The Latest: 08/15/2025 04:58am ET

All the latest national and international news. Topics also include finance, weather and entertainment.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is your twenty four to seven use update the
latest use this hour in just four minutes. President Trump
won't share any possible deals he may have in mind
when he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska today.
Trump said, this is the first step.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
I think it's going to be a good meeting, But
the more important meaning will be the second meeting that
we're having. We're going to have a meeting with President Putin,
President Zelenski myself.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
Reports have been rampant regarding Russia Ukraine landswamps and the
possibility of the US offering Russia a rare earth mineral
deal if it leads to peace. When asked at the Whinehouse,
Trump would only say we'll see what happens. He again
said this wasn't his war, faulting former President Biden, but
added that he wants to see the Russia Ukraine war end.
Former President Barack Obama is supporting Texas Democrats who left

(00:49):
the state to block a GOP redistricting plan. In a
virtual meeting Thursday, Obama told the Texas lawmakers that their
actions were inspiring others. Obama said, we can't let a
system at a assault on democracy just happen, and because
of your courage, which you've seen, is California responding and
other states looking at what they can do to offset
this mid decade gerrymandering. Texas Representative Gene Wu said Obama's

(01:11):
endorsement was proof that they have supportive Democrats at every level.
There's an update in the criminal case involving South Texas
Congressman Henry Quoer. Brian Shook reports.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
Court records show that two of the fourteen counts have
been dropped against him and his wife. The pair still
face charges of conspiracy, bribery, and money laundering. The Democratic
lawmaker is accused of accepting cash in exchange for supporting
the interests of both an energy company controlled by the
Azerbaijan government and a bank in Mexico. He and his

(01:42):
wife have pleaded not guilty. I'm Brian Shook.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
And Tropical storm Erran is close to becoming a hurricane.
Maximum sustained wins seventy miles per hour as of the
latest update, with the storm expected to become the first
hurricane of the twenty twenty five Atlantic season. The National
Hurricane Center expects Earring to reach hurricane strength within hours.
It's still unclear if Aaron will have any impact on
the US East Coast. I'm Mark Mayfield. President Trump celebrated

(02:08):
the ninetieth anniversary of the Social Security Act. Speaking from
the Oval Office yesterday, Trump touted his efforts to protect
and improve the program.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
In the campaign, I made a sacred pledge to our
seniors that I would always protect social Security, and under
this administration, with keeping that promise and strengthening social Security
for generations to come.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
He noted, back logs and long wait times at field
offices on the phone have been addressed. Trump also highlighted
his One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, which ended tax for
seniors on Social Security. The Social Security Act was signed
by President Roosevelt in nineteen thirty five. A federal judge
is blocking an effort by the White House to defund
schools with DEI programs. On Thursday, the judge rule the

(02:50):
Trump administration can't cut federal funding to colleges and other
schools that have diversity programs, as it threatened to do
earlier this year. The judge said the administration didn't a
proper procedure and ruled the plan was unconstitutional, reasoning that
it could infringe on the free speech rights of educators.
The ruling also blocks the administration from enforcing a letter
sent by the Education Department that says federal law of

(03:12):
bars schools from using race in any educational decisions. Mars
Wrigley is introducing candy without synthetic dies next year, Chris
Carrazio explains.

Speaker 4 (03:22):
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior has
set out to get companies to drop artificial food dies,
and Mars was considered a holdout. According to the company,
m and M's, Skittle's original Extra Gum, Spearmen, and Starburst
original through Choose will not include synthetic dies. Several food manufacturers,
including General Mills, PepsiCo, Tyson Foods, Hershey, and Moore, have

(03:44):
already announced plans to ditch synthetic colors.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
I'm Chris caratio and, the first woman to skateboard across
the United States, is expected to finish her journey today.
Brook Johnson expected to arrive in Virginia Beach at five pm.
She began the trip one hundred and eighteen days ago
in Venice Beach, California, raising nearly fifty thousand dollars for
spinal cord research on marked Mayfield,