NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-18-2025 4PM EDT

Episode Date: September 18, 2025

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World news is important, but it can feel far away, not on the state of the world podcast. With journalists around the world, you'll hear firsthand the effects of U.S. trade actions in Canada and China and meet a Mexican street sweeper who became a pop star. We don't go around the world. We're already there. Listen to the state of the world podcast from NPR every weekday. Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump is now taking his bid to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook to the U.S. Supreme Court. A lower court had blocked him from firing Cook, arguing that doing so would violate the Federal Reserve Act, which includes provisions intended to shield the central bank from political influence. The president concluded his historic second state visit to the United Kingdom earlier today.

Trump met with British Prime Minister Kier Starrmer. The Russia-Ukraine war was on the agenda. And PR's Tamara Keith reports Trump said Russian leader of Vladimir Putin let him down. For some time now, Trump has been warning of stern consequences for Putin if he doesn't end the war. But at the press conference, Trump was noncommittal when asked about actually imposing those consequences. It doesn't affect the United States. And he, look, it doesn't so much affect you. Of course, you are a lot closer to the scene than we are. We have a whole ocean separating us. UK Prime Minister Kier-Starmer jumped in. We have to put extra pressure on Putin.

and it's only when the president has put pressure on Putin that he's actually shown any inclination to move. So we have to ramp that pressure up. Starmer said the UK and France are willing to take the lead. Tamara Keith, NPR News. Congressional Democrats are proposing new legislation to protect speech by individuals, media outlets, and others from any retaliatory action by the federal government.

More from NPR's Deirdre Walsh. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy says President Trump, and others in his administration are weaponizing the federal government to silence their critics. He pointed to ABC's decision to suspend light night host Jimmy Kimmel. Following Trump's FCC chairman Brendan Carr's warning, he would take action against the network. That's censorship. That's state speech control. That's not America. The No Political Enemies or Nope Act would make it harder to hold someone liable for constitutionally protected speech. It would establish consequences for government officials who target protected speech

and provides an ability for anyone targeted to recoup attorney's fees. No Republican has signed on to the legislation, and it's unlikely to advance in a GOP-controlled Congress. Deirdre Walsh, NPR News, the Capitol. Today, a federal advisory committee begins weighing questions about vaccines, and many in the medical community are watching with concern because Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stacked the panel with members who questioned the safety of long. established vaccines. NPR's Pingwong has more.

This group is really influential. You know, they decide what vaccines are offered for free to children through the Vaccines for Children program. They decide what a lot of health insurers will cover. A lot of states have laws that are tied to, you know, school requirements based on what this group recommends. And so it is very possible that this group, if they choose to limit access, could make it harder for people to get vaccines. NPRS Pingwong reporting from Washington. This is NPR News. Homebuyers are finding borrowing costs for a 30-year loan have fallen this week to 6.26% from 6.35% last week.

The housing finance giant Freddie Mac says the average rate on a 15-year mortgage has also fallen since last week to 5.41%. Yesterday, the Fed lowered short-term interest rates for the first time this year by a quarter percentage point. This comes as critics accused President Trump of trying to assert his authority. authority on the central bank, which was designed to be independent. Fat Bear Week, which celebrates the resilience of brown bears, has its main event next week with adult bears fighting for the title of fattest bear of the year. First up, though, chubby cubs competing in Fat Bear Jr. NPR's Ava Poochatch reports voting in the junior tournament open today.

The National Park Service encourages voters to vote for the bear they best believe exemplifies fatness and success in brown bears. The Bears beef up for the winter, gorging on salmon in Brooks River, in Alaska's Catmine National Park and Preserve. Cubs competing in Fat Bear Jr. have familial ties to some of the iron giants of Fat Bear Week. Cub 128 Jr. is the offspring of defending champ Grazer, and is taking on two Cubs from Bear 803 who are competing together. The other semifinal matchup is a sibling rivalry. With Bear 26's female and female, and male cub facing off. The winner of the Friday final advances to the 12 bear bracket,

which will be announced Monday. Ava Pukatch, NPR News. U.S. talks ended the day higher. It's NPR.