NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-16-2025 12AM EDT

Episode Date: September 16, 2025

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These days, with all the information coming at you, it can be hard to know what's accurate, what's not, and what's worth your time. Here to help you navigate it all is 1A. Five days a week, the 1A podcast provides a forum for Curate's Minds to explore different angles on the biggest headlines and give you a more balanced take on what's happening. Listen to the 1A podcast from NPR and WAMU. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shay Stevens. President Trump plans to deploy National Guard troops to Memphis with the blessing of Tennessee's governor. Trump says the move is necessary to crack down on violent crime. In 2024, Memphis had the highest violent crime rate, the highest property crime rate,

and the third highest murder rate of any city in the nation. Other than that, they're doing quite well, thank you. Trump signs a proclamation to create a Memphis tax force, which will consist of National Guard members and various law enforcement agencies. He says federal officers will likely be sent to Chicago next. The U.S. military has carried out a second deadly airstrike on a small boat in the Caribbean. As NPR Squill Lawrence reports, the Trump administration says both vessels were U.S.-bound drug shipments from Venezuela. President Trump posted a video of an airstrike on social media saying the U.S. had confirmed the three people on a small boat in international waters were carrying drugs on board.

Two U.S. officials who requested anonymity because they're not author of. authorized to speak publicly, told NPR that Congress had been notified of the strike. The previous strike on a Venezuelan boat killed 11 people who appeared to be heading back to shore. President Trump has moved ships and troops into the waters off Venezuela and says the U.S. is hunting what he called narco-terrorists. Venezuela is considered a minor player in smuggling of cocaine to the U.S. The far deadlier drug, fentanyl, is made and smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico. Quill Lawrence NPR News. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reiterated U.S. support for Israel.

Rubio's two-day visit to the Middle East comes amid growing international criticism of Israel's attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar. More from NPR's Kerry Kahn. Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met then spoke with reporters, both warned Hamas to surrender and release all hostages. Rubio wouldn't say if the U.S. backs Israel's latest offensive to occupy Gaza's city insisting it would be better for Hamas to lay down its arms. We'll continue to pursue that route. It's the ideal outcome,

but it may require ultimately a concise military operation to eliminate them. Netanyahu refused to rule out another strike on Hamas abroad like Doha, which he says sent an important message. And that is you can hide, you can run, but we'll get you. Terrorists, they think they enjoy immunity, they'll do it again and again and again. And if you deny them that immunity, they'll think twice. NPR News, Tel Aviv. Fired U.S. Attorney Maureen Comey is suing the Trump administration to get her job back.

Comey says she was fired without cause in July only months after receiving an outstanding performance review. In her complaint, she says she was illegally fired because of her preceded political views. It also alleges she was let go because her father is former FBI director James Comey, who Trump fired in 2017. This is NPR. A Texas Tech student who was arrested after mocking the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been fined and released. Bradbert of Member Station, KTTZ, has details. Texas Tech Police have confirmed 18-year-old Cameron Booker was arrested Friday afternoon, charged with simple assault on the campus free speech area.

According to officials with Lubbock County Jail, Booker was released on Saturday. Class C assault is a misdemeanor in Texas with a maximum penalty of a $500 fine. While it did not reference the incident specifically, the university issued a statement saying, quote, any behavior that denigrates victims of violence is reprehensible, end quote. Governor Abbott shared the video of Booker on Twitter, saying she, quote, picked the wrong school to taunt Kirk's death. College students in Texas face a new law that started September 1st, limiting on-campus protests. For NPR News, I'm Brad Burt in Lubbock. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson has announced a framework of a deal with with the China-based video-sharing platform TikTok.

Besson says the commercial terms of the proposed sale are not being made public. President Trump and China's leader Xi are expected to discuss the matter later in the week. The U.S. has threatened to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its controlling stake in the company to a U.S. buyer. Regulators in China say Invidia has violated that country's anti-monopoly laws. A preliminary investigation adds pressure on the U.S. ahead of Trump. talks this week. China had already announced an anti-dumping probe of the U.S. semiconductor industry. This is 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 Cs apply.