NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-18-2025 5PM EDT

Episode Date: September 18, 2025

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It's fall, so maybe you're figuring out your Halloween costume or where to get a pumpkin spice latte. And if you want to know what buzzy movies and TV shows to check out this fall, we've got you covered. Listen to pop culture happy hour in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jail Snyder. President Trump is due back at the White House this evening after receiving the royal treatment during his state visit to the U.K. He's flying back aboard Air Force One after meeting today with British Prime Minister Kier Starrmer. The two appear to have a good relationship, but NPR's Franco Ordonez reports they disagreed on recognizing a Palestinian state. Prime Minister Kier Starmor during a joint press conference said he and President Trump agreed on the need to end the conflict in Gaza and secure the release of the hostages.

Trump said he wants the immediate release of hostages and said that it's important to remember the Hamas-led attacks against Israel on a war. October 7, 2023. He acknowledged, though, that he had a different opinion regarding recognizing the Palestinian state. I have a disagreement with the prime minister on that score. One of our few disagreements, actually. France, Canada, and Australia have also said they would recognize a Palestinian state. Trump has said doing so would only reward Hamas. Franco, Ordoniaz, NPR News. The U.S. today blocked a UN Security Council resolution on Gaza for a sixth time. The resolution demanded a ceasefire and the release of remaining hostages. Following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, President Trump, has said that

he will be designated Antifa a major terrorist organization. And P.R. Odette Youssef report, so there are questions about how this might be done. In the U.S., there is a provision that allows the government to designate certain groups as foreign terrorist organizations, but the domestic context is different. Jason Blasekis is the former director. of the State Department's Counterterrorism Finance and Designations Office. The U.S. government has a definition of domestic terrorism, but does not have the legal authorities to designate entire organizations as domestic terrorist groups. Trump has tried this before. In 2020, he tweeted that he would be designating Antifa a terrorist

organization. It failed then because of the lack of legal authority and because Antifa is not a centralized, cohesive national organization. Odette Youssef and NPR News. Democrats and many Hollywood stars accusing the Trump administration of censorship when it comes to Jimmy Kimmel's dismiss suspension in PR's racial treatment reports. ABC took Kimmel's show off the air on Wednesday night. Earlier in the day, FCC chairman Brendan Carr had threatened regulatory action against the stations that carry it. Labor unions, actors, comedians, and some politicians are criticizing what they say is an attack on free speech. House Democratic leadership is calling on Carr to resign.

And the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Representative Robert Garcia, says he will launch an investigation into what he calls, quote, efforts to censor opposition to the President of the United States. Rachel Treasman, NPR News. This is NPR. Authorities in Pennsylvania have named the man

who fatally shot three police officers yesterday. York County's district attorney says the officers were ambushed by 24, year old Matthew James Ruth as they attempted to serve a warrant for him at the home of a former girlfriend. A fourth police officer remains hospitalized. Much of France is paralyzed by strikes and protests against President Emmanuel Macron and what people call his policies for the rich. Many high school students among the protesters, as NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports. These students are blocking their Paris high school and calling for solidarity with workers. 12th grader Mila Schenck says they're against

Macron's budget of austerity. That wants to cut the social security system, that wants to cut in health and in education, which would only weigh heavy on the people that are already vulnerable. She says Macron is also denying democracy because he keeps naming prime ministers from his camp when he doesn't have the support. He went against people's opinion and is governing with a minority and is trying to pass budgets while having a minority. Macron has passed many reform measures using an emergency clause in the Constitution because he doesn't have the votes in Parliament. Eleanor Beardsley and Pierre News, Paris. The World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Sidney McLaughlin-Leroney, clocked the fastest time in 40 years to win gold today in the 400 meters.

She came in under 48 seconds, holding off the Olympic champion in the event. Only East Germany's Marita Koch has run the 400 faster, her world record in 1985, came under the shadow of the Eastern Blocs doping system. This is NPR News.