NPR News: 08-28-2025 7PM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now – August 28, 2025, 7PM EDT

Host: Jeanine Herbst (with reporting by Joel Rose, Jason DeRose, Tamara Keith, Stephen Thompson)
Episode Purpose:
A concise news roundup covering top stories from Minnesota, national public health leadership, the continuing conflict in Ukraine, a cultural resurgence for Radiohead, and the latest Powerball update.

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1. Tragedy at Minneapolis Catholic Church

[00:20 - 01:37]

Key Discussion Points:

• Mass Shooting Details:

  • Shooter opened fire during a school year's first mass at a Catholic church in Minneapolis.
  • Fired 116 rounds; left writings indicating hate for individuals and groups.

• Victim Impact:

  • Two children killed, including 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel.
  • Jesse Merkel, Fletcher’s father, emotionally requested his son not just be remembered as a victim.
    • Quote: “Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking.” (Joel Rose recounting, 00:53)
  • 18 total wounded; three children still hospitalized (one in critical condition).
  • Law enforcement and school staff commended for quick action and protecting one another.
    • Quote: “Hospital staff today praised law enforcement for acting quickly and they praised students and teachers who protected each other when the shooting began...” (Jason DeRose, 01:20)

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2. CDC Leadership Shakeup

[01:37 - 02:38]

Key Discussion Points:

• Firing of CDC Director Susan Menarez:
  • President Trump dismissed Menarez less than a month after her appointment.
  • Multiple CDC officials resigned in protest.
  • Lawyers claim Menarez was removed for refusing to endorse unscientific policies or fire experts.
    • Quote: “She was targeted...when she, quote, refused to rubber stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts.” (Tamara Keith, 02:00)
  • White House Position: Press Secretary Caroline Levitt affirmed loyalty to the President’s agenda is paramount.
    • Quote: “It was President Trump who was overwhelmingly reelected... This woman has never received a vote in her life and the president has the authority to fire those who are not aligned with his mission.” (Tamara Keith quoting Levitt, 02:12)
  • Health & Human Services Secretary Jim O’Neill named interim director.

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3. Major Attack on Kyiv, Ukraine

[02:38 - 03:31]

Key Discussion Points:

• Russian Assault:
  • Largest combined missile and drone assault in weeks; 21 dead, dozens wounded.
  • Attack came amidst stalling U.S.-led peace efforts after Trump-Putin summit in Alaska earlier in August.
  • Used decoy drones, cruise and ballistic missiles to target 20+ locations across Kyiv.
    • Quote: “Ukraine says Russia launched decoy drones, cruise and ballistic missiles and struck at least 20 locations across seven districts in the city.” (Jeanine Herbst, 02:58)

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4. Radiohead’s 'Let Down' Returns to the Charts

[03:31 - 04:20]

Key Discussion Points:

• Music Resurgence:
  • 1997 track “Let Down” from Radiohead re-enters at #91 on the Billboard Hot 100.
  • Only the fourth time a Radiohead song made the Hot 100 (“Creep” in 1994 remains their biggest hit).
  • Revival sparked by a sync on the TV show The Bear, then amplified on TikTok.
    • Quote: "Let Down enters this week’s chart at number 91. The song found a new audience thanks to its placement on an episode of the TV show The Bear, then later blew up through the magic of TikTok.” (Stephen Thompson, 03:45)

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5. Powerball Jackpot Hits Nearly $1 Billion

[04:20 - 04:59]

Key Discussion Points:

• Lottery Update:
  • Powerball jackpot reaches $950 million (6th largest in game history) after rollover.
  • Lump sum option: $428 million before taxes.
  • Tickets available in 45 states plus D.C., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • Odds of winning: 1 in 292,201,000.
    • Quote: “But, of course, the odds are astronomical, one in 292,201,000.” (Jeanine Herbst, 04:54)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking.” (Joel Rose, 00:53, speaking about the young victim in Minneapolis)
• “She was targeted...when she, quote, refused to rubber stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts.” (Tamara Keith, 02:00)
• “Let Down enters this week’s chart at number 91...then later blew up through the magic of TikTok.” (Stephen Thompson, 03:45)
• “But of course, the odds are astronomical, one in 292,201,000.” (Jeanine Herbst, 04:54)

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Feel free to revisit any of the segments for more details, as each story was reported succinctly with impactful eyewitness and official commentary.

Transcript

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[Jeanine Herbst]

Live from NPR News, I'm Jeanine Herbst. In Minnesota. Police say the shooter who opened fire at a Catholic church in Minneapolis yesterday as school children and adults sat in the P for the first mass of the school year, fired 116 rounds and left writings describing hate for individuals and some groups. Two children died, including Jesse Merkel's son, 8 year old Fletcher. Fighting back tears, he says he wants people to remember his son for who he was and not for being the victim of a mass shooting.

[Joel Rose]

Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking.

[Jeanine Herbst]

And any sport that he was allowed to play. Two other children in the family were not harmed in the shooting. Eighteen others, though, were wounded in the shooting. And NPR's Joel's Rose has more on.

[Jason DeRose]

Their condition at Children's Hospital here. Officials say three children remain hospitalized. Others were treated and discharged at another hospital, Hennepin Healthcare. Six shooting victims there are in satisfactory condition. Two are in serious condition and one child remains in critical condition. Hospital staff today praised law enforcement for acting quickly and they praised students and teachers who protected each other when the shooting began just after morning mass started on Wednesday.

[Jeanine Herbst]

NPR's Jason DeRose reporting from Minneapolis. Health and Human Services Secretary Jim O' Neill will be named the interim director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As NPR's Tamara Keith reports. Trump fired CDC Director Susan Menarez last night after she had been in the job for for less than a month.

[Tamara Keith]

Several top CDC officials resigned after Menarez was pushed out. Her lawyers say she was targeted by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy when she, quote, refused to rubber stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt says that explains why she had to go. It was President Trump who was overwhelmingly reelected on November 5th. This woman has never received a vote in her life and the president has the authority to fire those who are not aligned with his mission. Levitt said the job of administration officials is to execute on the vision and promises of President Trump. Tamara Keith, NPR News, the White House.

[Jeanine Herbst]

In Ukraine, authorities say a mass Russian drone and missile attack on the capital Kyiv has left at least 21 people dead, dozens of others wounded. The attack early today was the first major Russian combined attack on Kyiv in weeks as U S led peace efforts struggle to gain traction. Ukraine says Russia launched decoy drones, cruise and ballistic missiles and struck at least 20 locations across seven districts in the city. It's the first major combined attack on Kyiv since President Trump met President Putin. Russian President Putin in a summit in Alaska earlier this month over ending Russia's three year old war in Ukraine. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Radiohead hasn't released an album since 2016, but it's back on the charts with a song from the 1990s. NPR's Stephen Thompson has more.

[Joel Rose]

Radiohead's catalog is full of classic albums that are sonically experimental, even otherworldly, but it doesn't have many pop hits until this week. Only three Radiohead songs have ever hit the Billboard Hot 100, led by Creep in 1994. This week, a song from 1997 becomes Radiohead's first fourth track ever to crack the Hot 100. Let down enters this week's chart at number 91. The song found a new audience thanks to its placement on an episode of the TV show the Bear, then later blew up through the magic of TikTok. Stephen Thompson, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Well, are you feeling lucky, like nearly a billion dollars lucky? That's the jackpot for the Powerball after no one won last drawing. Now on Saturday, the jackpot will be $950 million, the sixth largest prize in the game's history. The winner can take the money broken out annually over several years or in a lump sum of $428 million before taxes. The tickets are sold in 45 states, D.C. puerto Rico and the U.S. virgin Islands. But, of course, the odds are astronomical, 1 in 292,201,000. This is NPR.

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