NPR News: 09-05-2025 5PM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now – 09-05-2025, 5PM EDT

Date: September 5, 2025
Host: Jeanine Herbst (NPR)
Duration: 5 minutes

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Overview

This NPR News Now episode delivers a concise update on major U.S. news as of early September 2025. Key stories include the rebranding of the Department of Defense, a high-profile D.C. crime, significant labor market slowdown, federal tensions with the Smithsonian, and a landmark copyright settlement involving AI company Anthropic.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Department of Defense Rebranded as Department of War

• [00:25] President Trump signed an executive order to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War.
  • Rationale: Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth say the new name "reflects a new tone for the country and the military."
  • Historical Context: The Department of War dates back to 1789; it was renamed in 1949 as part of a post-WWII reorganization.
  • Legal Ramifications: The name change is officially a secondary title; Trump suggests a possible push for congressional codification.
  • Notable Quote:
    Pete Hegseth: “We won the first World War, we won the Second World War. We won everything before that and in between. And then we decided to go woke and we changed the name to Department of Defense. So we're going Department of War.” [00:42]

2. D.C. Congressional Intern Shooting

• [01:22] Two teens arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the high-profile killing of 21-year-old congressional intern Eric Tarpinium Jackham.
  • Incident Details: The teens allegedly targeted another man in a drive-by shooting, killing the intern by mistake.
  • Political Context: The crime has fueled debate over D.C. governance and juvenile justice reform.
  • Prosecutorial Approach: U.S. Attorney for D.C., Jeanine Pirro, is charging the 17-year-olds as adults.
  • Notable Quote:
    Jeanine Pirro: “This killing underscores why we need the authority to prosecute these younger kids, because they're not kids. They're criminals. They're violent criminals.” [01:55]

3. August 2025 Jobs Report & Economic Outlook

• [02:10] Hiring in the U.S. dropped significantly; only 22,000 jobs added in August, with unemployment climbing to 4.3%.
  • Industry Impacts: Factories, construction, and government jobs declined; healthcare saw slower growth.
  • Economic Significance: Revised figures show a net loss in June for the first time since the 2020 pandemic; the labor market is softening.
  • Federal Reserve Reaction: The possibility of an interest rate cut is on the table, with a policy meeting slated for September 16.
  • Notable Quote:
    Scott Horsley: “The Federal Reserve has been keeping a close eye on the softening job market as it weighs a possible interest rate cut later this month.” [02:31]

4. Stock Market Update

• [03:16] Wall Street ended lower; Dow Jones dropped by 220 points.

5. Smithsonian Faces Political Pressure

• [03:36] Four Democratic senators (Padilla, Cortez Masto, Peters, Merkley) urge the Smithsonian to resist "bullying" from the White House regarding its mission and values.
  • Context: Letter sent after President Trump accused the Smithsonian and other museums of being “the last remaining segment of woke.”
  • Institutional Independence: The senators emphasize that oversight is the role of Congress, not the White House.

6. Landmark Anthropic AI Copyright Settlement

• [04:28] AI company Anthropic to pay $1.5 billion to settle a class action suit with authors and publishers.
  • Allegations: Downloading millions of books without permission to train its chatbot, Claude.
  • Settlement Terms: ~$3,000 per book for approximately half a million books; no admission of wrongdoing by Anthropic.
  • Significance: One of the largest copyright settlements in AI training data disputes.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Department of War Renaming:
  • Pete Hegseth [00:42]: “We won the first World War, we won the Second World War. We won everything before that and in between. And then we decided to go woke and we changed the name to Department of Defense. So we're going Department of War.”
• D.C. Crime Prosecution:
  • Jeanine Pirro [01:55]: “This killing underscores why we need the authority to prosecute these younger kids, because they're not kids. They're criminals. They're violent criminals.”
• Labor Market Outlook:
  • Scott Horsley [02:31]: “The Federal Reserve has been keeping a close eye on the softening job market as it weighs a possible interest rate cut later this month.”

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 00:25 | President Trump renames Department of Defense | | 01:22 | Arrests in killing of congressional intern | | 02:10 | Release of August U.S. jobs numbers | | 02:31 | Economic significance and possible Fed interest rate cut | | 03:16 | Wall Street close update | | 03:36 | Senators urge Smithsonian to resist White House pressure | | 04:28 | Anthropic AI $1.5B copyright lawsuit settlement |

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Summary

In this brisk, event-packed update, NPR News Now highlights notable shifts in U.S. policy and politics, from the symbolic re-militarization of a cabinet department to the longstanding struggle over federal and local authority in D.C., the softening labor market, cultural tensions at the Smithsonian, and the evolving legal landscape around artificial intelligence. The episode provides a succinct yet substantive snapshot of current events in America as of September 2025.

Transcript

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[Jeanine Hurst]

Link live from NPR News, I'm Jeanine Hurst. President Trump today signed an executive order rebranding the Department of Defense the Department of War. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump both say this reflects a new tone for the country and the military.

[Pete Hegseth]

We won the first World War, we won the Second World War. We won everything before that and in between. And then we decided to go woke and we changed the name to Department of Defense. So we're going Department of War.

[Alex Koma]

But while Congress created the Department of.

[Jeanine Hurst]

War in 1789, President Truman signed the law creating the Department of Defense from what remained of the war Department in 1949 after World War II. The new name will actually be the department's secondary title.

[Alex Koma]

Trump suggested the administration would ask Congress to codify the change into law, but.

[Jeanine Hurst]

Also said, quote, I'm not sure they have to. Police arrested two teens in connection with.

[Alex Koma]

A high profile shooting death of a.

[Jeanine Hurst]

Congressional intern in Washington, D.C. as Alex.

[Alex Koma]

Koma of member station WAMU reports, they're.

[Jeanine Hurst]

Being charged with first degree murder.

[Alex Koma]

The killing of 21 year old Eric Tarpinium Jackham is one of several prominent crimes that have become a rallying cry for President Trump as he sought to control D.C. s affairs. Prosecutors believe two 17 year olds were targeting another man in a drive by shooting when they inadvertently killed the intern instead of. U.S. attorney for D.C. jeanine Pirro is charging both teens as adults as part of her broader attacks on the city's juvenile justice system.

[Jeanine Pirro]

This killing underscores why we need the authority to prosecute these younger kids, because they're not kids. They're criminals. They're violent criminals.

[Alex Koma]

Investigators are still searching for a third suspect. For NPR News, I'm Alex koma in.

[Jeanine Hurst]

Washington, D.C. hiring in the United States slowed significantly in August. The Labor Department says employers added 22,000.

[Alex Koma]

Jobs during the month.

[Jeanine Hurst]

That's far fewer than were expected. NPR Scott Horsley says the nation's jobless rate ticked higher to 4.3% for the.

[Scott Horsley]

Second month in a row. The report shows US Employers added far fewer jobs than forecasters had expected. Factories and construction companies cut jobs last month, as did the federal government. Healthcare was one of the few industries to add jobs, and even there, hiring was slower than in previous months. Revised figures show a net loss of jobs in June for the first time since the depths of the pandemic in late 2020. The Federal Reserve has been keeping a close eye on the softening job market as it weighs a possible interest rate cut later this month. Investors widely expect the central bank to lower its benchmark rate by a quarter percentage point. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

[Jeanine Hurst]

And the Fed's next policy meeting kicks off on September 16th.

[Alex Koma]

Wall street lower by the closing bell.

[Jeanine Hurst]

The Dow down 220 points. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Four Democratic senators are urging the Smithsonian to resist White House attempts to, quote, bully the institution to go against its mission and values.

[Alex Koma]

These remarks come in a letter sent.

[Jeanine Hurst]

To the institution's secretary today. As NPR's Anastasia Silucas reports, three of the authors have ties to the Smithsonian.

[Anastasia Silucas]

The letter was sent to the Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch from Senator Alex Padilla of California. Its co authors are Senator Catherine Cortez Master of Nevada, and Senator Gary Peters of Michigan, who are both on the Smithsonian's Board of Regents, as well as Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who's the ranking member on the subcommittee overseeing the Smithsonian's federal funding. The senators assert that Smithsonian oversight rests with Congress, not the White House. They also tell n working to keep its federal funds flowing. The move comes weeks after President Trump called the Smithsonian and other museums. Quote the last remaining segment of woke. Anastasia Tsokas, NPR News, New York.

[Jeanine Hurst]

Artificial intelligence company Anthropic will pay a landmark one and a half billion dollars to settle a class action suit from authors and publishers. It allows Anthropic to avoid going to.

[Alex Koma]

Trial over copyright claims for for downloading.

[Jeanine Hurst]

Millions of books without permission and storing digital copies of them to train the.

[Alex Koma]

Company'S chatbot, called Claude. Under the agreement, Anthropic will pay around $3,000 a book, and about half a.

[Jeanine Hurst]

Million books are eligible for that money. Anthropic did not admit wrongdoing. I'm Jeanine Herbst, NPR News, in Washington.

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