NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-31-2025 12PM EDT

Episode Date: August 31, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. The Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis held its first mass last night since the deadly shooting during mass last Wednesday morning. Two children were killed and 18 people were wounded, mostly children. The mass took place in the school auditorium since the church is still a crime scene. Father Dennis Zenerin noted that the congregation was returning to a familiar spot. We are gathering in a place where people gathering, gathered for Mass. Children gathered for Mass. People gathered here to pray for decades before they

finally got around to building that new church a little further up the hill in 1961. At the Vatican today, Pope Leo denounced the attack during his Sunday blessing. He called for an end to what he called the pandemic of arms, which infects our world. The Trump administration says public housing agencies must share the immigration status of their tenants. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports they have 30 days to comply or risk losing federal funding. Housing and urban development secretary Scott Turner issued the directive in a tweet. He said it was the beginning of the end for illegals in taxpayer-funded housing. Undocumented immigrants do not get housing subsidies, but they are allowed to live with family members who do. The first Trump administration tried

to change that, and the current one has been reviewing a similar proposal. Conservatives argue it's not fair to let mixed-status families live in public housing, given the years-long waitlist for it. Now, housing authorities face a deadline to share information on all tenants, including their immigration status. One immigrant advocate says it seems designed to scare families into self-evicting. Jennifer Lutton, NPR News, Washington. Ukrainian authorities say at least one person was killed in another 24 were wounded after Russia launched drone and missile attacks across the country yesterday. The attacks marked the second heavy bombardment of Ukraine in recent days, and come, despite

U.S. efforts to negotiate a peace deal, NPR's Charles Mainz, reports from Moscow. The air attacks coincided with claims by the head of Russia's armed forces, Valery Garasimov, that his troops were conducting offensive operations across the entire front line. That pushed, despite White House efforts to organize a peace summit, between Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky accused the Kremlin of exploiting the U.S. diplomatic effort to plan the attacks and renewed calls for the West to force Moscow to peace through additional sanctions on Russian energy exports. Those pleas came as Ukrainian drones struck two Russian oil refineries,

the latest in the series of attacks on Russian energy infrastructure that have contributed to fuel shortages in some Russian regions. Charles Mainz, NPR News, Moscow. This is NPR News. Washington. A flotilla of ships is preparing to leave Barcelona, carrying food, water, and medicine for the Gaza Strip. Organizers are attempting to break the Israeli blockade, which has prevented deliveries. The flotilla includes delegations from 44 countries on about 20 boats. Other vessels are expected to join them from ports in Italy, Tunisia, and Greece in the coming days. The world's longest running Rafiki in Disney's The Lion King Music is hanging up her costume tonight after more than 9,000 performances. NPR's Ava Poucatch reports. For more than two decades, theater goers have heard C.D. Manier belt out one of the Lion King's most iconic songs. Manié first took on the role in the show's Toronto Company in 2000,

later playing Rafiki in the Broadway Company and wearing the distinctive red, yellow, and blue baboon cheek makeup every night. As for what's next, Manier tells the New York Times she plans to head home the South Africa to spend time of family. But she says, you never really leave the Lion King forever, saying if they needed her, she'd jump to be there no matter what. April Keech, NPR News. Every year around Labor Day, Gallup takes a survey to gauge support for unions. This year, 68% of U.S. adults said that. they approve of unions, about the same as last year, but only 15% said they live in a household with a union member. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News, in Washington.