NPR News Now: August 29, 2025, 1PM EDT

Host: Lakshmi Singh

Duration: 5 minutes
Episode Theme:
A concise recap of the day’s major news stories, spanning national tragedy, political investigations, federal aid controversy, wildlife science, and the beginnings of the Labor Day weekend.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

[00:18] Minneapolis Mass Shooting at Annunciation Church

• Overview:
  Reporting on the harrowing mass shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis, featuring witness testimony and details on victims.
• Witness Account:
  • Vanessa Romo reports firsthand perceptions of the tragedy.
  • Kathryn Spandel, a church alumnus, hid under the pews and reached for a familiar hand during the chaos.
  • Quote [00:56], Kathryn Spandel:
    “As I lay there on the ground, I looked forward and the young woman, too, rose ahead, who is our pastoral minister for the children. She was facing me and we reached towards each other and we prayed the Hail Mary together and we were both crying.”
  • Victims:
    • 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel was among two students killed.
    • At least 18 parishioners injured, most of them children.

[01:21] House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Epstein Estate

• Overview:
  Six years after Jeffrey Epstein’s jailhouse suicide, Congress continues to pursue documents in his sex trafficking case.
• Investigation Focus:
  • The subpoena is in response to bipartisan demands for transparency.
  • House Speaker Mike Johnson indicates that no further legislation is necessary.
  • Quote [01:48], Speaker Mike Johnson:
    “I think what's happened over August, over the last few weeks has probably mooted that the necessity of legislation because right now the administration is in full compliance with congressional subpoenas. They've submitted over 34,000 Epstein documents to Congress just in the last couple of weeks.”

[02:03] FEMA Disaster Aid Critique & Administration Response

• Overview:
  Former FEMA acting chief Cameron Hamilton publicly criticizes the agency for allegedly delaying disaster relief.
• Controversy:
  • Hamilton, dismissed in May after disagreeing with then-President Trump’s proposal to eliminate FEMA, accuses the agency (on LinkedIn) of stalling post-disaster help.
  • Current DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claims FEMA is responding faster than ever.
  • Hamilton challenges this, suggesting top officials may be “lying.”
  • FEMA did not provide comment to NPR.
  • Key Quote [02:21], Rebecca Hersher:
    “Hamilton pushed back on that idea and suggested that some officials may even be, quote, ‘lying.’”

[03:02] White House Reclaims $4.9 Billion in Foreign Aid

• Overview:
  The White House uses a “pocket rescission” to withdraw further foreign aid funds.
• Implications:
  • Congress is notified too late in the fiscal year to act.
  • No detail on which aid programs are affected.

[03:17] Giraffes: More Than One Species

• Overview:
  Scientists now recognize four distinct giraffe species, upending decades of conventional wisdom.
• Details:
  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognizes the Northern, Reticulated, Maasai, and Southern giraffe—each with unique habitats and characteristics.
  • Conservation efforts may benefit from this update, especially given existential threats to their populations.
  • Quote [03:35], Amy Held:
    “And while scientists had already recognized subspecies, they say those unique settings and careful study of giraffes genetic differences and bone structure informed the change. The group says a more nuanced understanding of the animals can help with their conservation as giraffes face threats like habitat loss, climate change and poaching.”

[04:18] Labor Day Weekend Travel and Traditions

• Overview:
  Americans embark on the unofficial end-of-summer celebration, marked by travel, shopping, and barbecues.
• Anecdote:
  • Deepak Man, at a Santa Clarita, CA gas station, sums up the busy atmosphere.
  • Quote [04:26], Deepak Man:
    “It's a weekend like most of the people drive, so it will be like a really busy.”
  • Host Lakshmi Singh notes the variety of ways people mark the holiday.

[04:44] Financial Markets Update

• Quick Check:
  • The Dow is down by 162 points.
  • S&P is off by 49.
  • The NASDAQ is off by 274.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Kathryn Spandel, Mass Shooting Survivor [00:56]:
  “…we reached towards each other and we prayed the Hail Mary together and we were both crying.”
• Speaker Mike Johnson on Epstein Files [01:48]:
  “…they've submitted over 34,000 Epstein documents to Congress just in the last couple of weeks.”
• Cameron Hamilton (as reported) [02:21]:
  “…some officials may even be, quote, ‘lying.’”
• Deepak Man on Labor Day traffic [04:26]:
  “It's a weekend like most of the people drive, so it will be like a really busy.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Minneapolis Church Shooting & Witness Accounts: 00:18–01:21
• Epstein Documents & Congressional Action: 01:21–02:03
• FEMA Criticism & Agency Response: 02:03–03:02
• White House Takes Back Foreign Aid: 03:02–03:17
• Giraffes: Four Distinct Species Announced: 03:17–04:18
• Labor Day Weekend Scenes & Sentiments: 04:18–04:44
• Markets Recap: 04:44–end

Summary

This NPR News Now episode delivers an efficient, multi-topic news briefing with human stories, political accountability, emerging science, and a snapshot of American life as the Labor Day weekend begins. Each segment provides essential facts, direct quotes, and a tone resonant with NPR’s journalistic style: measured, empathetic, and concise.