NPR News Now: 08-28-2025 3PM EDT

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Date: August 28, 2025
Duration: 5 minutes

Overview

This episode delivers a tightly-packed update on top national and international news. Main stories include leadership turmoil at the CDC, a tragic school shooting in Minneapolis, repercussions from a US-Mexico shipping dispute, new research on African elephants and ebony trees, and Florida’s ongoing battle with invasive Burmese pythons.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. CDC Leadership Upheaval

[00:32 – 01:07]

• Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirms the dismissal of the head of the CDC, amid wider resignations.
• The move follows controversy over unscientific directives and the firing of health experts.
• Director Manara, recently confirmed by the Senate, is refusing to step down.

Jason DeRose: “We let go Susan and Ras yesterday. I'm not going to talk about personnel issues, but you know, the CDC is an agency that is very troubled.” (00:42)

Lakshmi Singh: “Menara has refused to rubber stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fired dedicated health experts.” (00:51)

2. Minneapolis School Shooting Aftermath

[01:07 – 01:52]

• Ongoing community mourning following a shooting at a church's back-to-school service that killed two children and hospitalized several.
• Families and children are visiting the site to pay respects.

Jason DeRose: "Parents are bringing their kids who were in the church yesterday… She wanted to pay her respects to two of her classmates who were killed." (01:27)

3. Counting D.C.’s Homeless Population Amid Federal Security Surge

[01:52 – 02:48]

• Washington D.C. attempts a fresh count of its homeless population after federal-led encampment clearances.
• 800 people estimated unhoused earlier this year; 50 encampments cleared; 81 people have moved into shelter beds, but many remain unaccounted for.
• The city seeks to connect displaced individuals to services and shelter.

Mayor Muriel Bowser (via Jennifer Ludden): "We want to know where they are so that we can connect them to services and get them to come inside." (02:21)

4. US-Mexico Postal Dispute: Parcel Deliveries Suspended

[02:48 – 03:28]

• Mexico suspends postal package deliveries to the US after the Trump administration suspends the de minimis tax exemption for imports under $800.
• Mexico, along with several other countries, awaits clarification from the US regarding the new tax protocol.

NPR Zeta Peralt: “Until it gets some clarity on how taxes will be assessed, [Mexico] has paused all shipments of packages to the United States.” (02:53)

5. Forest Elephants and Ebony Tree Regeneration

[03:28 – 04:28]

• New research links healthy elephant populations to the propagation of rare ebony trees in West African forests.
• Elephants eat ebony fruit, spreading seeds via dung, which increases sapling survival.
• Declining elephant numbers due to poaching are reducing the regeneration of ebony trees.

Tom Smith (via Nate Rott): "They said, did you know that Ebony is often found in elephant dung and these seedlings often sprout in elephant dung?" (04:04, quoted by Jason DeRose)

Nate Rott: "By eating ebony fruit and depositing the seeds, the elephants are moving the tree through the forest." (04:10)

6. Tackling Florida’s Burmese Python Invasion

[04:28 – 05:11]

• Hundreds of thousands of invasive Burmese pythons are threatening Florida’s Everglades ecosystem.
• Researchers have tagged some snakes for study, but many remain at large.
• Officials are now deploying robotic rabbits—designed to mimic live prey—to attract and trap pythons. The effectiveness of this new strategy is yet to be determined.

Lakshmi Singh: "Officials are now enlisting the help of robotic rabbits designed to look, move and even smell like the real thing to lure the snakes out of their hiding spots. It's too early to tell if the experiment will be a success, but officials say they're optimistic." (04:39)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The CDC is an agency that is very troubled." — Jason DeRose (00:46)
• "She wanted to pay her respects to two of her classmates who were killed." — Jason DeRose (01:35)
• "We want to know where they are so that we can connect them to services and get them to come inside." — Mayor Muriel Bowser (02:21)
• "Ebony is often found in elephant dung and these seedlings often sprout in elephant dung?" — Tom Smith, via Jason DeRose (04:04)
• "[Officials] are now enlisting the help of robotic rabbits… to lure the snakes out of their hiding spots." — Lakshmi Singh (04:39)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• CDC Leadership Crisis: 00:32 – 01:07
• Minneapolis School Shooting Aftermath: 01:07 – 01:52
• DC Homeless Count: 01:52 – 02:48
• US-Mexico Postal Dispute: 02:48 – 03:28
• Elephants & Ebony Trees Study: 03:28 – 04:28
• Florida’s Python Problem & Robotic Rabbits: 04:28 – 05:11

This episode offers a fast-paced, informative look at today’s most pressing stories, from shifting public health leadership and community tragedy to international trade impacts, ecological research, and invasive species control—reflecting NPR’s trademark balance of depth and breadth in news coverage.