NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-21-2025 2PM EDT

Episode Date: September 21, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. A memorial service gets underway in Glendale, Arizona at this hour, for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot to death 11 days ago. Speakers include President Trump. The service is being held at a stadium that can accommodate 73,000 people. Organizers have arranged for a nearby arena to handle an overflow. Wayne Shutsky from member station KJZZ has more. There's so many people here that the last.

lines just seem to grow longer. Even as I can see people entering the stadium, temperatures are supposed to reach over 100 degrees today, but right now it's overcast and not too hot, at least by Arizona standards. Most of the people I've talked to said they were inspired in some way by Charlie Kirk's activism. A lot of people mentioned his faith. And I've also come across some folks with a more personal connection to this situation. I spoke with Ricky Skaggins and his son Boston. and Boston says he was actually just a few rows in at the event at Utah Valley University where Charlie Kirk was fatally shot. I mean, I just wanted to see him having some debates about political stuff

and then seeing like what questions other people would ask him and what the answers to those questions would be. Just getting to learn more about politics. For NPR news, I'm Wynchetschew in Phoenix. A cyber attack is still causing delays at major European airports. Vicki Barker reports. Officials at London's Heathrow are advising anyone, traveling from Britain's biggest airport to contact their airline. They're also asking

passengers not to show up earlier than their recommended check-in time. The cyber attack appears to have targeted software, which allows different airlines to use the same check-in desks and boarding gates. Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin airports have all been affected, with travelers waiting in long lines for desk staff to check their bags. Collins Airspace, which provides the Systems for several airlines has not said how long it expects the outage to last. For NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London. 150 world leaders are gathering in New York for this week's high-level debate at the UN General Assembly. NPR's Michelle Kellman has more.

Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez has a busy week ahead. Some call it the World Cup of Diplomacy, but this cannot be about scoring points. It must be about solving problems. He says this high-level week is an opportunity for dialogue and mediation, and he plans to try to use every meeting he has to push for diplomacy. The Secretary General is not optimistic about the short-term prospects for peace in Ukraine, though. He's urging Russia to agree to a ceasefire. He's also called on Hamas to release all hostages in Gaza and describes Israel's war there as,

quote, morally, politically and legally intolerable. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News. This is NPR News in Washington. NATO's North Atlantic Council is to meet Tuesday to discuss recent Russian incursions into NATO airspace. Today, German and Swedish fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian surveillance plane that flew an international airspace over the Baltic Sea.

It had been flying without a flight plan or radio contact. Colombia has had the most environmental activists killed or disappeared for the third year in a row. NPR's Jeff Brady reports. Global Witness has documented deaths and disappearances of environmental activists globally since 2012. Over a dozen years, it says at least 2,253 activists were killed or disappeared. In 2024, Colombia was first with 48 people, followed by Guatemala, Mexico, and Brazil. Indigenous people make up a disproportionately large share of the victims. Deaths and disappearances in some countries with authoritarian leaders, such as China, may be

underreported. Report authors say the number of killings and disappearances last year was lower than in 2023, but Global Witnesses documented a growth in criminalizing activism in some countries, including the U.S., United Kingdom, and Australia. Jeff Brady, NPR News. An advisory panel for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention met last week on vaccines. It recommended people consult with a medical provider before getting one. It also voted to add some theoretical risks of taking vaccines to a consumer information sheet, even risks that have not been proven. The panel was selected by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert of Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic.

I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News.