NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-12-2025 11PM EDT

Episode Date: September 13, 2025

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On the TED Radio Hour podcasts, scientists at Alphabet's Moonshot Factory tackle big, serious global problems. But their leader likes to show up on rollerblades, sometimes dressed as Gandalf. My way of trying to disarm people and remind them humor and silliness are very close to the wellsprings of creativity. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. Authorities say the search for the gunman who killed a conservative activist Charlie Kirk is over. A 22-year-old man was arrested today in connection with Wednesday's shooting on a Utah college campus, as Steve Futterman reports. As he announced that authorities had arrested the suspect, Utah Governor Spencer Cox made a call for national unity.

This is our moment. Do we escalate or do we find an off-ramp? Although authorities have not shared a motive, Cox said a family member told investigators that Tyler Robin, had become more interested in politics in recent years, and had criticized Charlie Kirk's views, which he said were hateful. The Utah governor said political differences should not lead to violence. It's a choice. It's a choice. And every one of us gets to make that choice. Formal charges are expected next week when Robinson is due in court. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Orem, Utah. Missouri Republicans have passed a new congressional map that seeks to remove Democratic Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver. But as St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum reports,

Missouri voters may have the final say over whether the map goes into effect. The new map would transform Cleaver's Kansas City-based district into a GOP leaning seat. President Trump has been pressuring Republican-led states to pass new maps before the 2026 election cycle. But Missouri redistricting opponents immediately launched an effort to put the map to voters. Missouri Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck says he thinks the map may be unpopular enough for Missourians to vote it down. I am already going to start cutting up old campaign signs to put petitions on there and start going out and collecting signatures.

While Governor Mike Kehoe is expected to sign the map, it can't go into effect if redistricting foes turn in enough signatures to force a vote. For NPR News, I'm Jason Rosenbaum in Jefferson City. The Trump administration wants to end a required. for some of the largest climate-polluting industries to report their greenhouse gas emissions. As NPR's Jeff Brady reports, environmental groups say the proposal violates the law. The Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program requires companies that emit the most climate pollution to detail those emissions publicly. The companies include power plants and steel mills. The EPA also plans to suspend reporting for oil and gas facilities.

The agency says this will save companies up to $2.4 billion in compliance costs over 10 years. Greenhouse gases from humans burning fossil fuels are heating the climate and causing more extreme weather, wildfires, and flooding. David Doniger with the Natural Resources Defense Council says the proposal is illegal, which means the final regulation, but almost certainly be challenged in court. Jeff Brady, NPR News. Wall Street closed the week with stocks mixed today. the Dow was down 273 points. This is NPR News.

The World Health Organization is responding to an Ebola outbreak in southern Congo by trying to send vaccines into the region. Officials say they've already delivered 400 doses of the vaccine and they're sending another 1,500 doses from the capital of Kinshasa. W.HO officials, though, say a lack of money is limiting its response. Even in areas relatively undisturbed by human activity, insect populations are on the decline. That's according to new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And scientists say climate change is likely a factor. And Pierre Zelano-Wise reports. In a remote meadow in the Colorado Mountains, researcher Keith Sockman has calculated the density of flying insects over a period of 15 summers. During that time,

he found that insect populations dropped by more than 72%. Scientists had attributed previous bug declines to things like boosts in agricultural productivity. But in the pristine Colorado Mountain Meadows, there wasn't a huge human footprint, and the bugs were still dying off. That led him to the conclusion that hotter summer temperatures were the likely culprit. Many insects are vital to human survival.

They're pollinators, they prey on the pest insects, and they recycle nutrients in soil. Experts recommend planting trees and flowers and not using insecticides. Alana Wise, NPR News. New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 362nd home run today. That homer breaks his tie with Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio and puts him in fourth place on the franchise's career home run list.

The hit came during a game between the Yankees and the Red Sox in Boston. I'm Dale Wilman, 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. Join millions of customers and visit wise.com. T's and C's apply.