NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-06-2025 3AM EDT

Episode Date: September 6, 2025

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Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theshmit.org. Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Duhlisa Kautau. President Trump has signed an executive order rebranding the Department of Defense, a name that's been used since 1949. Trump will ask Congress to approve renaming it, the Department of War, as NPR's Quill Lawrence reports. Last month, President Trump floated returning the department to its name before World War II, when the U.S. Army was led by the Department of War. Now, speaking at the White House, Trump said that name sounds better, and he suggested the U.S. would have fared better in the war since if the name hadn't changed.

We could have won every war, but we really chose to be very politically correct or wokey. By law, Congress would need to change the name, but Trump said he isn't sure that's necessary. Trump also issued a warning after Venezuelan military planes flew close to U.S. warships off the Venezueling coast. Trump told his top general, if it happens again to essentially fire at will. Quill Lawrence NPR News. In Chicago, residents there said they are on edge, bracing for the Trump administration to deploy the National Guard in connection with increased immigration enforcement and deportations.

Adriana Cardona Magidad is with member station WBEZ and has the latest. City officials said they've learned there could be some couple hundred federal agents arriving sometime soon at a naval base in North suburban Chicago, but we don't know exactly how many have arrived yet. My colleagues spoke with officials who asked to remain anonymous because they did not have permission to speak on the record and said the agents who are there have been practicing crowd control tactics with shields and flashbang grenades. Disenforcement is expected to last for at least six weeks. That's Adriana Cardona Magidad, who covers immigration for WBEZ.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed sweeping new laws aimed at improving youth camp safety and strengthening the state's disaster preparedness. As Texas newsrooms, Lucio Vasquez reports, this follows one of the deadliest floods in recent U.S. history. Governor Abbott flanked by children and families who've lost loved ones said grieving parents pressed him for swift action. They pleaded that their daughters did not die in vain. The new laws impose stricter safety rules on youth camps throughout the state. Lawmakers also set aside nearly $300 million for flood sirens and disaster aid. It's all in response to July's catastrophic hill country floods, which killed more than 130 people, nearly 40 of them

children. Every child who goes to camp should come home to their families. The bills stalled last month after Texas Democrats fled the state to block a Republican-backed redistricting plan, which ultimately passed. For NPR news, I'm Lucio Vosquez in Houston. It's NPR. More anti-war protests by hostage families in Israel are planned this weekend to mark 700 days since Hamas's October 7th attack on southern Israel and to call on the Israeli government to end its planned takeover of Gaza City. On Friday, Hamas released a video claiming to show two Israeli hostages taken from the 2023 music festival, Guy Gilboa DeLal and Alon O'Hel. The BBC reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with the parents of both

captives, according to a statement from his office, quote, no evil propaganda video will weaken us or divert us from our determination to achieve the release of all hostages. Police have arrested two teens in connection with the high-profile shooting death of a congressional intern in Washington, D.C. As Alex Coma of member station WAMU reports, they're being charged with first-degree murder. The killing of 21-year-old Eric Tarpiniam Jackum is one of several prominent crimes that have become a rallying cry for President Trump as he sought to control D.C.'s affairs. prosecutors believe two 17-year-olds were targeting another man in a drive-by shooting when they inadvertently killed the intern instead. U.S. attorney for D.C., Janine Piro, is charging both teens as adults as part of her broader

attacks on the city's juvenile justice system. This killing underscores why we need the authority to prosecute these younger kids because they're not kids. They're criminals. They're violent criminals. Investigators are still searching for a third suspect. For NPR News, I'm Alex Koma in Washington, D.C. You're listening to NPR News. This message comes from Wise, the app for using money around the globe. When you manage your money with Wise, you'll always get the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees.

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