NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-26-2025 3AM EDT

Episode Date: September 26, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. Former FBI Director James Comey is facing criminal charges of lying to Congress and obstruction. The charges appear to stem from Comey's sworn testimony on the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Comey says he's innocent and ready to go to trial. My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump. But we couldn't imagine ourselves living in. any other way. We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn't either. The DOJ charges were filed days after President Trump publicly called for the prosecution of his political enemies. Trump repeatedly

called the Russia probe a witch hunt and vowed to go after everyone involved. The president signed an executive action Thursday that he said would establish an administration-wide response to domestic terrorism and political violence. Trump said his administration would look into funding of groups that are deemed threats. More from NPR's Deepa Shivaram. Trump says the Justice Department, DHS, and Treasury would be involved in the response to domestic terrorism and political violence through a joint terrorism task force at the FBI. He accused people who he said were rich members of the radical left of providing funding to protesters. These are anarchists and agitators, professional anarchists and agitators, and they get hired by wealthy people.

Vice President J.D. Vance described a recent anti-ice protest at a federal building in Oregon as an example of organized political violence. The comments came a day after a fatal shooting at an ice building in Dallas and the killing earlier this month of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Deepa Chivaram and PR News, the White House. President Trump says he's had good talks with Arab and Muslim leaders about resolving the war in Gaza and says he will not let Israel annex parts of the West Bank. That was a key issue raised by Arab officials, as NPR's Michelle Kellerman explains. Outside the UN Security Council, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saoud, stood alongside some of his colleagues from the region and from Europe to show solidarity for a future Palestinian state. He says they've been telling the Trump administration that Israeli threats to annex part to the West Bank

would risk Trump's efforts to promote peace in the region. And I feel confident that President Trump understood the position of the Arab and Muslim countries, and I think the President in the U.S. understands very well the risks and dangers of annexation in the West Bank. President Trump now says he won't allow Israel to take part to the West Bank. Michelle Kellerman and PR News, the United Nations. South Korea's military says it's fired warning shots

after a North Korean merchant ship briefly caused into disputed waters. The area is a western sea boundary between the two nations, and it has been the scene of past skirmishes, and attacks. This is NPR. President Trump has imposed 100% tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals. The order also calls for a range of other levies, including a 50% tariff on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities.

Heavy trucks and upholstled furniture are also subject to new import levies. Trump says the tariffs are needed for national security and other reasons. President has signed an executive order supporting the framework for a group of U.S. led investors to take a majority share in TikTok. Details of the proposed sale have not been disclosed, but the deal is reportedly worth $14 billion. A violent squirrel is on the loose in the Bay area. From member station KQED,

Katie de Benedetti reports that attacks by the rodent have sent at least three North Bay residents to emergency rooms. Joan Heblack was out for her morning walk when she felt something strange grabbing on her leg last Sunday. heavy and I looked down and it was a squirrel. Neighbors say five people have reported attacks around the same street in San Rafael

this month that go a bit like this. It wouldn't get off. It just clung more and I was swinging my leg around and screaming. Luckily, the odds of getting rabies from a squirrel are extremely low and Heblock was back out on her usual walk that same afternoon.

But disquieting posters warning people of quote, a very mean squirrel are still up in the neighborhood. For NPR News, I'm Katie de Benedetti in San Francisco. U.S. futures are flat and after hours trading on Wall Street on Asia-Pacific markets, shares are lower. This is NPR News.