NPR News Now: September 1, 2025 – 4AM EDT

Main Theme / Purpose

This five-minute NPR News Now update provides concise, hourly coverage of developing national and international news stories. Featured segments include political tensions over National Guard deployments in U.S. cities, the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Afghanistan, an accident involving former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, trends in creatine supplement use, and the growing Powerball jackpot.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Political Tensions Over National Guard Deployments

• [00:16–00:58]

  • Host Windsor Johnston reports on Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker's resistance to potential National Guard deployments in Chicago, which the Trump administration frames as an anti-crime measure.

  • Governor Pritzker, speaking on CBS, asserts that such deployments would be illegal and politically motivated, not crime-focused.

    "Posse Comitatus does not allow US Troops into US Cities to do, you know, to fight crime, to be involved in law enforcement. That’s not their job."
    — Governor J.B. Pritzker, [00:36]

  • Recent weeks have seen similar deployments in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., even as crime rates in those cities are reportedly down.

2. Earthquake Devastation in Afghanistan

• [00:58–02:06]

  • A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, with at least 600 fatalities reported.

  • BBC’s Yogita Lamaya describes severe destruction in mountainous terrain, hampering rescue efforts. Entire villages are reported destroyed, and survivors may be trapped.

    "The Taliban government is saying that they’ve heard that there are villages that have been completely destroyed and that masses of people are feared trapped under the rubble."
    — Yogita Lamaya, [01:28]

    "The scale of the impact and the dead, it will be a while before we can truly get a sense of that."
    — Yogita Lamaya, [01:56]

3. Car Crash Involving Rudy Giuliani

• [02:06–03:10]
  • Josh Rogers (New Hampshire Public Radio) details a serious car crash involving former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
  • There are conflicting accounts: Giuliani claims the crash happened after helping at a domestic violence incident, while police say the vehicle was parked on the opposite side of a busy highway when rear-ended.
  • The crash was witnessed by officials responding to the domestic violence incident, and several people (including Giuliani) were hospitalized.

4. Creatine Supplement Hype on Social Media

• [03:10–04:15]

  • Maria Godoy (NPR) investigates the creatine supplement trend promoted by influencers.

  • Creatine is naturally produced by the body and found in many animal foods.

  • Studies confirm creatine supplements can help adults gain 2–3 pounds of lean muscle with resistance training. However, claims about cognitive benefits are not strongly supported—though considered at least harmless.

    "The way I would frame it is it definitely won’t hurt you and it probably will help you if you do."
    — Dr. Jose Antonio, Nova Southeastern University, [04:02]

  • Experts recommend using certified, third-party tested supplements for safety.

5. Powerball Jackpot Update

• [04:15–04:55]

  • The Powerball jackpot has risen to $1.1 billion, its fifth-largest ever, after no Saturday winner.

  • Odds of winning are currently 1 in 292 million. Winners can choose a $1.1 billion annuity or a $500 million lump sum.

    “I’m Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington.” [04:50]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Governor Pritzker on National Guard legality:
  “If they do, they’ll be in court pretty quickly because that is illegal.” [00:36]

• Yogita Lamaya on earthquake difficulties:
  “It’s extremely challenging to reach even in the best of times. So that’s really hampering rescue and relief operations.” [01:38]

• Dr. Jose Antonio on creatine:
  “It definitely won’t hurt you and it probably will help you if you do.” [04:02]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Start Time | |--------------------------------------------------|------------| | Illinois Governor Criticizes National Guard Plan | 00:16 | | Afghanistan Earthquake Aftermath | 00:58 | | Rudy Giuliani Car Crash Update | 02:06 | | Creatine Supplement Social Media Hype | 03:10 | | Powerball Jackpot News | 04:15 |

This episode delivers a rapid yet comprehensive update on leading news stories of the morning, blending political developments, disasters, health trends, and cultural moments, maintaining NPR’s clear, factual tone.