NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-04-2025 10AM EDT

Episode Date: September 4, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. The Senate Banking Committee opens a confirmation hearing this hour for President Trump's nominee to be a federal reserve board governor. Stephen Myron is a White House economic advisor. If confirmed, he'd succeed another Fed governor who stepped down last month. President Trump is also trying to fire another Fed governor, Lisa Cook, the first black woman to serve in this role. Stocks opened higher this morning as the Labor Department reported an uptick in new unemployment applications. NPR Scott Horsley reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 60 points in early trading. New applications for unemployment benefits rose last week as 237,000 people applied for aid. That's 8,000 more than the previous week. People who are newly out of a job could have more trouble-finding work for the first time in more than four years. People looking for work now outnumber job openings. We'll get a more complete look at the job market tomorrow when the Labor Department reports on hiring and unemployment for the month of August.

New figures from the Commerce Department show the nation's trade deficit widened in July as U.S. businesses raced to import products before higher tariffs took effect in August. Imports jump by $20 billion in July, while exports inched up less than $1 billion. Scott Horsley, MPR News, Washington. Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner says his routine visit to a military spy agency was canceled. this week. Warner's the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, oversight work, is part of the Senate's responsibility. The Warner says his classified visit was rejected after far-right activist and Trump supporter Laura Lumer complained. Warner says Lumer has no authority to determine any national policy. She's not elected to anything, but she is that a de facto,

it seems to me, Secretary of Defense and perhaps Director of National Intelligence. She may even be with Elon Musk on, she may now be the new co-presidents with Donald Trump. He spoke to CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper. Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani has died, according to his company. He was 91 years old. Armani died at home from an undisclosed illness. As Diana Apong reports, he helped modernize late 20th century style. Georgia Armani's designs are synonymous with luxury and fashion.

But Armani grew up without much money. He was born in a northern Italian city not too far from Milan. That's where he founded his luxury fashion house in 1975. He loved early 20th century designers and architects and was fascinated with film. That's Georgia Armani speaking in a short documentary made by Martin Scorsese from 1990. By the end of his life, Armani was everywhere. Accessories, perfume, and even at the mall with Armani exchange. But Giorgio Armani never lost his style.

and direction. His influence on the world of fashion feels eternal. For NPR news, I'm Diana O'Pong. This is NPR. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting this morning with Ecuador's president in Quito. Their talks are expected to focus largely on efforts to curb migration and drug trafficking. NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports Rubio was in Mexico yesterday. The Secretary's trip to Mexico and Ecuador came just after the year. U.S. military struck what it says was a boat carrying drugs from Venezuela. Rubio says the boat was heading eventually to the U.S. And instead of interdicting it on the president's orders, he blew it up. And it'll happen again. Maybe it's happening right now. I don't know.

While the secretary vows to wage war on the cartels, he's also trying to get countries in the region to help. In Mexico, he signed a joint statement to beef up security cooperation while respecting Mexico's sovereignty. Here in Ecuador, he's looking for more help on immigration. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, Quito. President Trump is floating the idea of sending National Guard troops to New Orleans. He says Louisiana's governor, a Republican, would welcome them. National Guard troops have been sent in Los Angeles and they're still deployed in Washington, D.C. Jurisdictions controlled by Democrats. Trump's comments come as he appeals a federal court judge's decision that his deployment of troops in L.A. last June was illegal.

The government public affairs network C-SPAN has reached an agreement with streamers YouTube and Hulu. C-SPAN will bring its three channels to the streamers this fall as part of YouTube's base package lineup. I'm C-Spaulman, NPR News.