NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-12-2025 7PM EDT

Episode Date: September 12, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan. 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Wednesday's assassination in Utah of right-wing political figure Charlie Kirk is under arrest after being captured late last night. The shooting is raising concerns nationwide about political violence in the U.S. Utah's governor, Spencer Cox, today, warned of the dangers of increasing the rhetoric and said the nation needs to find an off-ramp. NPR's Odette Youssef says the governor is important. imploring Americans to be able to disagree peacefully. I think what's really important here is that, you know, Cox was referring to an attack on the American experiment, you know, this sort of ideal where we believe that even though we might have a variety of political beliefs and worldviews, we should be able to discuss those with civility and not resort to violence. A judge today ordered Robinson held without bail, formal charges are expected next week.

NATO has launched a new operation to better defend its eastern flank against Russia. Terry Schultz reports the reinforcements come in response to an incursion of almost 20 Russian drones into Polish airspace earlier this week. Calling the violation of Poland's airspace on Wednesday deeply dangerous, NATO Secretary General Mark Ruta announced the launch of Eastern Century. In addition to more traditional military capabilities, this effort will also future elements designed to address the particular challenges. Associated is the use of drones. Dutch and Polish fighter jets shot down several of the Russian drones, but NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, U.S. Air Force General Alexis Grinkowicz, says the alliance will look for more cost-effective ways to upgrade its counter-drone capabilities.

It's time to take a fresh look at this, and we're going to do everything we can as we learn those lessons to incorporate them rapidly. Countries on the eastern flank have been asking NATO for more air defense for years. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels. The United States has the most expensive. health care in the developed world, and it's about to get more expensive. As NPR's Marie Aspen reports, people who get their insurance through their employers are going to pay a lot more for benefits this beginning next year. More than 150 million Americans get their health insurance through their employer,

and now the price they pay is about to go way up. Employers who provide health benefits are bracing for the highest cost increase in 15 years. That's according to a new survey from Mercer, a benefits consultant. The drug companies, hospitals, health insurers, and other for-profit companies that control much of the U.S. health care system have been raising prices. That gets passed on to employers, and now most employers told Mercer they're going to pass on some of those price hikes to their workers. That means most workers will see higher paycheck deductions for health care premiums next year and higher out-of-pocket costs. Maria Aspen, NPR News, New York. And from Washington, you're listening to NPR.

Nine months after reopening from a devastating fire in 2019, Notre Dame Cathedral has become the most visited monument in France. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports the cathedral is on track to welcome nearly 13 million visitors in its first year since reopening last December. The majority of visitors after the French have come from the U.S., Latin America, and Asia. They're particularly impressed by the cathedral's immaculate white stone, which has been sucked clean of centuries of grime. Chinese visitors have discovered a special surprise. One of the 14 side chapels around the nave has been renamed in honor of St. Paul Chen, a Chinese seminarian martyred in 1861, whose body has been kept at Notre Dame since 1920. A chapel dedicated to Christians of the East has also been introduced,

joining existing chapels devoted to the Virgin of Guadalupe and the Virgin of Chanstahova from Poland. A spokesperson for the cathedral says they all reinforce Notre Dame's universal mission. Eleanor Beardsley and Pierre News, Paris. In the wake of last week's immigration raid at a Hyundai electric battery plant in southeast Georgia, South Korea's president is warning that this incident could deter his country for making future investments in the United States. The South Korean leader is expressing concerns about U.S. officials making it difficult for temporary workers to get the necessary paperwork to work legally in the United States. Two South Korean companies, Hyundai and LG Energy, are investing a combined $4.3 billion in the plant, and it is one of the key economic programs of Georgia's governor.

I'm Dan Ronan, NPR News in Washington. Support?