NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-04-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: October 4, 2025

NPR News: 10-04-2025 2AM EDTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life. Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show, Sources and Methods. NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people, helping you understand why distant events matter here at home. Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Duhahli Psychel. The arrest of a conservative influencer in Portland, Oregon has drawn the ire of the Trump administration. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt says the Department of Justice is launching a full investigation. Oregon Public Broadcasting's Troy Brennelson reports.

About 1.2 million accounts follow Nicholas Sorter on X, and he describes himself as a journalist who covers stories the mainstream media won't. During protests outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Building in Portland on 13th, Thursday night, Sorter and two other people landed in custody for allegedly fighting. Police charged all three with second-degree disorderly conduct. Sorter blasted the city and its police after he was released Friday morning. Look, this is going to backfire on them tremendously. It already is. People knew that something out here stunk and that it was corrupt.

Police have made dozens of arrests outside the ice building since this summer. The vast majority of them, protesters. For NPR News, I'm Troy Brennelson in Portland. unions, religious organizations, and education professionals is suing the Trump administration over its decision to slap a steep fee on skilled worker visas. And Beers John Ruich has that report. The Trump administration last month said the government will start charging $100,000 for every new H-1B visa that it issues. The visas are used to bring skilled workers into the American economy from abroad. President Trump says the program has been exploited to replace rather than supplement

American workers. Critics say the new fee will make it harder to fill critical jobs. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Northern California. It argues that Trump does not have the authority to impose such a fee and asks for it to be blocked. The plaintiffs include unions representing workers and college professors, a nurse staffing agency, and religious organizations. It's the first major legal challenge to the rule change for H-1B visas. John Rewich, NPR News. Des Moines Public Schools is suing the search firm they used to hire a superintendent who was detained last week by ICE and who has since resigned. Iowa Public Radio's Isabella Liu reports the district is claiming breach of contract.

Court documents show Ian Roberts hasn't had work authorization for almost five years. Des Moines Schools hired him in 2023 after a nationwide search. Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris says they're demanding answers from the firm, JG, consulting. The firm failed its duty to proper. vet candidates. Ian Roberts should have never been presented as a finalist. And if we knew what we knew now, he would never have been hired. The firm says Roberts provided the documents to show he was eligible for the position in Des Moines. Homeland Security says Roberts was issued a removal order in May 2024. He's now being charged with having firearms without legal status. For NPR News, I'm Isabella

Lou in Des Moines. And you are listening to NPR News from New York. British authorities are urging pro-Palestinian demonstrators to cancel rallies this weekend in the wake of a deadly attack on a synagogue. NPR's Fatima al-Kasab reports from London. For months, protesters have held rallies in support of Palestine action, a group which the British government banned under terrorism laws this summer. But police want this weekend's rally cancelled. They say it would divert police from guarding synagogues in the aftermath of the attack. in Manchester. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the BBC protesters need to step back. Just because we have the freedom to protest doesn't mean to say you have to use it

at every moment. She called pro-Palestinian protests which have taken place since the synagogue attack on British. Protest organisers say they'll go ahead as planned and exercise their freedom of speech. Fatemar al-Kasab, NPR News, London. Apple and Google have removed a popular smartphone app that tracks the movement of immigration and customs enforcement officers. In a statement Apple said, based on information they received from law enforcement about the safety risk associated with ICE Block, the company removed it, and similar apps. U.S. Attorney General Pambondi earlier criticized Ice Block and pushed for Apple to remove it, claiming the app, quote, is designed to put ICE agents at risk for doing their jobs.

The app's developer Joshua Aaron told the 404 Tech Media Group, Quote, capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never the right move. He said he plans to fight Apple's action. I'm Dwa Lisei Kautau, NPR News.