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Do you ever look at political headlines and go, huh? Well, that's exactly why the NPR Politics podcast exists. We're experts not just on politics, but in making politics make sense. Every episode, we decode everything that happened in Washington and help you figure out what it all means. Give politics a chance with the NPR Politics Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.
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Live from NPR News, I'm Jeanine Herbst. The US Government plans to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda next week, according to his lawyer's court filing this weekend. Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador earlier this year, was released from federal custody yesterday. NPR's Camila Domonosky has more.
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In an admitted mistake, 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. Abreco 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.
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The Trump administration says the federal government will have 300,000 fewer employees on its payroll than by the end of the year. That's about a 12% cut. The number was first reported by the New York Times. NPR's Andrea Hsu has more.
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Shrinking the federal workforce has been a focus of President Trump since he returned to office. His Department of Government Efficiency got right to work, offering incentives for people to leave and then working inside agencies to identify deep workforce cuts. Now the Office of Personnel Management says by the end of December, the government will have shed about 300,000 employees. About half of those opted for the administration administration's deferred resignation program. Others have been summarily fired or laid off as part of agency reorganizations. Many still remain on the government payroll through the end of September. OPM spokesperson McLaurin Pinover told NPR there are no plans at this time for additional reductions in force. Andrea Hsu, NPR News.
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Federal regulators have ordered a company building a billion dollar wind farm off the coast of Rhode island to stop, even though construction was nearly completed. NPR's Michael Copl reports. It's the latest action by the Trump administration targeting the renewable energy industry.
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The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has issued a stop work order to the Revolution wind project, saying in a letter to one of the developers that it needs time to address national security concerns. Work's almost finished on the project, which is expected to help power homes and businesses in Rhode island and Connecticut starting next year. One of the developers, a Danish firm called Orsted, said it's considering all its options, including a potential lawsuit. The head of the National Ocean Industries association, whose members include oil and gas companies, said stopping construction could hurt jobs and local communities. The Trump administration has made it harder for companies building wind and solar projects to qualify for federal tax incentives. Michael Copley, NPR News.
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And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. A federal judge in California is expanding an order blocking the Trump administration from pulling federal funding for cities across the country, country over their so called sanctuary city policies. That means they limit local law enforcement assistance to federal immigration agents. That funding amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars for more than 30 cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Denver. Seven lawmakers from Taiwan's opposition party are declaring victory after today's recall election and they will all stay in office. As Ashish Valentine reports from Taipei. That's a big win for the opposition, which favors closer ties with China.
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That's Yang Qionying of the opposition KMT celebrating her victory in footage by Taiwanese news channel tvbs results show Xi and six other opposition lawmakers have all kept their seats in the second round of Taiwan's largest ever recall campaign. In both rounds, a total of 31 opposition lawmakers have survived their challenges. Grassroots protesters had launched the elections arguing the opposition was blocking President Lai Ching Te's efforts to prepare for a potential Chinese invasion. President Lai recently pledged to boost defense spending to over 3% of GDP next year. These results indicate he'll have a tough time getting there. For NPR News, I'm Ashish Valentine in Taipei.
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Wall street was higher by the closing bell yesterday after Fed Chair Jerome Powell told a group of economists that it could soon be time for a change in Fed policy. This is npr.
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Host: Jeanine Herbst
Date: August 23, 2025
This concise, five-minute episode delivers a rapid update on major national and international news, spotlighting high-profile stories from US immigration and workforce cuts to international politics and energy policy. Featuring on-the-ground reporting and analysis from NPR correspondents, the broadcast distills complex headlines for listeners in a clear and accessible format.
[00:25–01:23]
Jeanine Herbst introduces the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported and is now facing further deportation proceedings.
Camila Domonosky reports:
Notable Quote:
[01:23–02:23]
Andrea Hsu breaks down a major policy move from the Trump administration:
Notable Quote:
[02:23–03:19]
Michael Copley reports on energy policy:
Notable Quote:
[03:19–04:54]
Federal judge in California expands an order to block the Trump administration from withdrawing funding from sanctuary cities, which affects dozens of major US municipalities.
In Taiwan, seven opposition lawmakers survive recall votes, described as a major win for the pro-China KMT party.
Ashish Valentine from Taipei:
Notable Quote:
[04:54–05:04]
This broadcast delivers succinct, high-stakes updates on US legal, political, and energy news, with a snapshot of Asian electoral politics, all designed for news consumers needing the essentials—fast.