NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-17-2025 1AM EDT

Episode Date: September 17, 2025

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Support for NPR and the following message come from the Limelson Foundation, working to harness the power of invention and innovation to accelerate climate action and improve lives around the world. Learn more at limelson.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shay Stevens. The man who's accused of murdering Charlie Kirk has been formally charged with six felonies, including aggravated murder. 22-year-old Tyler Robinson appeared at his initial court hearing by video from a Utah jail on Tuesday. NPR's Odette Youseth has more.

The really new information came from text messages that Robinson allegedly exchanged with his roommate. Authorities say this individual was a male transitioning to female and that they had also been Robinson's romantic partner. Authorities also say this person has been fully cooperating with the investigation. But Gray shared information about. a note that Robinson allegedly left behind for this roommate, saying, quote, I have the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it. And when his roommate asked after the killing, why Robinson had done it, Robinson texted, quote, I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out. NPR's Odette Yousef reporting. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says anyone in the country on a visa will be deported if they celebrate the murder of Charlie Kirk. And Paris, Michelle Kellerman has more on Rubio's warning posted on social media. America will not host foreigners who celebrate the death of our fellow citizens. That's what Rubio wrote on X in the wake of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

But asked whether any visas have been revoked yet, Rubio told reporters as he was traveling from the Middle East to London that the process is only getting started. But I'm sure there'll be something that are revoked. There's no shortage of idiots around the world that have decided it's a great idea to murder someone. We don't want people like that in our country. Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau says he has asked consular officials to follow up on all the tips he's receiving on social media. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department. Two parents whose kids committed suicide after extended interactions with AI chatbots

appeared at a Senate hearing Tuesday on how the technology affects young people. More from NPR's Ritu Chatterjee. Megan Garcia is a lawyer and a mother of three boys. Last year, her oldest son, Sewell, Setzer III, died by suicide after a prolonged virtual relationship with the chatbot on character AI. Garcia says the chatbot groomed and sexually exploited Sewell. When Sele confided suicidal thoughts, the chatbot never said, I'm not human, I'm AI. You need to talk to a human and get help.

The platform had no mechanisms to protect Sewell or to notify an adult. Garcia has filed a lawsuit against character technology, which developed character AI. Tech companies did not testify at the hearing despite lawmakers' invitations. Rithu Chatterjee, NPR News. U.S. futures are flat and after hours trading on Wall Street. This is NPR. Palestinians are fleeing Gaza City as a major Israeli ground defensive gets underway. Aid workers carried out last-minute rescue operations Tuesday to salvage artifacts from a warehouse.

The Israeli government says the operation is aimed at destroying Hamas' military infrastructure. In a post on X, Israel's defense minister declares that Gaza is burning. The United States has brokered a plan to stabilize security in southern Syria. Following clashes that killed hundreds of people over the summer, NPR's Jane Araf, is more from Damascus. The foreign ministers of Syria and neighboring Jordan, along with the U.S. envoy, Tom Barak, signed an agreement here that would prosecute those responsible for the violence, secure main roads, and allow in aid. Hundreds of Syrians were killed and swayed a province in July, and clashes involving militias from the Druze's religious minority,

Bedouin tribesmen, and Syrian government forces. Israel responded by attacking Syrian military targets, it said, to protect the Druze. Barack told NPR that direct negotiations going on between Israel and Syria were aimed at addressing Israel's security fears. Jane Arraf and P.R. News, Damascus. The movie industry and fans are remembering Robert Redford. The actor, director, and producer died Tuesday. He was 89 years old.

Redford's career spanned nearly six decades during which he received multiple Academy Award nominations. He won Best Director for the film Ordinary People in 1981 and received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. This is NPR. 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.