NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-03-2025 5PM EDT

Episode Date: September 3, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. President Trump says New Orleans could be the next city to see National Guard deployment as part of a federal effort to fight crime. NPR's Franco Ordone's reports, Trump says, the governor of Louisiana welcomes the move. President Trump says his administration is currently considering sending troops to Louisiana instead of Illinois, where state and local officials have vowed not to cooperate with the administration. So we're making a determination now. Do we go to Chicago or do we go to a place like New Orleans where we have a great governor, Jeff Landry, who wants us to come in? Trump says he wants to send the National Guard to Chicago, but that local officials should ask for federal assistance. He's also floated the idea of sending troops to New York and Baltimore. Franco Ordonez. NPR News, the White House. A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing for. legislation that would require the Justice Department to release files related to convicted

sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. House GOP leaders oppose it, but for Republicans, including Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, have signed a petition that would force the House to vote on the bill. I asked my Republican colleagues not to choose just one path for justice and transparency and accountability, but I asked my Republican colleagues to choose every path for just. justice and accountability and transparency. Outside the Capitol today, a group of Epstein survivors and family members of victims shared their stories calling for the full public release of the files. Among them was Sky Roberts. His sister, Virginia Joufrey, died by suicide earlier this year. She fought to expose a system that allowed the wealthy, the connected, and the powerful to exploit

and abuse girls and young women. Without consequence, she fought for every survivor who was silence, doubted, or discarded. Now, Speaker, Mike Johnson, has expressed skepticism citing concerns about victim privacy. A federal watchdog agency says about 10% of employees have left the federal emergency management agency this year. NPR's Rebecca Hersher reports the departures have left FEMA strained as peak hurricane season unfolds in the U.S. Between January 1st and June 1st, about 1, 400 workers left FEMA. That's according to to a new report from the government accountability office. They include workers who retired, who were laid off, and who voluntarily left the agency. The report warns that those departures

could make it difficult for FEMA to respond to weather disasters, such as major hurricanes. Peak hurricane season in the Atlantic is underway now and runs into October. Rebecca Hersher, NPR News. At the close on Wall Street, the Dow was down 24 points. This is NPR News in Washington. A federal judge heard arguments today about a deal between the Justice Department and Boeing over two fatal crashes of 737 Max Jets. NPR's Joel Rose reports the families of some crash victims object to the agreement. Federal Judge Reid O'Connor in North Texas held a three-hour hearing to consider objections to the deal that would allow Boeing to avoid criminal prosecution. He heard anguished testimony from relatives of some of those killed in the crashes of two 737 Max Jets. in 2018 and 2019.

The plane maker agreed last year to plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to defraud regulators. But Judge O'Connor rejected that deal, in part over concerns about the selection of an independent monitor. This time, O'Connor questioned the Justice Department about the decision to drop the independent monitor entirely and hire a compliance consultant instead. The judge said he would issue a decision in due course. Joel Rose, NPR News. Florida could become the first state to eliminate vaccine mandates. A long-time cornerstone of public health policy aimed at protecting schoolchildren and communities from infectious disease.

The state surgeon general calls existing vaccine requirements and intrusion on personal rights, adding that parents should decide whether their kids are vaccinated. But physician groups say vaccines are safe and critical to preventing the spread of disease. Some Democratic lawmakers say the move is a public health disaster in the making. Stocks traded mixed on Wall Street today. The Dow was down 24 points at the close. The NASDAQ up 218. The S&P rose 32 points. This is NPR News.