NPR News: 08-28-2025 2PM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now — August 28, 2025, 2PM EDT

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Duration: 5 minutes

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Episode Overview

This edition of NPR News Now delivers a concise roundup of national and international headlines. The major stories include the investigation of a mass shooting at a Minneapolis church and school, the commemoration of Emmett Till's death, updates on Russia’s missile strikes in Kyiv, legal news involving a Federal Reserve governor and President Trump, and developments in electric vehicle charging technology. Brief financial market updates round out the report.

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Key News Segments and Insights

1. Minneapolis Church Shooting — Domestic Terrorism Investigation

[00:18–01:48]

• Incident: A 23-year-old shooter attacked students and faculty during a back-to-school service at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, killing two children and injuring 17 (mostly children).
• Investigation:
  • The FBI is investigating as a domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics.
• Perpetrator:
  • Suspect Robin Westman left behind videos and writings and died from a self-inflicted gunshot.
• Victim Update:
  • Hennepin Healthcare Hospital: 9 remain hospitalized (6 in satisfactory; 2 in serious—1 adult, 1 child; 1 child critical)
  • Children’s Minnesota: 3 still hospitalized, 4 treated and released
• State Response:
  • Governor Tim Walz deployed additional law enforcement to protect schools and places of worship.

Notable Quote:

“The FBI is currently investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.”
— Camila Domonosky, [00:43]

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2. Emmett Till’s Legacy and Civil Rights

[01:48–02:21]

• Commemoration: On the 70th anniversary of Emmett Till’s murder, a Mississippi museum displays the gun used in the killing.
• Historical Impact: Till’s death galvanized the civil rights movement.

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3. Russia-Ukraine Conflict — Kyiv Airstrikes

[01:48–03:03]

• Attack: Russia carried out missile strikes on Kyiv, killing at least 16 and injuring many.
• Russian Stance:
  • Claimed precision strikes on military targets.
  • Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says the attacks were “successful and the targets were destroyed.”
• Contrasting Reality:
  • Residential buildings hit, “burying residents in the rubble.”
• Ukrainian Response:
  • President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the strikes show Russia’s “blatant disregard” for peace talks.
• Diplomacy:
  • Russia claims to prefer diplomatic solutions but “the military campaign continues.”

Notable Quote:

“That claim stood at odds with the scenes out of Kyiv, where in one case an apartment building was shorn in two from a Russian missile attack, burying residents in the rubble.”
— Charles Maynes, [02:21]

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4. U.S. Financial Markets

[03:03–03:14]

• Brief update:
  • Dow up 22 points (45,587)
  • NASDAQ up 114 points
  • S&P up 16 points

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5. Federal Reserve Lawsuit and Political Fallout

[03:14–04:04]

• Legal Challenge:
  • Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook is suing President Trump after an attempt to fire her.
  • Cook argues the president lacks such authority except “for cause.”
  • A Trump ally accused Cook of mortgage fraud—similar allegations have been made against other officials who prosecuted or investigated Trump.

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6. Electric Vehicle Charging Advances

[04:04–04:44]

• ChargePoint:
  • Launching ultra-fast EV chargers (up to 600 kW for passenger vehicles, 3.75 megawatts for heavy-duty).
  • Most vehicles can’t utilize this speed yet, but “it’s all about the future.”
  • Can provide “bidirectional” power—charging vehicles or supplying the grid.
  • Developed with Eaton; deliveries begin next year.

Notable Quote:

“ChargePoint says this new tech is all about the future of charging... [the chargers] can also send power back to the power grid or a microgrid.”
— Camila Domonosky, [04:19]

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7. Closing Market Update

[04:44–04:58]

• NASDAQ up 116 points (over 0.5%), Dow up 20, S&P up 16.

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “The FBI is currently investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.”
  — Camila Domonosky, [00:43]
• “That claim stood at odds with the scenes out of Kyiv, where in one case an apartment building was shorn in two from a Russian missile attack, burying residents in the rubble.”
  — Charles Maynes, [02:21]
• “ChargePoint says this new tech is all about the future of charging... [the chargers] can also send power back to the power grid or a microgrid.”
  — Camila Domonosky, [04:19]

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• Minneapolis Shooting: [00:18–01:48]
• Emmett Till Anniversary: [01:48–02:21]
• Kyiv Missile Strikes: [01:48–03:03]
• Federal Reserve Lawsuit & Political Fallout: [03:14–04:04]
• EV Charging Technologies: [04:04–04:44]
• Market Updates: [03:03–03:14], [04:44–04:58]

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This NPR News Now segment provides a fast, comprehensive update on urgent U.S. and world events, legal and political news, and technology developments, in a calm, factual tone characteristic of public radio reporting.

Transcript

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[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Minneapolis's Annunciation Church is now a crime scene as investigators work to determine what drove a 23 year old shooter to attack Catholic school students and faculty as they were praying during a back to school church service yesterday morning. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt addressed the shooting at a news briefing a short time ago.

[Camila Domonosky]

The FBI is currently investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.

[Lakshmi Singh]

The accused shooter, Robin Westman, apparently left behind videos and writings. Westman was later found dead of a self inflicted gunshot wound, but not before killing two children and injuring 17 people, most of them children. Minnesota Public Radio's Clay Masters brings us the latest from hospital officials.

[Clay Masters]

Nine victims remained hospitalized at Hennepin Healthcare Hospital in Minneapolis. Six were in satisfactory condition. Five of them children, one adult and one child, were in serious condition and one child remained in critical condition. Now we also have an update this morning from Children's Minnesota, another hospital that three children remained hospitalized there. Four others were treated and released yesterday. And should note too that Governor Tim Walls today has ordered the deployment of state law enforcement personnel to support public safety efforts around schools and places of worship in Minneapolis as this is still a very raw and emotional time here.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Claymasters reporting. A Mississippi museum is now displaying the gun used to kill Emmett till on the 70th anniversary of the black teenager's death. Till was kidnapped, tortured and killed by white men in Mississippi for whistling at a white shopkeeper. It was a watershed moment that galvanized the civil rights movement. Russia is defending attacks it carried out on Ukraine's capital Kyiv early today that killed at least 16 people and wounded scores of other people. NPR's Charles Maine reports from Moscow. Russian officials insist its forces struck military targets.

[Carvana/Ollie Advertisement]

Russia's Defense Ministry said it carried out precision airstrikes on designated Ukrainian military targets, a position that was later defended by the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying in his daily press briefing the strikes were successful and the targets were destroyed. That claim stood at odds with the scenes out of Kyiv, where in one case an apartment building was shorn in two from a Russian missile attack burying residents in the rubble. UK Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks proved Moscow's blatant disregard for U. S backed peace negotiations Peskov countered that Russia's military campaign continues, but Moscow preferred diplomacy to reach its goals. Charles Maynes, NPR News, Moscow.

[Lakshmi Singh]

U.S. stocks are trading higher this hour. The dow is up 22 points at 45,587. The NASDAQ has gained 114 points. The S&P has climbed 16. This is NPR News. Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook is formally suing President Trump after Trump said he was firing her. Cook says the president does not have the authority to do that, but the president argues it's allowed if there's cause. A Trump ally has accused Cook of mortgage fraud. A similar allegation has also been leveled against the New York attorney general who got Trump convicted of business fraud and and a member of Congress who helped lead Trump's first term impeachment. The EV charging company ChargePoint says it is launching a new line of ultra fast vehicle chargers. NPR's Camila Domonosky reports. Faster charging has been a top priority for many would be buyers of electric vehicles.

[Camila Domonosky]

ChargePoint says it can charge at up to 600 kilowatts for passenger vehicles in the States. 350 kilowatts is considered hyper fast. There are EVs sold in China that can charge at 600 kilowatts, but those cars aren't available in the US at least not for now. ChargePoint says this new tech is all about the future of charging. ChargePoint says the systems developed with the power management company Eaton can also deliver up to 3.75 megawatts for heavy duty vehicles, once again, overkill for today's vehicles. But they can also send power back to the power grid or a microgrid. Deliveries are slated to start next year. Camila Domonosky, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

The NASDAQ composite index up 116 points now or more than half a percent. The dow is up 20 points and the S&P has gained 16. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.

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