NPR News: 06-13-2025 2AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: June 13, 2025, 2AM EDT – Detailed Summary

1. Israeli Airstrikes Target Iranian Military Infrastructure

NPR Host Shea Stevens opens the episode with breaking news on escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.

• Operation Rising Lion: Israel has launched a military campaign dubbed "Operation Rising Lion," targeting multiple sites within Tehran. According to Hadil Al Shalchi of NPR reporting from Tel Aviv at [00:41], the strikes focused on Iranian nuclear facilities and military installations. This marks a significant escalation amid ongoing regional tensions over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

• Killing of Iranian Paramilitary Leader: State media in Iran reports that the head of the Revolutionary Guard's paramilitary forces was killed in these airstrikes. This development comes as Iran continues to assert that it does not intend to develop nuclear weapons, a stance contradicting Israel’s persistent warnings.

• International Response: On Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) censured Iran for non-compliance with nuclear inspections for the first time in two decades. Hadil Al Shalchi notes that despite the severity of the situation, the U.S. State Department clarified at [00:41] that the United States was not involved in the attacks.

• Domestic Reactions in Israel: Preemptive measures included sirens sounding across Israel, leading to the cancellation of public gatherings and school sessions. The Israeli military described these warnings as precautionary steps to ensure public safety.

2. Federal Ruling Restricts Former President Trump's Control Over California National Guard

NPR’s Steve Futterman provides an update on the legal tussle over the National Guard in California.

• Judicial Decision: District Judge Charles Breyer initially ruled that control of the California National Guard must return to Governor Gavin Newsom, effectively stripping former President Trump of authority over the troops in the state ([01:34]).

• Appeals Court Intervention: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay on this decision, allowing it to review the case further, delaying the transition of control ([01:34]).

• Legal Perspectives: Judge Breyer criticized Trump’s actions as exceeding his legal authority, stating, “We push back against overreach. We push back against these authoritarian tendencies,” highlighting concerns over executive power ([01:59]).

• Trump’s Justification: Trump defended his stance by claiming his actions were necessary to suppress a rebellion. However, Judge Breyer dismissed this, noting that the protests in Los Angeles did not meet the threshold of a rebellion ([02:04]).

• Governor’s Stance: Governor Newsom anticipates that the appellate court will uphold the original ruling, reinforcing state control over the National Guard.

3. Controversy Over Treatment of Senator Alex Padilla at Press Conference

NPR covers an incident involving the removal of Senator Alex Padilla from a press event.

• Event Incident: On Thursday, Senator Alex Padilla was removed and handcuffed during a press conference in Los Angeles after attempting to question Homeland Security officials about the immigration crackdown in the city ([02:19]).

• Democratic Response: Adam Schiff voiced strong condemnation of the incident, emphasizing the importance of accountability. At [02:42], he stated, “I understand why Secretary Noem doesn't want to answer these questions, because she can't. But it is Alex Padilla's job to ask those questions and to demand those answers. And we are proud of him.”

• Broader Implications: Schiff further expressed alarm over the current political climate, remarking on the nation's decline during the first 140 days of the Trump administration. Concurrently, financial markets reacted negatively, with U.S. futures dropping over 600 points and Nasdaq futures nearly 400 points in after-hours trading, reflecting investor concerns ([02:56]).

4. Supreme Court Decisions Impacting Disability Rights and Law Enforcement Accountability

NPR highlights two significant Supreme Court rulings affecting different facets of American society.

• Disability Rights Enhancement:

  • Ava Thorpe’s Case: In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s ruling regarding Ava Thorpe, a student with severe epilepsy. Ava’s condition necessitated a specialized school schedule, which was initially accommodated in Kentucky but later denied in Minnesota ([03:46]).

  • Court's Rationale: The Court criticized the prior decision for imposing a stringent "bad faith" standard on Ava’s parents, advocating for a more lenient approach consistent with other disability discrimination cases. As Nina Totenberg reports, this ensures that disabled children have better opportunities in public education without the burden of proving malicious intent by schools.

• Law Enforcement Accountability:

  • Atlanta Raid Lawsuit: The Supreme Court has revived a lawsuit filed by a family affected by a botched FBI raid in Atlanta. In 2017, an FBI SWAT team erroneously stormed the family’s home while attempting to serve a warrant on a neighbor accused of gang activity ([04:28]).

  • Legal Questions: The central issue is whether federal law permits victims to sue over mistaken law enforcement raids. This decision opens the door for potential accountability in cases of wrongful executions by federal authorities.

Conclusion

This episode of NPR News Now provides listeners with concise updates on critical international conflicts, significant legal battles within the United States, and pivotal Supreme Court decisions shaping social justice and governance. From the intensifying Israeli-Iranian tensions to the judicial checks on executive power, and from congressional pushback against immigration policies to advancements in disability rights, the episode encapsulates a broad spectrum of pressing issues as of June 13, 2025.

Transcript

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[Shea Stevens]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. State media reports say the head of Iran's paramilitary Nash Revolutionary Guard is believed to have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. The attacks on Iranian military sites come amid regional tensions over Iran's nuclear capabilities. NPR Sadil Al Shauji reports from Tel Aviv.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

Israel's military says it has launched Operation Rising lion, targeting dozens of targets across the capital, Tehran. It said the Israeli air force was attacking nuclear plants and military targets. Israel has long warned it will not allow Iran to create a nuclear weapon, something that Iran says it doesn't want. On Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency, for the first time in 20 years, censored Iran for non compliance with its inspections of nuclear facilities. Sirens also rang throughout Israel. The Israeli military said they were a preemptive warning and canceled public gatherings and schools. On Friday, the U.S. state Department said it was aware of the attack but that the United States was not involved. Hadil Al Shalchi, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

[Shea Stevens]

In California, a ruling by a federal judge taking away President Trump's control over the National Guard in that state has been put on. Steve Futterman has details.

[Steve Futterman]

Earlier, District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that control of National Guard troops in Los Angeles must revert back to California Governor Gavin Newsom. The order was set to take effect at noon, but the ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay, delaying the order so it can review the case. In his ruling, Breyer said Trump's actions were illegal, exceeding his authority. Newsom says he expects the ruling to be upheld.

[Adam Schiff]

We push back against overreach. We push back against these authoritarian tendencies.

[Steve Futterman]

Trump claimed his action was legal because he was trying to suppress a rebellion. The judge had rejected the argument, saying the protests in LA fall far short of a rebellion. For NPR News, I'm Steve Fetterman in Los Angeles.

[Shea Stevens]

Some members of Congress are expressing concern over the removal of a colleague from a press conference in Los Angeles Thursday. U.S. senator Alex Padilla was removed from the event and handcuffed after he tried to question Homeland Security about the immigration crackdown in la. His Democratic colleague, Adam Schiff of California, is expressing outrage over the incident.

[Adam Schiff]

I understand why Secretary Noem doesn't want to answer these questions, because she can't. But it is Alex Padilla's job to ask those questions and to demand those answers. And we are proud of him.

[Shea Stevens]

Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday, Schiff said he was shocked at how far the nation has descended in the first 140 days of the Trump administration. US futures are down over 600 points in after hours trading on Wall Street. Nasdaq futures are down nearly 400 points. Asian markets are also lower. This is NPR. The U.S. supreme Court has made it easier for students with disabilities to enforce their rights under the Americans with Disabilities act and other federal laws designed to ensure that disabled children get opportunities in public schools. Thursday's opinion centered on Ava Thorpe, whose rare form of epilepsy gave her so many seizures in the morning hours that her public school in Kentucky arranged her schedule for afternoons and evenings only. NPR's Nina Totenberg has more.

[Nina Totenberg]

When her family moved to Minnesota, her school refused to tailor her schedule that way, depriving her of nearly a third of the hours of instruction that her peers got. Litigation over her case went on for years. And while she ultimately prevailed, a federal appeals court ruled against her parents claim for compensatory damages to reimburse them for money paid for outside teachers, lawyers and experts for the fight. Today, the Supreme Court reversed that ruling, calling it wrong because it required Ava's parents to prove the school district acted in bad faith instead of using the lesser standard that applies in other disability discrimination cases. Nina Totenberg, NPR News, Washington.

[Shea Stevens]

In another high court decision, the justices have revived a lawsuit brought by a family in Atlanta over a botched raid on their home. The lawsuit centers on whether federal law allows victims to sue over any law enforcement raid that was carried out in error. An FBI SWAT team stormed the wrong house in 2017 while trying to serve a warrant on a neighbor who was accused of gang activity. This is NPR News.

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