote:

  • "Now immigration officials say he will face deportation to Uganda, a choice the lawyers call coercive." — Camila Domonosky (00:55)

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2. White House Rose Garden Renovation

• Summary: President Trump replaced the White House Rose Garden’s grass with stone, citing maintenance reasons and personal preference.

• Details:

  • The transformation includes new patio tables and umbrellas resembling those at Mar-a-Lago.
  • Rose bushes remain on the perimeter.
  • The renovation costs $1.9 million, funded privately.
  • President Trump is frequently present, playing Beatles music over outdoor speakers from his iPad.

• Notable Quote:

  • "Trump said the grass had to go because it got too soggy for fine footwear." — Tamara Keith (01:34)
  • "He can play DJ from his iPad, just like in Florida." — Tamara Keith (01:47)

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3. Picket Fire in Northern California

• Summary: Over 1,200 emergency personnel are battling the ongoing Picket Fire in Napa County.

• Details:

  • The fire has burned more than 4,600 acres and is only 7% contained as of Saturday evening.
  • New evacuation orders are in place as the fire spreads.
  • The region suffered severe damage from the Glass Fire five years ago.
  • Full containment is expected to take weeks.

• Notable Quote:

  • "That's one of the objectives of today, is to work on fortifying the control lines that are around that side to keep it out of those areas." — Jason Clay, Cal Fire Sonoma Lake Napa (02:49)

• Timestamps:

  • Fire update report begins (02:16)
  • Containment status and official quote (02:49)

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4. Supreme Court Pauses NIH Diversity Grant Funding

• Summary: The Supreme Court allows the NIH to pause nearly $800 million in grants, a move seen as a major blow by the research community.

• Details:

  • The grants supported research in diversity, transgender issues, and health equity, topics not favored by the current administration.
  • A lower court ruled the grants were improperly terminated, but the Supreme Court’s action pauses payouts while appeals proceed.
  • Advocates, including the ACLU, plan to keep fighting for grant restoration.

• Notable Quote:

  • "We think that that decision is a setback for public health, but we will continue to pursue any and every option available to us to make sure that the unlawfully terminated grants continue to be restored." — Jesse Rossman, ACLU (04:02)

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5. Kilauea Volcano Erupts Again in Hawaii

• Summary: Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupts for the 31st time since December, captivating scientists and tourists.

• Details:

  • Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
  • This is only the fourth instance in two centuries with repeated lava-fountain episodes.
  • Park officials anticipate increased visitor numbers to witness the spectacle.

• Timestamps:

  • Eruption details start (04:25)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• "Trump said the grass had to go because it got too soggy for fine footwear." — Tamara Keith (01:34)
• "That's one of the objectives of today, is to work on fortifying the control lines ... to keep it out of those areas." — Jason Clay, Cal Fire (02:49)
• "We think that that decision is a setback for public health, but we will continue to pursue any and every option available to us..." — Jesse Rossman, ACLU (04:02)
• Description of President Trump as DJ in the Rose Garden, "He can play DJ from his iPad, just like in Florida." (01:47)

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Additional References (Timestamps)

• Kilmar Abrego Garcia Deportation – 00:21–01:16
• White House Garden Renovation – 01:16–02:16
• Picket Fire Wildfire Update – 02:16–03:12
• NIH Grant Funding Pause – 03:12–04:25
• Kilauea Volcano Eruption – 04:25–04:57

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This crisp five-minute NPR News Now delivers critical updates with insight and succinct reporting, capturing the major news priorities in the U.S. at this hour.

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] Live from NPR News, I'm Jeanine Herbst.

[Jeanine Herbst]

The U.S. government plans to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda next week, according to his lawyer's court filing this weekend. NPR's Camila Domonoski reports. Abrego. Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador earlier this year, was released from federal custody yesterday in an admitted mistake.

[Camila Domonoski]

Federal officials sent Abrego Garcia to a notorious Salvadoran prison. On his return, the government charged him with human smuggling, which he denies. Abrego Garcia, who has not been convicted of any crime, left a Tennessee jail on Friday to return to his family in Maryland. The Department of Homeland Security responded to the release with a statement calling him a monster. Abrego Garcia's lawyers say that prosecutors have offered to deport him to Costa Rica if he pleads guilty to the charges. Now immigration officials say he will face deportation to Uganda, a choice the lawyers call coercive. Camila Domonosky, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Work is nearing completion on a project to replace the grass in the iconic White House Rose garden with stone. NPR's Tamara Keith reports. It's just the latest renovation Trump has undertaken since returning to office.

[Tamara Keith]

Trump said the grass had to go because it got too soggy for fine footwear. The lawn has been replaced with white stone, but the rose bushes remain around the perimeter. There are new patio tables with yellow and white striped umbrellas that bear a striking resemblance to those at Trump's Mar a Lago resort. On a warm, sunny afternoon, Trump was blasting the Beatles from the Rose Garden's new outdoor speake. He can play DJ from his iPad, just like in Florida. The project's $1.9 million price tag is being covered by private donations to the Trust for the National Mall. Tamara Keith, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

More than 1200 emergency personnel are responding to a Northern California wildfire that's been burning since Thursday. From member station KQED in San Francisco, Juan Carlos Lara has more.

[Juan Carlos Lara]

The Picket fire has burned through a sparsely populated section of Napa county that was ravaged by the Glass fire five years ago. Local officials issued new evacuation orders as the fire spread east between Friday and Saturday. Jason Clay is a public information officer for Cal Fire's Sonoma Lake Napa unit.

[Jason Clay]

That's one of the objectives of today, is to work on fortifying the control lines that are around that side to keep it out of those areas.

[Juan Carlos Lara]

As of Saturday evening, The blaze was only 7% contained and had burned over 4,600 acres. Clay says full containment could take weeks. For NPR News, I'm Juan Carlos Lara in San Francisco.

[Jeanine Herbst]

And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. The Supreme Court's ruling this week allowing the National Institutes of Health health to pause nearly $800 million in funding for hundreds of research grants was seen as a setback for many in the research community. From member station GBH, Craig LaMolt reports. The high court also left in place a lower court ruling that the grants were improperly terminated.

[Craig LaMolt]

The grants have been terminated because they focused on topics like diversity, transgender issues, health equity and other areas of research the Trump administration doesn't support. In June, a federal judge ordered the NIH to start paying those grants again, but the Supreme Court said Thursday that as an appeal moves forward, they can put those payments on pause. Jesse Rossman of the ACLU is representing the plaintiffs.

[Jason Clay]

We think that that decision is a setback for public health, but we will continue to pursue any and every option available to us to make sure that the unlawfully terminated grants continue to be restored.

[Craig LaMolt]

The Supreme Court let stand the lower court's ruling that the Trump administration used an unlawful justification for terminating the grants. The case now goes back to the lower courts. For NPR News, I'm Craig Lemolt in Boston.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is erupting once again for the 31st time since December, shooting an arc of lava high into the air and across a section of its crater floor. Friday, it's one of the world's most active volcanoes. Scientists say it's the fourth time in some 200 years that Kilauea shot lava fountains into the air in repeated episodes. Park officials say they're expecting a lot of visitors to see it. Hi, I'm Jeanine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

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