NPR News Now - NPR News: 08-31-2025 8AM EDT

Episode Date: August 31, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis held its first mass last night since Winday's deadly shooting with church pastor, Father Dennis Aaron, addressing the congregation from the church's school auditorium because the church is still a crime scene. He expressed hope for a better day. That's what we do now at Enunciation. We watch for that light of a new day.

We watch for that light that will scatter every day. darkness. We watch for that light that will never fade, that will only grow stronger. Two students were killed in the shooting, 18 wounded, nearly all of them children. At least seven victims were still hospitalized as of Saturday. Authorities have identified the government as a 23-year-old former student who took his own life. Ukrainian authorities say at least one person was killed, another 24 wounded after Russia launched drone and missile attacks across the country this weekend. The attacks marked the second heavy bombardment of Ukraine in recent days, and come despite U.S. efforts to negotiate a peace deal from Moscow.

And Pierre Charles Mainz reports. 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 Volodymy 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 a series of attacks on Russian energy infrastructure that have contributed to fuel shortages in some Russian regions. Charles Vane's NPR News, Moscow. Indonesia remains on edge after a week of protests and riots that have left at least five people dead. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports that looters today entered lawmaker Holmes and met discontinent. tent over inflation and unemployment.

In the early hours of Sunday, crowds ransacked the home of lawmakers and Indonesia's finance minister. Protest broke out Monday following reports that lawmakers had given themselves a monthly housing allowance more than 10 times what a worker making minimum wage in Jakarta can earn in a month. More protests erupted after a police armored vehicle ran over and killed a motorcycle taxi driver. Rioters in the city of Makasar set fire to the local assembly building, and three people were killed in the blaze or jumping from the building to escape it. President Prabuo Subianto has canceled a trip to attend a military parade in China to deal with the unrest. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul. Indian Prime Minister Narendra

Modi is in China. He said today that India is committed to improving ties with Beijing. Modi met today with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the opening of a regional security summit, overshadowed by President Trump's tariffs. listening to NPR News. Democratic senators Chris Van Holland of Maryland and Jeff Merkley of Oregon are calling on Israel to allow more food aid into Gaza. The two visited the Egyptian side of the Rafa border crossing this weekend as Israel steps up military operations around Gaza City and announce a recovery of the bodies of two hostages.

Chicago Mayor Branson Johnson is pushing back against President Trump. He signed an executive order this weekend. that prevents city police from cooperating with any federal immigration enforcement activity. And Johnson is demanding the President Trump stand down from any plan to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago. The world's longest running Rafiki and Disney's The Lion King Musical is hanging up her costume tonight at for more than 9,000 performances. S.Pierre's Ava Poucatch reports. For more than two decades, theater goers have heard Cidimanié belt out one of the Lion King's most iconic songs. Manier 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 to 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. Ava Picatch, NPR News. And I'm Jail Snyder.

This is NPR News from Washington.