NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-12-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: October 12, 2025

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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, I'm Dale Wilman. President Trump used social media Friday night to announce the firing of more than 4,000 government employees spread across several agencies. But as NPR's Jeff Brunfield reports, the implementation of that order has faced problems in at least one of those agencies. The situation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is just really chaotic.

On Friday night, a number of employees received a notice that they've been laid off. These people were working in everything from global health to infectious diseases and immunizations, respiratory disease, chronic disease. things like that. Then on Saturday, a number of these employees received a notice that they were no longer laid off, according to a letter seen by NPR. It remains unclear how many people have actually lost their jobs and what it means for the nation's main infectious disease agency. That's NPR's Jeff Brumfield with our report. Vigils were held Saturday night for the victims of an industrial explosion in Tennessee. Blake Farmer, member station WPLN, has more on the explosion's aftermath. The explosion occurred Friday at a remote facility operated by

accurate energetic systems. The company processes explosives. The search for remains has involved hundreds of responders who must move cautiously. They've warned neighbors that controlled detonations may be needed. A federal team of investigators has joined to help determine the cause. Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis says they will take their time. Can I say we're going to rule out foul play? We can't answer that. That might be done. days or weeks or months before we can do that. Davis says they owe it to the victims to get the investigation right. The company is providing assistance to the families.

The CEO appeared in a video to say their hearts are broken and asked for prayers. For Inpeer News, I'm Blake Farmer in Nashville. Starting on Sunday, the European Union will begin recording the biometric data of all non-EU visitors. As Terry Schultz reports, the new entry check system is being gradually introduced before full implementation in six months. The EU's entry exit system will replaced the stamping of passports at the EU's external borders, creating digital records by

scanning facial images and taking fingerprints. The block is trying to reduce illegal migration, identity fraud, and the number of people who stay longer than the 90-day maximum allowed. While there have been warnings that the initial rollout could result in long lines at borders, European Commission spokesman Marcus Lameret says it will eventually improve efficiency. The new digital system will provide reliable data on border crossings and systematically detect overstayers and cases of document and identity fraud. Visitors only have to provide the digital data once. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels.

Power has been restored to about 800,000 residents in the Ukrainian city of Kiev. Russian forces launched massive attacks Friday on that country's power grid, which caused the widespread blackouts. Residential buildings were also damaged in the attacks, and at least 21 people were injured. You're listening to NPR News. Eight people were killed in Mississippi Friday night following two different high school football homecoming games. In Leland, six people were killed and 20 others injured when gunfire broke out in that city's downtown area.

Four of those injured are in critical condition. Two people, including a pregnant woman, were killed in the other shooting. Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton has died. She was 79 years old. She starred in Annie Hall, the First Wives Club, and dozens of other Hollywood hits. NPR's Bob Mandelao offers this remember. Her career spanned six decades, but if she'd quit Hollywood after the first, she'd still have been a leading lady for the ages. In just the 1970s, Diane Keaton starred in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, two Godfather movies, and six Woody Allen comedies, including Play It Again Sam, Love and Death, Sleeper, and Annie Hall, in which she played the Unforgettably Scattered title character.

Oh, well, laity da, laudie da, la. The film won Keaton, a best actress Oscar, and she received three other nominations for her intense. writer hanging out with socialists in Warren Beatty's Reds, her selfless daughter in Marvin's room, and her successful playwright, wooed by both Keanu Reeves and Jack Nicholson in Something's Got to Give. Keaton also directed, appeared both on Broadway and in more than 60 other films, and wrote several best-selling memoirs. Bob Mandello, NPR News. The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night by a score of three to one. It was the decisive fifth game of the National League Division Series. With that win, the

Brewer has earned their first postseason series win since 2018. They will now be playing the Los Angeles Dodgers. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News.