NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-06-2025 6AM EDT

Episode Date: September 6, 2025

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Hey, it's Rachel Martin. I'm the host of Wildcard from NPR. For a lot of my years as a radio host, silence sort of made me nervous. That pause before an answer, because you don't know what's going on on the other side of the mic. But these days, I love it. Hmm. Ah. Gosh. Give me a minute. Yeah, yeah. Think. Listen to the Wild Card podcast only from NPR.

Live from NPR News in Washington. I'm Giles Snyder. People in and around Chicago. are keeping watch for a potential surge by federal immigration agents this weekend and for National Guard troops to possibly be deployed. The anticipation is leading to anxiety in communities such as North Chicago, where Leon Rockingham Jr. is the mayor. North Chicago's concern is to be able to make sure that our city continues to be safe, that no one comes in and tries to deport any of our citizens.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has said that additional immigration enforcement could start as soon as this weekend. President Trump has repeatedly singled out Chicago following his federal takeover of policing in Washington, D.C. Agriculture Department has started to issue guidance on how states should implement new work requirements for people who receive food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. NPR's Maria Gatoy reports that estimates suggest that new rules could result in some 2.4 million people losing benefits each month. The changes to SNAP were included in the massive spending and tax bill President Trump signed into law this summer. Under the new rules, most able-bodied adults

without dependents must now prove they work, volunteer, or take part in a training program for at least 80 hours a month in order to keep their SNAP benefits. The changes removed previous exemptions from many parents of teens, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, foster youth, and adults between the ages of 55 and 65. Five. The USDA says states have 120-day period to implement the changes. Maria Godoy and PR News. The Israeli military calling on Palestinians in Gaza City to move to a designated humanitarian area to the south. The call comes as Israel expands operations in the city, a move that aid groups warn could worsen the humanitarian crisis.

The health ministry in Gaza says its record showed more than 56,000 children have lost one or both parents and more than 19,000. Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli fire. And Pierre Zaya Batrawe has the latest from the region. The military leveled a high-rise building in Gaza City after ordering it evacuated Friday afternoon. The building was brought down with what appeared to be at least four missiles, according to videos, shared online. One of those videos was shared by Israel's defense minister, who said, quote, the latch of Hell's gates in Gaza has now been removed. The military says the tower it struck near the coast was being used by Hamas to plan and carry out attacks on Israeli forces.

The Israeli military did not provide evidence, and instead published an illustrated video. It says shows how Hamas installs cameras on rooftops and uses tunnels under buildings. The video included what appeared to be several dozen targets across the city. Hamas says the targeting of residential towers is part of an attempt to force Gaza City's residents to leave and says claims that Hamas uses these buildings are lies. Ayobotrae, NPR News, Dubai. And you're listening to NPR News. Federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from mending temporary legal protections from more than one million people from Haiti and Venezuela. The judge in California called

Homeland Security Secretary Christie Nome's decision to end protections granted by the Biden administration, arbitrary and capricious. Federal EPA workers who were placed on paid leave for signing a letter of dissent have received notices of disciplinary action. The letter criticized the agency's leadership over deregulation efforts and for disregarding scientific expertise, as Craig LeBolt, Member Station GBAH reports. According to their union, over 100 EPA employees who signed the letter were informed of a proposed two-week unpaid suspension, and about 15 were told they're being fired. The letters said their conduct was unbecoming of a federal employee. Lily Simmons is president of the union representing employees at EPA's Boston office.

I would not say signing a petition is unbecoming of any American citizen and certainly not a federal employee, signing a petition as part of our First Amendment rights. And she says they were standing up for public health and the environment. In a written statement, an EPA spokesperson cited a zero-tolerance policy for staffers using their position to, quote, unlawfully undermine sabotage and undercut the will of the American public. For NPR News, I'm Craig Lamolt in Boston. Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender, Ken Dryden has died. The Montreal Canadiens announced his death from cancer early today.

he was 78. Dryden won six of his eight NHL championships with Montreal and became a successful author, broadcaster, and politician. I'm Jail Snyder in PR 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. Join millions of customers and visit Wise.com. T's and Cs apply.