NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-09-2025 6PM EDT

Episode Date: September 9, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Skiyavone. The Supreme Court has cleared the way to consider a challenge to President Trump's tariff policies. The High Court will hear arguments in the case in the first week of November. NPR's Elena Moore has details. This case centers on a move Trump made back in April when he announced sweeping tariffs on countries around the world using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. It marked a stark break from precedent, given that Congress, not the White House, House traditionally controls the country's tariff moves. Two federal courts have since said the policy is illegal. Now, if the Supreme Court cites with Trump, the tariffs would be allowed to stay. But if the justices uphold the lower court rulings, the White House could be forced to refund the billions it's already collected from the tariffs. Elena Moore, NPR News. President Trump has issued a statement expressing his disapproval with the recent Israeli strikes on Hamas targets in Qatar. Qatar is a U.S. ally and has been a key player in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Gaza. The Missouri state house has advanced a plan that would redraw the state's congressional voting map as requested by President Trump.

It goes to the state Senate next. St. Louis Public Radio's Brian Munoz reports. Republicans say what they're calling the Missouri first map better reflects the will of the state's most of Republican voters next year's midterm election. Democrats, however, warned it could unfairly favor the GOP and dilute the power of Kansas. Kansas City voters. Ashley Anni is a House minority leader. We knew coming into this special session we would lose. We knew that. But we showed up and we will keep showing up because the fight didn't end today. There's a lot of fight left. Missouri's just the latest, but it's happening all over the country. The bill now moves to the Missouri Senate where it is expected to pass later this week. For NPR News, I'm Brian Munoz in Jefferson City, Missouri. New national test scores are out today. These

measure eighth-grader's science skills and 12th graders math and reading skills. NPR Sequoia Carrillo has details. These test scores are part of the National Assessment for Educational Progress, also known as the nation's report card, and they come in the wake of massive cuts to the U.S. Education Department. Math scores for students in the 12th grade dropped three points from the previous test in 2019, while eighth graders followed a similar pattern with a four-point average drop in science. In both science and math, drops happened across all achievement levels, so low and high-performing students dropped this cycle. Reading scores also dipped for nearly all 12th graders compared to the last test. But when you compare these scores to the first nation's report card

for 12th grade reading more than 30 years ago, today's average score is 10 points lower. Sequoia Carrillo, NPR News. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 196, the NASDAQ gained 80, the S&P 500 gained 17. This is NPR. In Arizona, the National Park Service says a wildland firefighter has died fighting the Dragon Bravo fire near the Grand Canyon. NPR's Kirk Sigler reports that massive wildfire has been burning since July 4th. The firefighter's name has not been released, but federal fire managers say he died after suffering a cardiac emergency near the entrance to the north rim of the Grand Canyon while doing what's called suppression repair. That's when crews try to rehab land like reducing erosion around

fire lines after a fire has raced through it. The park service in conjunction with the local coroner's office is investigating the death. The Dragon Bravo fire was sparked by lightning more than two months ago and has burned some 145,000 acres and destroyed a historic lodge. Another bigger investigation is focused on whether the National Park Service hit with staffing and funding cuts from President Trump's Doge team had adequate resources to respond to the fire. Kirk Sigler and PR News. A man accused in last month's fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee 23-year-old Irina Zerutska on a North Carolina commuter train now faces federal charges in the death.

The Justice Department case is charging the suspect with causing death on a mass transportation system, meaning he could face the death penalty to Carlos Brown Jr. has a lengthy arrest record with 14 prior criminal cases. Ford is recalling almost 1.5 million vehicles in the U.S. from model years 2015 to 19 at issue a problem in the rear-view camera among the affected vehicles, Lincoln's, Mustangs, and Expeditions. I'm Luis Skivone and PR News.