NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-25-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: September 25, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump's hosting Turkish President Recep type air to one at the White House this afternoon. The White House is considering lifting the U.S. freeze on sales of F-35 jets to Turkey. The U.S. has been concerned data on the advanced fighter jets could end up in Russian hands through an air defense system that Moscow sold to Ankara. Trump addressed Turkey's role as a member of NATO in helping the alliance pressure Russia to end its war with Ukraine. I think he could have a big influence if he wants to. Right now, he's very neutral.

He likes being neutral. So do I like being neutral. But he's somebody that if he got involved, the best thing he could do is not by oil and gas from Russia. If he did that, that would be probably the best thing. He knows Putin like I know Putin. FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X investigators have collected devices and other evidence from the side of yesterday's shooting at a Dallas ICE facility.

The gunman shot three detainees, killing one before apparently taking his own life. The man who built two criminal cases against President Trump has broken his silence. NPR's Kerry Johnson reports former special counsel Jack Smith is warning about attacks on the rule of law. In remarks at George Mason University, former prosecutor Jack Smith says he's sad and angry about what's happening at the Justice Department. Smith says career public servants are being fired and vilified for doing their jobs. Smith himself left DOJ earlier this year, shortly before Trump's inauguration. The Justice Department dropped criminal cases against Trump after he won the 2024 election. Now Smith says new leaders at the department seem to be following orders to go after Trump's political opponents and give breaks to the president's friends.

He says the rule of law is under attack unlike any other period in his lifetime, and he says he's standing by people inside DOJ who continue to do the right thing. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington. Trump administration officials have recently linked Tylenol used to autism. Researchers say there's no evidence that taking Tylenol while pregnant causes autism and children. And separately, administration officials have relaxed restrictions on a drug called Luca Voren. NPR's Yuki Noguchi has more on that. Since the Trump administration said it would greenlight broader use of Lukavoren, the Autism Science Foundation has fielded a lot of calls from patients and their families.

Here's the group's chief scientific officer, Alicia Halliday. We've also seen a lot of activity on social media where families are very, very excited that it's going to be easier for them to get. Halliday is also the mother of an autistic daughter. She says there's still very little research on Luca Vorran, its safety or impact on autism. She's concerned the administration is offering false hope to many families. Yuki NPR News. U.S. stocks trading lower. with the Dow down 152 points. This is NPR News.

Amazon has reached a settlement with the government over its prime membership program. U.S. regulators allege the company's web designs manipulated tens of millions of people into paying for subscriptions that were purposefully hard to cancel. The Federal Trade Commission says Amazon's agreed to pay a historic $1 billion in civil penalties to the government and an additional $1.5 billion in redress payments affected to affected consumers. Amazon does not admit wrongdoing in the settlement. The company is an NPR financial supporter. To limit global warming, the majority of countries on the planet pledged to cut their planet heating pollution as part of the UN-Paris climate agreement.

Now China, the biggest polluter in the world, has announced its climate goal. Here's NPR's Julia Simon. Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced the country will cut. cut greenhouse gas emissions between 7% and 10% of their peak by 2035. Many climate experts had hoped China would pledge to cut planet heating gases by at least 15 or 20%. But experts say it's likely China is underpromising and that the pledge is probably a floor, not a ceiling. China's carbon dioxide emissions fell last year, largely because of booming Chinese solar, wind, and batteries. 80% of all solar panels and 60% of wind turbines are now supplied by Chinese companies.

President Xi also made a pledge to further increase EV sales and renewable energy production. Meanwhile, the U.S. has pulled out of the global climate agreement. Julia Simon, NPR News. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.