NPR News: 09-01-2025 4PM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now – September 1, 2025, 4PM EDT

Host: Nora Rahm, NPR News
Duration: 5 minutes

Episode Overview

This brief news update covers major global and national headlines as of September 1, 2025. Topics include diplomatic movement on the war in Ukraine, a notable aviation incident involving the European Commission President’s plane, Afghanistan earthquake relief efforts, local reactions to increased law enforcement in Washington, D.C., the impact of holiday closures on Wall Street, scientific insights on shrew brain adaptation, and key results from the U.S. Open tennis tournament.

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Key Stories & Insights

1. Ukraine Peace Efforts: Putin’s Visit to China and Progress With U.S. (00:18–01:15)

• Vladimir Putin addressed an Asian security summit in China, reiterating Russia’s view that “Western meddling in Ukraine and NATO’s expansion had forced Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.”
• He referenced recent negotiations with President Trump in Alaska, suggesting “the Alaska talks marked a breakthrough,” with discussions centering on “concessions towards Ukraine’s future security in exchange for forfeiting land.”
• Despite these talks, “the Kremlin has since slow walked Trump’s efforts to organize a summit between Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy” and “dismissed several Western proposals for security guarantees for Ukraine outright.”
  —Reported by Charles Maynes, NPR Moscow

Quote (Charles Maynes, 00:54):
“Trump and his negotiators say the Alaska talks marked a breakthrough with Putin agreeing to concessions towards Ukraine future security in exchange for forfeiting land.”

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2. European Commission President’s Plane GPS Jammed (01:15–01:36)

• The European Commission confirmed that GPS systems on President Ursula von der Leyen’s plane were jammed en route to Bulgaria.
• The incident is “suspected interference by R.” (Unclear if “R” refers to Russia).
• Von der Leyen is a “frequent critic of Russia and its war in Ukraine.”
  —Reported by Nora Rahm

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3. Afghanistan Earthquake: Ongoing Rescue Efforts (01:36–02:23)

• A magnitude 6 earthquake struck remote Afghanistan; “more than 800 people have died,” with landslides impeding access.
• Rescue teams are using helicopters due to blocked roads.
• Harold Manhart (World Food Program, Kabul) described the situation as a “complex operation,” citing multi-hour hikes to reach affected villages, recent floods, worsening weather, and heavy impact on families and children.

Quote (Harold Manhart, 01:57):
“In some of the areas it takes at least four to five hours by foot to get to the worst affected. … I have seen photos and there’s been numerous houses that have been destroyed by the earthquake. And we obviously know the families and the children are being heavily impacted by this.”

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4. Security and Restaurant Attendance in Washington, D.C. (02:23–03:14)

• President Trump claimed D.C. restaurants are “busier than ever” after an increase in federal law enforcement.
• Chef Rock Harper of Hill Prince Bar expressed public hesitation:

  Quote (02:42): “People think that there are checkpoints and FBI and National Guard on corners slamming people.”

• In contrast, Rick Van Meter (political consultant) noted improved perceptions of safety:

  Quote (02:53): “I rode the metro today for the first time in three months, and I was just pleasantly surprised at how safe it felt, how clean it felt.”

• OpenTable statistics: Restaurant reservations dipped 31% the week Trump deployed more federal forces. —Reported by Milton Guevara, NPR Washington

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5. Labor Day & Economic Updates (03:14–03:36)

• Wall Street is closed for Labor Day; the new jobs report due Friday.
• Previous jobs report showed a slowdown, and President Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  —Reported by Nora Rahm

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6. Shrew Brain Shrinkage: Scientific Insight (03:36–04:33)

• Shrews’ brains “shrink by about 10%” in winter, regrowing in summer, likely as an energy-saving adaptation.
• Cecilia Baldoni (Max Planck Institute) explained:

  Quote (04:09): “Don’t [sic] die off, so the cells inside the brain are shrinking in size.”

• The shrinkage is due to temporary water loss in cells, possibly relevant for human brain disease research.
  —Reported by Nell Greenfield Boyce

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7. U.S. Open Tennis: Osaka Defeats Gauff (04:33–04:56)

• Naomi Osaka defeated Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-2 at the U.S. Open, reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in over four years.
• Osaka is a four-time major champion; Gauff, aged 21, holds two Grand Slam titles.
  —Reported by Nora Rahm

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Notable Quotes

• Charles Maynes (00:54): “Trump and his negotiators say the Alaska talks marked a breakthrough with Putin agreeing to concessions towards Ukraine future security in exchange for forfeiting land.”
• Harold Manhart (01:57): “In some of the areas it takes at least four to five hours by foot to get to the worst affected. … families and the children are being heavily impacted by this.”
• Chef Rock Harper (02:42): “People think that there are checkpoints and FBI and National Guard on corners slamming people.”
• Rick Van Meter (02:53): “I rode the metro today for the first time in three months, and I was just pleasantly surprised at how safe it felt, how clean it felt.”
• Cecilia Baldoni (04:09): “Don’t die off, so the cells inside the brain are shrinking in size.”

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Segment Timestamps

• Ukraine Peace Talks: 00:18–01:15
• European Commission Plane GPS Jamming: 01:15–01:36
• Afghanistan Earthquake: 01:36–02:23
• Washington, D.C. Security & Restaurants: 02:23–03:14
• Labor Day/Economic Update: 03:14–03:36
• Shrew Brain Research: 03:36–04:33
• U.S. Open Tennis: 04:33–04:56

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This concise NPR episode distills the latest developments into a fast-paced, info-rich format with firsthand insight from key sources and on-the-ground reporters.

Transcript

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[Nora Rahm]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. Russian President Vladimir Putin says U. S backed peace efforts to end the war in Ukraine could still bear fruit. He spoke at an Asian regional security summit in China where he began a four day visit. NPR's Charles mainnes has details.

[Charles Maynes]

Speaking before leaders from countries including China, India and Iran, Putin claimed Western meddling in Ukraine and NATO's expansion had forced Russia's full scale invasion of its neighbor. Yet Putin said understandings reached at his recent summit with President Trump in Alaska had opened the path towards peace. Trump and his negotiators say the Alaska talks marked a breakthrough with Putin agreeing to concessions towards Ukraine future security in exchange for forfeiting land. Yet the Kremlin has since slow walked Trump's efforts to organize a summit between Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and dismissed several Western proposals for security guarantees for Ukraine outright. Charles Maynes, NPR News, Moscow.

[Nora Rahm]

The European Commission confirmed today the GPS system of a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was jammed while it was on its way to Bulgaria yesterday. The plane landed safely. Bulgarian authorities suspect interference by R. Von der Leyen has been a frequent critic of Russia and its war in Ukraine. Rescue workers in Afghanistan are trying to reach villagers in remote mountainous areas after a magnitude 6 earthquake last night. A Taliban official said more than 800 people have died. Helicopters have been deployed to collect the injured since landslides have cut off roads. Harold Manhart with the World Food Program in Kabul says it's a complex operation.

[Harold Manhart]

In some of the areas it takes at least four to five hours by foot to get to the worst affected. We obviously have reports of multiple injuries. This is an area that is already prone to disasters. They've been affected by some floods in the recent days and the weather is expecting to get worse as well. I have seen photos and there's been numerous houses that have been destroyed by the earthquake. And we obviously know the families and the children are being heavily impacted by this.

[Nora Rahm]

He spoke to the BBC. President Trump says restaurants in Washington, D.C. are busier than ever after increased federal law enforcement in the city. NPR's Milton Gavada spoke with some locals about their views on the situation.

[Milton Gavada]

Chef Rock Harper of Hill Prince Bar worries people are hesitant to go out.

[Chef Rock Harper]

People think that there are checkpoints and FBI and National Guard on corners slamming people.

[Milton Gavada]

Other locals feel safer going to dinner, like political consultant Rick Van Meter.

[Rick Van Meter]

I rode the metro today for the first time in three months, and I was just pleasantly surprised at how safe it felt, how clean it felt.

[Milton Gavada]

According to OpenTable, compared to the same time last year, reservations dipped 31% the week Trump announced he was deploying extra federal security officers and National Guard troops. Milton Guevara, NPR News, Washington.

[Nora Rahm]

This is NPR News. Wall street is closed today for Labor Day. It reopens tomorrow. The Labor Department will release its latest jobs report on Friday. The last report showed a slowdown in the number of jobs added to the economy. President Trump then fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The brains of shrews shrink in winter and then regrow in the summer. As NPR's Nell Greenfield Boyce reports, scientists now say they know how the brains.

[Nell Greenfield Boyce]

Can do it, presumably to conserve energy. In winter, when food is hard to find, the brains of shrews shrink by about 10%. Later, the brains get bigger. To see how they achieve this feat, researchers used MRI machines to peer inside the brains of anesthetized shrews, along with other lab tests. Cecilia Baldoni is with the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany. She says it turns out brain cells.

[Cecilia Baldoni]

Don'T die off, so the cells inside the brain are shrinking in size.

[Nell Greenfield Boyce]

A report in the journal Current Biology says the cells shrink because they temporarily lose water. Understanding how the water balance gets restored could suggest possible treatments for human brain diseases that involve a decline in brain volume due to water loss. Nell Greenfield Boyce, NPR News.

[Nora Rahm]

In women's tennis, Naomi Osaka eliminated Coco Golf 6362 at the U.S. open today to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in more than four and a half years. She has won four major championships, including at the U.S. open. Golf is 21 and has won two Grand Slam trophies. I'm Nora Raum, NPR News, in Washington.

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