NPR News Now – September 5, 2025, 8 PM EDT

Episode Overview

This succinct episode of NPR News Now, anchored by Jeanine Herbst, delivers the latest developments across U.S. politics, higher education, wildfire litigation, food industry trends, and art recovery. In just five minutes, listeners receive key updates on federal-military intervention in Chicago, leadership changes at Northwestern University, a major lawsuit resulting from California wildfires, shifting food dye policies at Campbell’s, and the dramatic recovery of Nazi-looted art.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump Administration Plans Military Support for ICE in Chicago

• [00:19–01:14]
  • The Trump administration has initiated efforts to use the Pentagon's logistical resources and facilities of the Naval Station Great Lakes to support ICE operations in the Chicago area.
  • President Trump is prepared to deploy the National Guard against crime in Chicago without state or local approval, a move Chicago’s mayor and Illinois's governor—both Democrats—deem unconstitutional.
  • Quote:

    "The Department of Homeland Security has requested assistance from the Pentagon for ICE enforcement and removal operations in the Chicago metropolitan area."
    —Quill Lawrence (00:34)

2. Northwestern University President Resigns Amid Federal Funding Battle

• [01:14–02:05]
  • Michael Schill resigns after three years as Northwestern’s president, citing unresolved federal challenges following a near $800 million freeze in federal funding by the Trump administration.
  • The university had eliminated hundreds of jobs to address budget shortfalls.
  • Schill had also faced Congressional scrutiny for his handling of antisemitism on campus.
  • Quote:

    "Difficult problems remain, particularly at the federal level."
    —Michael Schill statement (read by Sequoyah Carrillo, 01:26)

3. Lawsuit Blames Southern California Edison for Deadly Eaton Fire

• [02:05–03:04]
  • The federal government files suit against Southern California Edison for alleged negligence that led to the destructive Eaton fire (over 4,000 homes lost; 19 deaths) and a previous fire east of LA.
  • Acting U.S. Attorney Billa Saleh asserts the fires were preventable and directly caused by Edison’s failure to safely maintain equipment.
  • Notable quote:

    "The big message today is that Edison is responsible."
    —Billa Saleh (02:30)
    "But for Edison’s negligence, these fires would not have started, and they've got to change the way they do business."
    —Billa Saleh (02:39)

4. Campbell’s Moves to Eliminate Synthetic Food Dyes

• [03:04–04:19]
  • Campbell's is set to fully transition its Lance, Archway, and V8 Splash brands from synthetic to natural dyes like annatto and purple carrot juice concentrate.
  • This shift, already underway in Goldfish crackers, is driven by regulatory and consumer pressure—not federal law. Other major brands (Kraft, Heinz, Nestlé, PepsiCo) are making similar moves.
  • Quote:

    "This is not a story of Campbell’s soup, but more of its crackers and cookies brands including Lance and Archway."
    —Alina Selyuk (03:36)

5. Nazi-Looted Portrait Recovered in Argentina

• [04:19–04:57]
  • After 80 years missing, an 18th-century painting stolen from a Jewish collector during WWII was found in a real estate listing in Argentina.
  • Dutch journalists, researching a former Nazi official in Argentina, located the artwork, adding to restitution efforts for art looted in the Holocaust.
  • Quote:

    "It was spotted in a recent real estate listing of a property for sale in Argentina."
    —Jeanine Herbst (04:37)

Notable Quotes

• Quill Lawrence ([00:34]):
  “The Department of Homeland Security has requested assistance from the Pentagon for ICE enforcement and removal operations in the Chicago metropolitan area.”

• Michael Schill (via Sequoyah Carrillo, [01:26]):
  “Difficult problems remain, particularly at the federal level.”

• Billa Saleh ([02:30]):
  “The big message today is that Edison is responsible.”

• Billa Saleh ([02:39]):
  "But for Edison’s negligence, these fires would not have started, and they've got to change the way they do business."

• Alina Selyuk ([03:36]):
  “This is not a story of Campbell’s soup, but more of its crackers and cookies brands including Lance and Archway.”

• Jeanine Herbst ([04:37]):
  "It was spotted in a recent real estate listing of a property for sale in Argentina."

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | Speaker/Attribution | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------| | 00:19 | Military assistance for ICE in Chicago | Jeanine Herbst/Quill Lawrence | | 01:14 | Northwestern University president resignation | Jeanine Herbst/Sequoyah Carrillo | | 02:05 | Edison sued for CA wildfires | Jeanine Herbst/Steve Futterman/Billa Saleh | | 03:35 | Campbell's to eliminate synthetic food dyes | Alina Selyuk | | 04:19 | Recovery of Nazi-looted art in Argentina | Jeanine Herbst |

Episode Summary

This news-packed episode captures the intersection of federal policy and local impact, from potential military involvement in immigration enforcement to the ripple effects of funding standoffs in higher education. The wildfire litigation story foregrounds corporate responsibility amid environmental crises, while food industry reforms and long-overdue art restitution demonstrate corporate and societal reckoning with safety, health, and history.

Listeners will leave with a keen sense of the day’s pressing issues across politics, law, business, and culture—all within a tightly edited five minutes.