NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-04-2025 7AM EDT

Episode Date: September 4, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. The Senate Banking Committee holds a hearing today on President Trump's latest nominee for a seat on the Federal Reserve Board. NPR Scott Horsley reports the hearing comes at a sensitive time for the central bank. Trump has tapped White House Economic Advisor Stephen Myron to fill a short-term vacancy on the Fed board. If confirmed, Myron would take the place of Adriana Coogler, who stepped down last month. Trump is also trying to free up another seat on the board by firing Fed Governor Lisa Cook, The president and his allies have accused Cook of making a false statement on a mortgage application. Cook has not been charged, and she's gone to court in an effort to keep her job.

If the president is successful in replacing Cook, a majority of Fed governors would be Trump appointees. Trump has repeatedly demanded that the central bank lower interest rates, even though by law the Fed is supposed to be insulated from that kind of political pressure. Scott Horsley, MPR News, Washington. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to testify before the Senate Finance Committee, today. He's likely to be asked about some promises he made during his confirmation hearing this year and is broken. For example, Kennedy promised not to change the makeup of a major federal vaccine advisory panel. Instead, Kennedy fired everyone on it. Louisiana's governor says he'll welcome National Guard troops if they're sent to New Orleans. From member station WWNO, Aubrey Yuhas reports

the reaction from city officials has been mixed. Crime in New Orleans spiked during the pandemic, but has since fallen. And the city's on pace to log a historic 50-year low in murders this year. City officials noted that decline. They thanked the federal government for its past help, including after January's terrorist attack, but didn't say whether they support the president's current offer. Councilmember Helena Moreno, the frontrunner in the race to be New Orleans next mayor, said in a statement she will fight to prevent any federal takeover of New Orleans and said Trump's offer was about scare tactics and politicizing public safety. On X, Louisiana's governor, Jeff Landry, said he welcomes the president's help, not just in the city, but anywhere in the state.

For Empire News, I'm Oprah Yuhas in New Orleans. The Texas Senate has passed a bill calling for one of the country's strictest crackdowns on abortion pills. From member station KUT and Austin, Olivia Aldridge reports. Texas already has a near total ban on abortion. The newly passed bill aims to curb the practice of out-of-state doctors prescribing abortion pills to Texas residents, and sending them through the mail. State Senator Brian Hughes championed the bill in the Texas Senate. If you manufacture, distribute these drugs, and ship them to Texas for the purpose of killing a little unborn baby, harming a mom, you will be held accountable.

If the governor signs the bill into law, private citizens would be able to sue out-of-state providers of the pills for $100,000 or more. I'm Olivia Aldridge in Austin. You're listening to NPR News. A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is introducing a bill that would ban lawmakers from trading individual stocks. Supporters say it's intended to address voters' worries that lawmakers could engage in insider stock trading. Watchdog groups have questioned members of both parties about personal stock trades. Some have asked if the lawmakers were influenced by information they got privately while serving in Congress. The conservative news outlet Newsmax has sued industry giant,

Fox News. Newsmax claims that Fox illegally pressured pay TV platforms to keep the smaller channel out of their offerings. NPR's David Fulkenflict reports Fox News Newsre rejects the allegations. Newsmax CEO and founder Chris Ruddy tells NPR that Fox has been very effective in exerting what he calls monopoly power. Newsmax is alleging anti-competitive actions, saying that Fox had secret or implicit deals that raise the cost to pay TV platforms to carry Newsmax, including requirements that those platforms that did so, also pay for Fox Business Network or other sister channels. In a statement, Fox says, quote, Newsmax cannot sue their way out of their own competitive failures in the marketplace to chase headlines simply because they can't attract viewers. Yet Fox executives traded concerns, as the network bled viewers in the aftermath of the 2020 race,

with many fans of President Trump turning instead to Newsmax. David Fulkenflik and PR News. The government public affairs network C-SPAN has reached an agreement with online streamers YouTube and Hulu. C-SPAN will bring its three channels to the streamers this fall, and includes as part of YouTube's base package lineup for viewers. I'm Corma Coleman, NPR News in Washington.