NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-20-2025 12PM EDT

Episode Date: September 20, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rom. The Pentagon is imposing new rules for reporters covering the military. Officials confirmed to NPR that journalists must sign a pledge not to gather information, including unclassified documents, that has not been authorized for release. Those who do not comply will lose their press credentials. Defense Secretary Pete Hegsaf issued a statement on social media that reporters can follow the rules or go home. NPR's David Fulkenflick reports this directive appears to run afoul the First Amendment. The federal government cannot tell you what you can or can't say publicly with some very small limitations like defamation and other things like that. This is protection from the government, not just of journalists, but of any citizen, any person in the public sphere.

And the idea is that it's not just that speech that is pleasing is protected. It's not just that speech that is tidy or kind. It's to protect dissent and to protect, as the years evolved, reporting that people in power might not want to be public. NPR's David Fulkenflick. Over the summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered states to turn over personal information about food assistance applicants. By yesterday, a coalition of some 21 states and Washington, D.C., sued. Now, a federal judge has put that deadline on hold. Tom Reese of member station WESA reports.

Senior district judge Maxine Chesney granted a temporary restraining order to a group of plaintiff states led by California that opposed the demand to turn over sensitive data about food stamp recipients, including social security numbers and addresses. Most Republican-led states have already handed over that information. Last month, the USDA, which administers SNAP, threatened to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars of SNAP funds from states if they declined to share the data. But the court said the plaintiffs showed that. losing the money would, quote, cause irreparable injury, requiring them to cut staff and reduce their ability to administer benefits. The next hearing is set for October 9th. For NPR news, I'm Tom Reese and Harrisburg. President Trump has announced a new $100,000 fee for visas

for high-skilled foreign workers, say it will raise billions of dollars while protecting American workers. NPR's Adrian Florido reports. The new fee will make it much more expensive for American companies that want to hire foreign workers. In the Oval Office on Friday, President Trump said that will incentivize companies to pursue foreign workers only if they truly cannot find Americans to do the job. The H-1B visa program is for high-skilled workers like software engineers. Most of them come to the U.S. to work for large tech firms, but some conservatives have alleged the program incentivizes companies to bring in foreign workers who accept lower salaries than Americans do. The visas currently cost companies that can get them a few hundred dollars each.

Trump said the new $100,000 fee per worker per year will raise billions for the U.S. Treasury. Adrian Fletido, NPR News. This is NPR News. In the Netherlands, police used tear gas and a water cannon to disperse an anti-immigration demonstration today. Protesters in the Hague threw rocks and bottles, attacked the office of a centrist political party

and set a police car on fire. The violence comes before a national election next month. British rail officials are tackling an enduring problem leaves on the track that delay commuters. But they're leaving it to the public to come up with a solution. And Vicki Barker reports from London, the British sense of humor has answered the call. Leaves on the track. Few train delay announcements cause more fuming among Britain's commuters who wonder aloud just how a nation of ample rainfall and deciduous trees came to design a rail system so vulnerable to fall foliage.

So British rail officials decided to enlist the British public in a contest to name their latest track-clearing vehicle. And the results are in. Finalists included leaf fall weapon, pulp friction, and the Autumn Avenger. And the winner? Control Alt-Deleaf. For NPR News, I'm Vicky Barker in London. It's not yet October, but it's already October Fest in Munich, Germany. It builds itself as the largest folk festival in the world. It began today and runs through October 5th.

Visitors can view exhibits. Ride was called a classic family-friendly ghost train and eat pretzels in several variations. And there's beer. I'm Nora Rahm. NPR News in Washington.