NPR News Now – Episode Summary

Podcast: NPR News Now
Host: Lakshmi Singh (NPR)
Episode: NPR News: 08-28-2025 1PM EDT
Date: August 28, 2025
Duration: 5 minutes

Episode Overview

This NPR News Now episode offers a succinct, up-to-the-minute briefing on major national and international headlines. Stories covered include a tragic school shooting in Minneapolis, developments in the Israel-Gaza conflict, new legislation affecting Medicaid, controversy surrounding CDC leadership, and the unveiling of the weapon used in the Emmett Till lynching on its 70th anniversary.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Minneapolis School Shooting

• [00:02] Host Lakshmi Singh reports on a tragic shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, where students and teachers from a Catholic school came under attack. Two children were killed; several others—mostly children—remain hospitalized.
• [00:23] On the ground, NPR’s Jason DeRose describes the community’s response:
  • "Scores of people have been coming all morning, dropping off flowers in front of the church. Others have sent flowers... from California, all the way from Southern California. Another one said it was from the people of Uvalde, another place where a school shooting happened." [Jason DeRose, 00:23]

2. UN Warning Over Gaza Operations

• [00:45] The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, warns that Israeli operations to take control of Gaza City will have “devastating consequences for civilians.”
• [01:10] NPR’s Michelle Kelleman details:
  • Guterres urges Israel to allow more humanitarian aid, referencing a newly declared famine.
    • "The starvation of the civilian population must never be used as a method of warfare." [Michelle Kelleman paraphrasing Guterres, 01:10]
• [01:26] Guterres is quoted directly:
  • "No more excuses, no more obstacles, no more lies." [Antonio Guterres, 01:26]
• Israel denies the existence of famine in northern Gaza.
• President Trump describes the situation as “coming to a head,” anticipating a conclusive end in two to three weeks.

3. Medicaid Legislation: ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’

• [01:52] Lakshmi Singh highlights House Speaker Mike Johnson’s role in passing significant Medicaid legislation. Dubbed the “one big beautiful bill” by Republicans, it may greatly affect his Louisiana district.
• [02:15] Drew Hawkins reports:
  • Over a third of Johnson’s district residents depend on Medicaid; community health centers rely on Medicaid for over 40% of their revenue.
  • Joe Dunn, National Association of Community Health Centers:
    • "It certainly could lead to closures and loss of staff and things like that." [Joe Dunn, 02:35]
  • Senator Bill Cassidy has pledged support for reauthorizing funding, but has not committed to the $1.2 billion requested in additional funds.

4. CDC Leadership Turmoil

• [02:57] Susan Monterez, director of the CDC, reportedly ousted, but her lawyers assert she has “neither resigned nor yet been fired” and will not resign.
• HHS initially posted that Monterez was leaving only weeks post-confirmation.
• Lawyers claim Monterez refused to “rubber stamp unscientific, reckless directives” allegedly issued under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

5. Emmett Till Lynching: 70th Anniversary

• [03:49] On the anniversary of the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till, NPR’s Debbie Elliott reports the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum unveils the pistol believed to have been used in the crime.
  • Nan Prince, Mississippi Dept. of Archives and History:
    • "This is a pistol that we believe is the weapon that was used to kill Emmett Till." [Nan Prince, 04:10]
  • Wheeler Parker, Till’s cousin and last living witness:
    • "It's been something that I've always wondered about for 70 years." [Wheeler Parker, 04:18]
    • "I think it gives validity to it. It help brings closure, far as I'm concerned." [Wheeler Parker, 04:27]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• "No more excuses, no more obstacles, no more lies."
  – UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, criticizing obstacles to humanitarian aid in Gaza [01:26]
• "It certainly could lead to closures and loss of staff and things like that."
  – Joe Dunn, National Association of Community Health Centers, on funding shortfall [02:35]
• "This is a pistol that we believe is the weapon that was used to kill Emmett Till."
  – Nan Prince, director of collections, recalling the historical significance [04:10]
• "I think it gives validity to it. It help brings closure, far as I'm concerned."
  – Wheeler Parker, Emmett Till’s cousin, on seeing the weapon displayed [04:27]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:02 – Minneapolis shooting update and community response
• 00:45 – UN, Israel, and US on Gaza crisis
• 01:52 – Medicaid legislation and health center funding challenges
• 02:57 – CDC director controversy
• 03:49 – 70th anniversary of Emmett Till lynching; unveiling of murder weapon

This NPR News Now episode maintains the network’s commitment to concise, in-depth reporting, with strong focus on both heartbreaking domestic events and landmark political and historical moments.