NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-31-2025 3AM EDT

Episode Date: August 31, 2025

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Support for NPR and the following message come from the Kreske Foundation with Pathbreakers, a podcast about transforming communities through innovation, from revolutionizing higher education to supporting artists who are driving change. Pathbreakers is available on podcast platforms. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. A federal appeals court this week ruled that many of President Trump's sweeping tariffs are illegal because only Congress holds the right to levy certain. tariffs. Implementation of the ruling is delayed until October to give the Trump administration a chance to appeal to the Supreme Court. MPR's Ron Elving says it's no surprise while Republican members of Congress are not challenging Trump on the issue. Congress, at least so far, has shown no willingness to buck the president on any of these major policy matters, even when his moves seem to challenge or ignore the role of Congress itself. Now, with the midterms of 26, just around the corner, right now is the season for members of Congress to worry about

challengers, not just for their re-election, but for their renomination by their own party. And that's where Trump's influence over the Republican voting base can mean life or death for a member of Congress. That's MPR's Ron Elving speaking from Washington. The International Red Cross is warning that Israel's plan to force out the entire population of Gaza City is unsafe and illegal under international law. NPR's Jane Aref has more. Israel plans to seize Gaza's biggest city and is telling civilians they will have to move south.

It has already started attacks in Gaza City. The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement that given the extreme shortage of food, water, shelter, and medical care across the Gaza Strip, any mass evacuation will be unsafe. It called the Israeli orders incomprehensible. The Geneva-based organization also said many residents are unable to leave

because they're sick, starving, injured, or disabled. Jane Arraf, NPR News, Amman. Denmark's foreign minister, meanwhile, says Israel's actions are undermining a possible two-state solution to the Middle East crisis. U.S. colleges and universities are dealing with the major problem this fall as Frank Morris, a member station K-CUR reports. They're facing a big drop in international student enrollment that's been triggered by pressure from the Trump administration. The Trump administration has revoked more than 6,000 student fees, denied and delayed many thousands more, and raised fees. Higher education advocates say the resulting enrollment drop could exceed 175,000 students. Andrew Vogel, a vice president at Avala University in Kansas City,

says that'll hurt higher education nationwide. The amount of international students coming to the U.S. is obviously decreased significantly, and it could be up to $7 or $8 billion loss for the United States this fall. So it's looking kind of grim for a lot of institutions of higher education, even Harvard. American colleges and universities have come to rely on well over a million students from abroad to fill seats and coffers as slacking U.S. birth rates deplete domestic enrollment. From NPR News, I'm Frank Morris. And you're listening to NPR News.

11-year-old Genevieve Bissek remains in intensive care this weekend after being shot this week at a Catholic church in Minneapolis. But doctors say her condition has been updated from critical to satisfactory. Two of her classmates were killed in the shooting and 18 other people were injured. Trump administration official Kerry Lake says she's begun laying off hundreds of staffers at the Voice of America and its federal parent. As NPR's David Fulkenflick reports, this is part of her effort. to reduce the federally funded international broadcaster to almost nothing. Carrie Lake has tried to do this several times before, making good an executive order from President Trump. Each time she has broken rules or laws in doing so. She fired all the contractors.

Most employees are now on paid leave instead. This time she told a judge in court papers Thursday, she was eliminating 486 jobs at the Voice of America and nearly 50 at the U.S. Agency for Global Media. The agency started sending out notices to those affected Friday night. Three of those suing her say this too looks to be unlawful. Judge Royce Lamberth, who is overseeing their cases, said in a Monday court hearing that Lake is verging on contempt of court. David Fulkenflick NPR News. It's college football season and viewers have already been offered some upsets. Florida State ran for 230 yards and four touchdowns as they beat number eight Alabama Saturday. The Seminals were just two and ten last season. And number three, the Ohio State University

showed a strong defense as they beat number one Texas, 14 to 7, number five. Georgia, meanwhile, beat Marshall, 45 to 7, and number 7, Oregon, beat Montana State 59 to 13. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News.