NPR News: 08-22-2025 11PM EDT

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman.

The Justice Department has released transcripts of a recent interview with the former girlfriend of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Empires Carrie Johnson reports on new details from Gillene Maxwell, who's serving a 20-year prison sentence.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche traveled to Florida this summer to conduct an unusual interview with Maxwell.

He released the transcripts on social media and what he called the interest of transparency.

Maxwell told DOJ she may have met now President Trump because he was friendly with her father.

She also called Trump a gentleman in all respects.

The president's allies have been clamoring to see the Justice Department's files on Jeffrey Epstein in case they reveal new information about the source of his wealth and his sex trafficking of underage girls.

David Marcus, a lawyer for Maxwell, says she told the truth and that she's a scapegoat.

After her interview, Maxwell was moved into a less restrictive federal prison in Texas.

Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador and later returned to the U.S., has now been released from a jail in Tennessee.

Empires Sergio Martinez-Beltran reports that he's returning to Maryland to await trial on federal human smuggling charges.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia was sent back to his home country of El Salvador in March despite a court order blocking his deportation there.

His lawyer, Sean Hecker, says Abrego Garcia was, quote, unlawfully arrested and deported and then imprisoned all because of the government's vindictive attack on a man who had the courage to fight back against the administration's continuing assault on the rule of law, end quote.

Abrego Garcia's case raised basic questions about due process under under President Trump's ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration.

Upon his return to the U.S.

in June, Abrego Garcia was immediately detained on charges of transporting unauthorized migrants across the U.S.

He pleaded not guilty in June.

Sergio Martinez-Beltrán and PR News.

At least five people are dead and many others were injured when a tour bus returning to New York City from Niagara Falls flipped on Interstate 90 in western New York today.

State Police Major Andre Ray says there were 54 people on the bus at the time of the

At this point, and again, it's still under investigation.

It's believed the operator became distracted, lost control, over-corrected, and ended up on the right shoulder there.

Ray says a number of people were thrown from the bus during the accident.

The state through authority shut down the road for several hours after that accident.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated on Friday that interest rates could drop in coming months.

Speaking in a meeting in Wyoming, he gave no hint on the timing, and he also suggested that the central bank will continue to proceed cautiously as it evaluates the effect of tariffs and other policies on the U.S.

economy.

You're listening to NPR News.

The White House released a list of art exhibits and live events at the Smithsonian that it finds unacceptable.

NPR's Anastasia Tsielkis has more.

The memo lists 22 specific items and events across six Smithsonian museums that the Trump administration considers objectionable.

It also criticizes the yet-to-be-built American Women's History Museum.

The memo does not specify any course of action that the White House plans to take.

The list includes an exhibition of Afrofuturistic work by artist Ayana V.

Jackson at the Museum of African Art.

Another is a video made for the National Portrait Gallery by the artist Hugo Crothswait.

It portrays Dr.

Anthony Fauci, the infectious disease expert who frequently went head-to-head with the president during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Smithsonian declined to comment in response.

Anastasiet Sulkis and Pierre News, New York.

President Trump says the draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place on December 5th at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

He made the announcement during a White House visit by the president of soccer's governing board.

The event will determine the tournament's groupings and the opening round games.

Finland's IOPO, the Angus Rautio, won the World Air Guitar Championship title Friday night.

It's the first win for Finland since 2000.

The three-day event had competitors from 13 countries.

They were judged on the performance of two songs.

While they could use props and costumes, no real instruments can be used during the competition.

I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.

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