NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-11-2025 9AM EDT

Episode Date: September 11, 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 Korova Coleman. The government says consumer inflation sped out. up in August, the consumer price index rose 2.9% from what it was a year ago. Although the Federal Reserve is looking for lower inflation, it may cut interest rates next week. That's because the Fed is also concerned about a weakening job market. Mourners in New York City have gathered to pay respects to the victims of the September 11th attacks. Today marks 24 years since the September 11th. 11th attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and launched the United States into 20 years of war.

M. Pierce Quill Lawrence reports from New York City. Dignitaries and family members of the deceased gather each year in Lower Manhattan at what is still called ground zero. A memorial now lies where the Twin Towers collapsed after being struck by hijacked airliners on the morning of September 11, 2001. A plane also struck the Pentagon in Virginia and another crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers rushed the cockpit. The American retaliation, dubbed the global war on terror, lasted 20 years in Afghanistan and continues in the Middle East under a congressional authorization for the use of force passed in 2002. Those wars have cost the lives of thousands more American troops and hundreds of thousands of mostly civilians across the Muslim world.

Quill Lawrence NPR News, New York. Authorities in Utah are scheduled to hold a news conference this hour to discuss yesterday's shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. He was speaking to university students outdoors when he was shot and killed. No suspect has been identified. Supporters of Kirk have been lamenting his death. Journalist Kyle Spencer has written about the ultra-conservative youth movement in the United States and Charlie Kirk's role in it. As he evolved, became more of a cultural warrior. He became increasingly religious, spoke often about Christian nationalism, the need for Christian values to lead the country. He was a firm opposer of reproductive rights. He was very, very vocal about traditional marriage, quote-unquote,

traditional values, and believe that there was racism in this country, and it was very intense, and it was racism against white men. She spoke to NPR's morning edition. NPR has learned that Vice President J.D. Vance and Second Lady Ushah Vance will travel to Salt Lake City today. they will pay respects to the family of Charlie Kirk. Vance was originally set to attend September 11th Memorial Observances today in New York. NPR is announcing its new editor-in-chief. Tommy Evans will take over the position this month. He's currently a managing editor in the newsroom. Prior to NPR, Evans spent nearly eight years at CNN overseeing international operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. He will succeed, Edith Chapin. This is NPR. Opening statements start today in Florida in the trial of the man accused of trying to assassinate

Donald Trump last year. Ryan Ruth is going to represent himself. The judge has instructed his former federal public defenders to remain on standby. Local operators at a water treatment plant in Vermont are working with cybersecurity experts. They're trying to protect critical infrastructure against digital hacking groups. and Pierre's Jenna McLaughlin has more. There are more than 50,000 public water utilities in the United States, and many are threatened by cyber attacks.

In particular, U.S. national security officials fear Chinese hackers from a group called Volt Typhoon will try and disrupt water supply in the United States should there be a conflict, such as an invasion of Taiwan. In Cavendish, Vermont, assistant water operator Chris Hughes deals with all kinds of problems on his job. But now, he's also concerned about the threat of hackers. Because it's kind of scary that I am the only door between, you know, the Iranians and their water system, you know.

Recently, he's been getting an assist with a new team of cyber experts from Vermont Rural Water Association and a volunteer effort called Project Franklin, helping on the ground. Jen McLaughlin, NPR News. Government officials in Qatar remained furious at Israel's attack on Hamas leaders this week in Qatar's capital. Six people died, none of them top Hamas leaders. Qatar's prime minister says Israel's attack is, quote, state terrorism. Israeli officials are unapologetic. They say they'll strike anywhere they need to. This is NPR.