NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-28-2025 1AM EDT

Episode Date: August 28, 2025

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This is Eric Glass. On this American Life, we like stories that surprise you. For instance, imagine finding a new hobby and realizing... To do this hobby right, according to the ways of the masters, there's a pretty good chance that you're going to have to bend the law to get the materials that you need. If not, break it. Yeah.

To break international laws. Your life stories, really good ones. This American Life. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shay Stevens. A community is grieving over a mass shooting at a Catholic school on Wednesday in Minneapolis. Two children ages 8 and 10 were killed and 17 others were injured while praying during mass. As NPR's Jason DeRose reports, Pope Leo and the Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis are expressing their sorrow. In a statement issued by the Vatican, Pope Leo is offering his, quote, heartfelt condolences

and the assurance of spiritual closeness to all those affected, especially the families now grieving. the loss of a child. Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the St. Paul Minneapolis Archdiocese issued a statement calling for the end-to-gun violence and saying, quote, Our community is rightfully outraged at such horrific acts of violence perpetuated against the vulnerable and innocent. Archdiocese staff are working with Annunciation Catholic School to make sure families there have the resources they need. Jason DeRose, NPR News. There is word that the South Florida facility that's being used as an immigrant detention center will be empty within a matter of days.

The Department of Homeland Security is moving detainees from the site after a judge ordered parts of it dismantled. Governor Ron DeSantis says a new immigration detention facility will be opened up in Jacksonville. Ultimately, you know, if DHS expands their own footprinting capacity, then maybe that need will go down. But as of right now, that need is very strong. And so I do think that they have increased the pace of the removals from there. The South Florida Detention Center is situated in a wetland region that is home to alligators and other wildlife.

The Mikasuki tribe had opposed construction of the facility, citing environmental harm to its traditional land. Israeli defense forces are warning Palestinians that a mass evacuation of Gaza City is inevitable amid plans to take control of the area. As NPR's Daniel Estrin reports, residents are already fleeing Israeli strikes on the northern outskirts of the city. The Israeli military says its ground troops' combat enables the expansion of the offensive deeper inside the city. Israel has not issued a formal mass evacuation order yet, but some Palestinians are beginning to escape the area, as NPR's Anas Baba reports. The father with his two children in the middle of the street, he's sitting above of all his luggage, his tent, some food, and that's it. Ibrahim Abu Hamedan described, quote, crazy barbarian, indiscriminate bombardment. Dead bodies and the injured are on the streets, he says.

We call on international bodies to provide us with protection. We are civilians. Daniel Esther in NPR News, Tel Aviv with Anas Baba in Gaza City. The White House hosts at a meeting with Israeli officials Wednesday on post-war Gaza. The talks are being held amid increasing outrage over the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. This is NPR. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is doubling down on his message that his state does not need or want military help fighting crime. Pritzker and officials in Chicago are vowing to sue if troops are sent there.

President Trump has threatened to send National Guard troops to cities he deems are being overrun by crime. Chicago reported 573 murders last year and a 22% drop in violent crime during the first six months of this year. year. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says his department will manage Union Station in Washington, D.C. It's part of the Trump administration's anti-crime effort in some major cities. The move also comes months after Duffy sought Amtrak's information on crime at the station. Amtrak is unveiling a faster fleet of Acella trains. As NPR's Joel Rose reports, the first new trains will begin running Thursday along Amtrak's northeast corridor. Amtrak says the next-gen-gen-a-train's can reach top speeds of up to 160 miles per hour, 10 miles per hour faster than the current fleet.

They're also lighter and larger, with 27 percent more seats. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spoke at an event in Washington before the train's inaugural run to New York and Boston. They're beautiful. They're going to be faster, but most importantly, a better experience for the traveling public. Amtrak is celebrating record ridership last year, but the unveiling comes at a challenging moment for high-speed rail in the U.S. as the Trump administration tries to pull billions of dollars in federal funding from a troubled project in California. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. U.S. futures are mostly lower in after-hours trading on Wall Street. This is NPR News.

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