NPR News: 08-24-2025 9PM EDT

Summary

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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).

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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]

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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

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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.

Transcript

[Jeanine Herbst]

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?

[NPR News Anchor]

Terms apply [e-mail] Live from NPR News, I'm Jeanine Herbst. President Trump says he may send the National Guard to Chicago next after deploying members to the streets of Washington, D.C. to help reduce crime. But as NPR's Joe Hernandez reports, Illinois officials say they don't need the National Guard and they're calling Trump's plan illegal.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Illinois's Democratic Governor J.B. pritzker says 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. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, also a Democrat, said on MSNBC that it would be a flagrant violation of the Constitution. The city of Chicago does not need a military occupation. Trump said Friday that Chicago was, quote, a mess and that the administration would focus its efforts there next. Trump sent Guard members and federal officers onto the streets of the nation's capital in an effort he said was to combat crime and root out homelessness. But officials in both D.C. and Chicago say violent crime in their cities has actually been decreasing recently. Joe Hernandez, NPR News.

[NPR News Anchor]

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says he will be in Washington, D.C. tomorrow for a summit with President Trump. And here's Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul that Lee took office in June after his predecessor was impeached for declaring martial law.

[Anthony Kuhn]

In Washington, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will try to hammer out details of a trade deal reached last month. It includes a pledge for South Korea to invest $350 billion in the US in exchange for lower tariffs. The US has been talking about modernizing its alliance with South Korea, which includes focusing less on deterring North Korea and more on countering China. Most South Korean presidents visit the US first, but Lee will be coming from Tokyo, where he met with Prime Minister Shigeru Ichiba. Japan and South Korea are both US Allies who depend on exports to the US and host large numbers of American troops. And Lee apparently wanted to coordinate with Ishiba before meeting Trump. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul.

[NPR News Anchor]

Climate disasters like hurricanes and wildfires threaten thousands of facilities that produce medical drugs across the U.S. that's according to a new study. NPR's Alejandra Barunda reports.

[Alejandra Barunda]

Last year, flooding from Hurricane Helene shut down a manufacturing facility in North Carolina that produces about 60% of the country's IV fluid bags. It was a wake up call for many in the medical field. Now, a team of Harvard researchers asked how many drug producing facilities existed in a county that had experienced a climate disaster in the last five years. It turns out there were thousands. Most hadn't experienced disruptions, at least not as dramatic as the IV facility during Helene. But 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, NPR News.

[NPR News Anchor]

This is NPR News. Golfer Tommy Fleetwood won the FedEx cup, claiming his first PGA Tour championship today at Eastlake Golf Club in Atlanta. The Englishman beat out 29 other players for that cup and the $10 million purse. In parts of rural Kenya, roughly 40 of every 1,000 babies die before they turn 1 year old. But as NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports, new research suggests simply giving households extra money could cut that death rate by half.

[Jonathan Lambert]

From 2014 to 2017, the nonprofit GiveDirectly gave $1,000 to over 10,000 of the most cash strapped households across Western KE. A team of researchers followed those households and found that cash made a big difference for those that had kids. Not only did infant mortality drop by nearly half, but 45% fewer children died before they turned 5. The benefits were highest among households who got cash right around the time of birth and who lived within 30 minutes of a healthcare facility. Those reductions are about in line with more established interventions like antimalarial drugs or vaccines. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.

[NPR News Anchor]

At the weekend box office, the horror film Weapons took the top spot with an estimated $15 million in ticket sales. So far, it's made $199 million globally. In second place, Disney's remake Freakier Friday with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis once again with $9 million. And in third place, the Fantastic Four first steps with 5 million. I'm Jeanine Herbst, NPR News, in Washington. This message comes from Whole Foods Market. Go back to school deliciously with Whole Foods Market. Stock up on low priced 365 brand breakfast favorites, lunchbox staples and no antibiotics ever meets. All on sale now. Shop in store or online.