NPR News Now – August 24, 2025, 9PM EDT

Host: Jeanine Herbst
Date: August 25, 2025
Duration: 5 minutes

Episode Overview

This fast-paced NPR News Now episode provides a concise roundup of the top news stories as of August 24, 2025, 9PM EDT. Key topics include President Trump’s proposed deployment of the National Guard to Chicago, developments in US-South Korea trade relations, the increasing risk climate disasters pose to the medical drug supply, impactful new research on infant mortality in Kenya, and weekend box office results.

Key Topics and Highlights

1. President Trump Considers Sending National Guard to Chicago

[00:13–01:25]

• Summary: President Trump announced a potential National Guard deployment to Chicago, following recent actions in Washington, D.C., where forces were used under the guise of reducing crime and addressing homelessness.
• Illinois officials' response:
  • Governor J.B. Pritzker criticized the move as an illegal overreach:

    "Trump's threat to send in the National Guard isn't about safety, but rather a, quote, test of the limits of his power and a trial run for a police state." — Jeanine Herbst paraphrasing Pritzker [00:38]

  • Mayor Brandon Johnson called it a “flagrant violation of the Constitution” and insisted Chicago does not require “a military occupation.”
• Trump’s position:
  • Described Chicago as “a mess” and asserted federal attention should next focus there.
• Data context:
  • Both D.C. and Chicago officials claim violent crime has actually decreased recently.
• Speaker Attribution: Joe Hernandez reports.

2. South Korean President to Meet Trump; Focus on Trade and Regional Security

[01:25–02:25]

• Summary: Newly inaugurated South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., aiming to finalize a recent $350 billion trade investment agreement.
• Background:
  • Lee assumed office after the impeachment of his predecessor for declaring martial law.
  • The trade deal: South Korea’s investment in the US is coupled with reduced US tariffs on Korean goods.
• Strategic shift in alliances:
  • The US is now “focusing less on deterring North Korea and more on countering China.”
• Bilateral coordination:
  • Lee travels to the US via Tokyo, after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, highlighting trilateral coordination among US allies in East Asia.
• Notable quote:

  "Japan and South Korea are both US allies who depend on exports to the US and host large numbers of American troops." — Anthony Kuhn [02:12]

3. Drug Supply Chain Vulnerability to Climate Disasters

[02:25–03:15]

• Summary: A Harvard study warns climate events threaten thousands of US medical drug production facilities.
• Case study:
  • In 2024, Hurricane Helene shut down a facility in North Carolina responsible for 60% of national IV fluid bag production, causing a health industry “wake up call.”
• Findings:
  • Researchers identified thousands of drug-manufacturing sites in counties hit by disasters in the past five years, though most have not faced severe disruptions yet.
  • Ongoing climate change is projected to pose escalating risks to the US drug supply chain.
• Quote:

  "The study, which is published in the journal JAMA, warns continued climate change and the disasters it brings will inevitably put the US drug supply chain at risk." — Alejandra Barunda [03:05]

4. Cash Transfers and Infant Mortality in Rural Kenya

[03:15–04:28]

• Summary: A study following GiveDirectly’s unconditional cash transfers in Western Kenya shows a drastic reduction in infant and child mortality.
• Details:
  • Over 10,000 poor households received $1,000 each between 2014 and 2017.
  • Results:
    • Infant mortality halved.
    • 45% fewer children died before age 5.
    • Households benefiting most were close to healthcare and received cash near childbirth.
  • Impact is comparable to well-established health interventions.
• Quote:

  "Those reductions are about in line with more established interventions like antimalarial drugs or vaccines." — Jonathan Lambert [04:12]

5. FedEx Cup Results and Global Box Office

[04:28–end]

• Sports:
  • Golfer Tommy Fleetwood won his first PGA Tour championship at Eastlake Golf Club, claiming the FedEx Cup and a $10 million purse.
• Entertainment:
  • The horror film “Weapons” leads the weekend box office with $15 million in US sales and $199 million globally.
  • Second place: Disney’s “Freakier Friday” remake with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis ($9 million).
  • Third place: “Fantastic Four: First Steps” ($5 million).

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On federal intervention in Chicago:

  "The city of Chicago does not need a military occupation." — Jeanine Herbst paraphrasing Mayor Brandon Johnson [00:56]

• On South Korea–US–Japan relations:

  "Lee apparently wanted to coordinate with Ishiba before meeting Trump." — Anthony Kuhn [02:22]

• On climate risk to medical supply chain:

  "A wake up call for many in the medical field." — Alejandra Barunda [02:41]

• On cash and survival in Kenya:

  "Not only did infant mortality drop by nearly half, but 45% fewer children died before they turned 5." — Jonathan Lambert [03:57]

Segment Timestamps

• National Guard to Chicago: 00:13–01:25
• South Korean president visits D.C.: 01:25–02:25
• Climate disaster risk to drug production: 02:25–03:15
• Cash transfers and infant deaths in Kenya: 03:15–04:28
• Sports and Box Office recap: 04:28–end

This NPR News Now episode maintains its signature brisk delivery, covering high-impact stories across politics, global affairs, science, public health, sports, and entertainment. Quotes are paraphrased tightly with occasional direct speech to maintain the original language and journalistic tone.