NPR News Now - 5am ET, October 09 | The latest headlines from NPR

Episode Date: October 9, 2026

The latest headlines from NPR at the top of this hour. The stories you hear are written, reported and fact-checked by NPR journalists.  Learn more about the standards of our journalism at npr.org/ethics. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

This is NPR News Now. The latest headlines every hour. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingley. Many residents and tourists along the Gulf Coast of the Florida Panhandle and Alabama continue evacuating ahead of Hurricane Issa Eas. The storm is expected to make landfall tonight or early tomorrow. Currently, Issa Eas is a category two hurricane with top sustained winds of 105. miles per hour. In Mexico Beach, Florida, the locals say Issa-Eas reminds them of another hurricane that

hit their community eight years ago as a category five storm. Randy Vuxtoe, with member station WFSU reports. As Issa Eas continues to head towards landfall, Malice Males-Megalski, Mexico Beach City Administrators, says community members are feeling nervous. He says in years past, a hurricane may have been excused for a party, but this time... Because of Hurricane Michael now, I've not heard of one party being scheduled for this particular Friday night. As of now, the storm is rejected the head north, making landfall somewhere between Pensacola and Alabama. But many Mexico Beach residents say the path reminds them of what they saw with Michael. Now they are preparing for the worst, setting up sandbags, grabbing supplies, and moving vehicles to higher ground. For NPR News, I'm Randy Vuxda in Panama City,

Florida. Hurricane Michael caused billions of dollars worth of damage. The Pentagon says December's execution of former U.S. Army Major Nadal Hassan will be locked. streamed. Hassan is to be executed by firing squad for killing 13 people and entering more than 30 others in an attack at Fort Hood, Texas. The shooting at the base occurred in 2009. Hassan's execution would be the first carried out by the military in more than 65 years. The Department of Homeland Securities says officers with U.S. immigration and customs enforcement were carrying out a targeted operation in New York City yesterday when a man was shot and wounded. New York's police Commissioner says the 28-year-old was shot inside a vehicle. A five-year-old was also in that vehicle.

He was not injured. Authorities in Russia say they've lifted all public health restrictions following the death of a 28-year-old lab worker at a plague research institute in Siberia. As NPR's Charles Mainz reports from Moscow, the woman's death has raised concerns about a potential outbreak of plague or some other deadly pathogen. Ever since the death of a female lab technician in Russia's Irkutsk region last week, Russian health authorities have insisted she succumbed to an unknown form of pneumonia rather than the plague. Irkud's governor Igor Kov, all but declared that version final. Kovzv said the deceased lab technician had been vaccinated and was immune to the deadly pathogen she worked with. He also said thousands of tests found no evidence of infection among

other lab workers and that life in Erkutsk would be going back to normal. The de facto declaration of an end to the investigation comes despite calls by the World Health Organization and the White House for more Russian transparency about the case. Charles Bain's NPR News, Moscow. This is NPR News. This year's Nobel Peace Prize winner is Navi Pili. This is for her efforts to promote peace in international law. The war in Iran and President Trump's tariffs on dozens of countries were among the issues

last night in Atlanta, as Democratic Senator John Asoff of Georgia faced off against Republican congressman Mike Collins. In their first debate, Osse, Osse, Blame the war and tariffs for raising prices. Under Mike Collins and Donald Trump, it costs more than ever to buy a tractor for your farm or to plant an acre of cotton. Collins, a two-term member of the House,

criticized Assov for supporting Biden-era policies that raised inflation in the U.S. economy. Inflation remains above the Federal Reserve's annual target of 2%. UPS says it's planning to hire tens of thousands of seasonal workers for the upcoming holiday season. Marlon Hyde with Member Station W.A.B.E. Reports. UPS package volume can nearly double during the holidays. It's peak season. In preparation for it, the company is hiring 100,000 temporary employees nationwide to help out. That's fewer than in prior years as it uses more artificial intelligence. UPS says over two-thirds of its U.S. packages

are being processed through automation-equipped buildings up from a year ago. The company is introducing new or enhanced automated facilities in Denver, St. Paul, Syracuse, and Portland. Meanwhile, UPS continues to slim down by 30,000 workers this year to reduce operational costs. For NPR News, I'm Marlon Hyde in Atlanta. I'm Dave Mattingly in Washington.