NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-13-2025 4PM EDT

Episode Date: September 13, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. The 22-year-old man accused of killing Charlie Kirk is being held without bail in Utah. As Steve Futterman reports, Kirk's widow made her first public comments hours after escorting his body home to Arizona. Erica Kirk blamed what she called evil-doers for the death of her husband. The movement my husband built will not die. It won't. I refuse to let that happen. Since Tuesday's killing, there have been vitriolic debates in public and on social media between supporters and opponents of Charlie Kirk. The governor of Utah Spencer Cox Friday urged people to take a break from social media.

The tone he said must calm down. This is our moment. Do we escalate or do we find an off-ramp? It's a choice. Investigators are still trying to determine if some specific thing triggered Tyler Robinson. He will be formally charged next week. For NPR News, I'm Steve Fudderman in Orem, Utah. The Department of Homeland Security says an ICE officer shot and killed a man in the Chicago area yesterday.

A statement says as officers were attempting to detain him, he drove his car at them. One fired at him after being dragged by his vehicle. That officer is in stable condition. Ozzie Lopez lives in the neighborhood and caused the incident tragic. It's just crazy that this is what is getting to. You know, this is for someone had to flee. for their lives and then in the process lost their life and then someone else got hurt in the process where, you know, it doesn't look good on either side. The man who died was identified as a 38-year-old

cook from Mexico. A judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's new conditions for funding to address homelessness. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports the changes would restrict money to places that support Trump policies. At stake is 75, million dollars to build supportive housing. The federal housing agency, HUD, set new conditions based on things like immigration policies, transgender rights, and homeless camping bans. It would mean service providers in places like California, with the bulk of the country's unhoused population, could not even apply for the money. Two homelessness advocacy groups sued alleging this is unconstitutional. Now a district court judge in Rhode Island has granted a temporary

restraining order. HUD did not respond to a requirement. for comment. Homelessness is at a record high. Advocates say a key reason is a severe shortage of affordable housing. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington. President Trump is urging NATO countries to stop buying oil from Russia and to place tariffs on China of at least 50% for its purchases. Today, Trump said that he believes that such actions would end Russia's war against Ukraine. He said, if they stop buying Russian oil, he'll impose new sanctions on Russia. You're listening to NPR News in Washington. More than 100,000 demonstrators packed the streets of London today for a march organized by

anti-immigration activists. A smaller counter-protest was also held. More than a thousand police officers were there to keep the two groups apart. Even in areas relatively undisturbed by human activity, insect populations are on the decline, according to new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Scientists say climate change is likely a factor. NPR's Alana 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

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. Their pollinators, they prey on the pest insects, and they recycled nutrients in soil. Experts recommend planting trees and flowers and not using insecticides. Alana Wise, NPR News. The FAA wants Boeing to pay $3.1 million for a series of safety violations. would cover incidents from September 23 through February 24. In January of last year, a jetliner lost a door plug panel in mid-flight. No one was seriously injured. I'm Nora Rahm. NPR News in Washington.