NPR News: 08-28-2025 4AM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now: 08-28-2025 4AM EDT

Date: August 28, 2025
Host: Shea Stevens, NPR
Episode Length: ~5 minutes

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Episode Overview

This episode features NPR’s signature quick-fire news briefing, presenting the most pressing headlines and developments in the United States and abroad for the morning of August 28, 2025. Major stories include a deadly mass shooting at a Minneapolis church, President Trump’s push to increase National Guard deployment to cities, humanitarian updates on Gaza, ongoing U.S. redistricting battles, controversy over migrant detainees in Eswatini, and a legal challenge to Sunday sales at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Deadly Mass Shooting at Minneapolis Catholic Church

[00:15–01:16]

• Incident summary:
  A 23-year-old gunman opened fire through a window during a mass at Assumption Catholic Church and School, killing two students and injuring 17 others.
• Governor's Response:
  Minnesota Governor Tim Walz mourned the tragedy:
  • "Instead of that joy and that curiosity, that learning, they were met with evil and horror and death. And we often come to these and say these unspeakable tragedies or there's no words for this. There shouldn't be words for these types of incidents because they should not happen." (Tim Walz, [00:45])
• Police Update:
  Suspect identified as Robin Westman (23), with no prior criminal history. Weapons used in the shooting were legally purchased.
• Reporting Attribution:
  Reporting by Christy Marshall (Minnesota Public Radio) and Kirsty Marrone.

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2. National Guard Deployment: Presidential Push and Legal Hurdles

[01:16–02:07]

• President Trump's Stance:
  President Trump is advocating the deployment of National Guard troops to more U.S. cities as part of a federal crime crackdown.
• Legal & Political Pushback:
  • Trump faces resistance outside D.C. due to legal limitations of presidential authority.
  • "In California, in Illinois, in New York. The only way President Trump could directly command the National Guard would be to formally federalize it."
    —Steve Vladek, Georgetown Professor ([01:44])
  • Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and other top Democrats call the move a “political stunt.”

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3. Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: U.S.-Israeli Talks & Pope Leo’s Appeal

[02:07–03:10]

• White House-Israeli Discussions:
  Talks focus on the situation in post-war Gaza amid growing humanitarian outrage.
• Pope Leo’s Ceasefire Call:
  • Pope Leo describes the Israeli military campaign as "collective punishment and forced displacement."
  • During his weekly audience, he reiterates the need for humanitarian aid and calls for the release of hostages from the 2023 Hamas-led attack.
    • He urges, “an end to the cycle of violence.” ([02:33])
  • Received two rounds of applause during his address.
• Reporting Attribution:
  Ruth Sherlock, NPR

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4. Redistricting Battles: Indiana, Texas, and Utah

[03:10–03:51]

• Political Maneuvering:
  • Indiana lawmakers met with President Trump to discuss redistricting after similar efforts in Texas resulted in five new Republican U.S. House seats.
  • Trump criticizes a Utah judge's order to redraw districts as “unconstitutional.”
• Context:
  These conversations take place ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

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5. Eswatini Migrant Detention Case

[03:51–04:30]

• U.S. Deportations to Eswatini:
  The U.S. sent five convicted felons (from Laos, Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, and Yemen) to Eswatini in July.
• Human Rights Concerns:
  • Detainees held in solitary confinement, no access for rights advocates.
  • Agreement between U.S. and Eswatini under legal challenge: not approved by Eswatini’s Parliament.
  • Rights groups say the U.S. arrangement is illegal and detainees lack basic protections.
  • Court hearing set for September 25.
• Reporting Attribution:
  Kate Bartlett, NPR, Johannesburg

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6. American Dream Mall Lawsuit Over Sunday Sales

[04:30–04:54]

• Blue Laws Controversy:
  • The American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, faces a lawsuit from Paramus officials, citing violation of Bergen County’s blue laws, which prohibit certain Sunday sales.
  • Mall operators claim exemption due to state ownership.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Governor Tim Walz:
  "Instead of that joy and that curiosity, that learning, they were met with evil and horror and death. And we often come to these and say these unspeakable tragedies or there's no words for this. There shouldn't be words for these types of incidents because they should not happen." ([00:45])
• Steve Vladek (Georgetown):
  "In California, in Illinois, in New York. The only way President Trump could directly command the National Guard would be to formally federalize it." ([01:44])
• Pope Leo (via Ruth Sherlock):
  Urged for an end to “the cycle of violence,” calling for “an immediate ceasefire in Gaza” and humanitarian corridors. ([02:33])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:15 – Minneapolis church shooting coverage
• 01:16 – Trump’s National Guard deployment push
• 02:07 – Gaza crisis: White House, Israeli talks and Pope’s statement
• 03:10 – U.S. redistricting developments (Indiana, Texas, Utah)
• 03:51 – Legal challenge over U.S. felons detained in Eswatini
• 04:30 – American Dream Mall lawsuit over blue laws

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This is NPR News.

Transcript

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[Shea Stevens]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. Police in Minneapolis are seeking a motive for the deadly mass shooting on a Catholic church. Yesterday. A 23 year old gunman fired shots through a window, killing two students and injuring 17 other people. Christy Marshall of Minnesota Public Radio has more.

[Christy Marshall]

Students at Assumption Catholic Church and School were attending mass when the attack began. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says the first few days of school should have been a happy time for students.

[Minnesota Governor Tim Walz]

Instead of that joy and that curiosity, that learning, they were met with evil and horror and death. And we often come to these and say these unspeakable tragedies or there's no words for this. There shouldn't be words for these types of incidents because they should not happen.

[Christy Marshall]

Authorities have identified the suspected shooter as 23 year old Robin Westman, who had no criminal history. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian o' Hara says the weapons used in the attack were purchased legally. For NPR News, I'm Kirsty Marrone. In St. Paul.

[Shea Stevens]

President Trump is pushing to send National Guard troops to more U.S. cities. As NPR's Windsor Johnston reports, the effort is already facing both legal and political pushback.

[Windsor Johnston]

Trump's federal crackdown on crime is entering its third week in Washington, D.C. where the law gives him broadcast authority. But outside the nation's capital, it's a different story. Georgetown Professor Steve Vladek says deploying troops elsewhere gets legally tricky in other states.

[Steve Vladek]

In California, in Illinois, in New York. The only way President Trump could directly command the National Guard would be to formally federalize it.

[Windsor Johnston]

Trump is now turning his attention to Chicago, which he's called a killing field. Illinois Governor J.B. pritzker and other top Democrats are pushing back, calling the effort a political stunt. Windsor Johnston, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

The White House hosted a meeting with Israeli officials Wednesday on post war Gaza. The talks are being held amid increasing outrage over the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. Meanwhile, Pope Leo is calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, calling this Israeli military campaign the collective punishment and forced displacement of Palestinians. NPR's Ruth Sherlock has more.

[Ruth Sherlock]

Pope Leo was interrupted twice by applause from the audience as he again appealed for an end to the 22 month Israeli offensive in Gaza. At his weekly general audience, Pope Leo called for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza as civilians starve from the food shortages and famine has been documented in parts of the enclave. Leo also called for the release of hostages taken in the Hamas led attack on Southern Israel in 2023. He asked for an end to the cycle of violence. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

You're listening to npr. Some lawmakers in Indiana have met with President Trump to discuss their concerns over redistricting. The effort comes after Trump convinced lawmakers in Texas to redraw that state's congressional map to generate five more Republican US House seats. Meanwhile, Trump is criticizing a judge in Utah for ordering that state to redraw its congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterms, calling the ruling unconstitutional. Human rights groups are challenging a decision by the southeast African nation of Eswatini to take in migrants deported from the U.S. kate Bartlett reports from Johannesburg.

[Kate Bartlett]

In July, the U.S. sent five third country nationals to the small southern African kingdom. They were all convicted felons from Laos, Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba and Yemen. Eswatini has been holding them in solitary confinement. It has not disclosed the terms of the agreement with the US and has said the detainees will be repatriated back to their countries eventually. The rights groups bringing the court case say the agreement with the US Is illegal because it was not approved by Parliament. They also say no one has had access to the detainees to see the conditions in which they are being held. The case is due before the high court on September 25th. For NPR News, I'm Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg.

[Shea Stevens]

A new lawsuit claims the massive American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is violating Bergen County's blue laws. Officials in neighboring Paramus say the laws prohibit sales of certain items on Sundays. Mall operators say that the statute does not apply because the mall is owned by the state of New Jersey. This is NPR News.

[Windsor Johnston]

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