NPR News: 09-08-2025 4PM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now – September 8, 2025, 4PM EDT

Overview

This 4PM edition of NPR News Now delivers a concise, five-minute roundup of top national and international news stories. Major topics included the Trump administration’s new deportation campaign in Chicago, President Trump's statements on prayer in schools and “anti-Christian bias,” political upheaval in France, U.S. and global financial updates, Israel’s continuing military operations in Gaza, a major banking acquisition, and the exodus of artists from Spotify in protest over defense investments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. Deportation Campaign in Chicago

• [00:26] Lakshmi Singh reports on the launch of "Operation Midway Blitz" by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), targeting Chicago and surrounding Illinois communities.
• Alex Stegman (WBEZ):
  • Operation focuses on areas with sanctuary policies.
  • Daniel Biss (Mayor of Evanston): Urges trust in local law enforcement and reassures that Evanston police will not be participating (“In this moment when people are understandably and appropriately frightened, they need to know that Evanston Police Department is not going to be participating and Evanston police officers can be trusted." – Daniel Biss, [00:58]).
  • The operation is named after Katie Abraham, a woman killed by an undocumented immigrant in a hit-and-run.

2. President Trump’s Remarks on Religious Liberty in Schools

• [01:23] At a Religious Liberty Commission meeting, President Trump pledges new guidance to protect prayer in public schools and defends "Judeo Christian values."
  • Donald Trump: “There is a tremendous anti Christian bias. We don't hear about it, we don't think about it. You hear about anti Semitic, but you don't hear about anti Christian. Now you have a strong anti Christian bias, but we're ending that rapidly. I will tell you.” ([01:37])
• Lakshmi Singh clarification: Schools cannot lead prayers, but students can pray alone or in groups, provided it doesn’t infringe on others’ rights.

3. French Government Crisis

• [01:51] France’s government collapses after Prime Minister Francois Bairu loses a vote of confidence on his deficit reduction plans.
  • Eleanor Beardsley (NPR Paris):
    • Parliament votes 364–194 against Bairu’s plans; his resignation likely.
    • Bairu is Macron’s fourth prime minister in under two years.
    • Jean Luc Melanchon (Far Left Leader): Calls for President Macron to step down (“it's now time for Macron to go, too.” – paraphrased, [02:22]).

4. U.S. & Global Financial News

• [03:13] U.S. stocks close higher; Dow Jones up 114 points to 45,514.
• PNC Financial Acquisition: PNC acquires First Bank in a $4+ billion deal, expanding its market, especially in Denver.

5. Israel-Hamas Conflict

• [03:13] Israeli forces demolish another high-rise in Gaza City, citing Hamas military use. Residents urged to evacuate south as operations intensify.

6. Artists Protest Spotify over Military Investment

• [04:11] Isabella Gomez Sarmiento reports on a growing artist exodus from Spotify.
  • The protest targets CEO Daniel Ek’s investment in Helsing, an AI and drone-focused defense company.
  • Artists pulling music include Deerhoof, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and Xiu Xiu.
  • Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu): Notes the financial loss but cites moral opposition (“It's a noticeable amount that we are no longer making.” – Jamie Stewart, [04:47]). Artists refuse to let art “fund war.”

7. Final Stock Market Recap

• [04:57] NASDAQ closes up 98, S&P up 13, Dow up 114.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Daniel Biss (Mayor of Evanston):
  "In this moment when people are understandably and appropriately frightened, they need to know that Evanston Police Department is not going to be participating and Evanston police officers can be trusted." [00:58]
• President Trump:
  “There is a tremendous anti Christian bias...but we're ending that rapidly. I will tell you.” [01:37]
• Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu) on leaving Spotify:
  “It's a noticeable amount that we are no longer making.” [04:47]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:26] – Deportation campaign in Chicago announced
• [01:23] – President Trump on prayer and religious liberty
• [01:51]-[03:13] – French government collapse and European political dynamics
• [03:13] – Stock market and global financial news
• [04:11] – Spotify artist protest over military investments

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This episode delivers critical updates across policy, politics, religion, economics, international affairs, and the intersection of technology, commerce, and culture, all in NPR's clear, measured tone.

Transcript

[Ian and Mike]

Hey, everybody, it's Ian and Mike, the hosts of how to Do Everything. That's the show where we take your questions and find overqualified experts to answer them. Alex asked us to write his out of office email message, but we don't know how to write, so we called up US Poet Laureate Ada Limon.

[Podcast Listener]

Is this National Public Radio?

[Ian and Mike]

Sort of technically, yes. Season two just dropped. Listen to the how to Do Everything podcast from npr.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The Trump administration is starting its long promised deportation campaign in Chicago. Alex Stegman with member station WBEZ reports. The Department of Homeland Security announced Operation Midway Blitz this morning.

[Alex Stegman]

The effort is targeting Chicago, some of its suburbs and Illinois at large over policies that protect residents without legal status. Daniel Biss is the mayor of Evanston, a sanctuary city that borders Chicago. Biss says local police officers will be clearly identified and and he's urging residents to trust them.

[Ian and Mike]

In this moment when people are understandably and appropriately frightened, they need to know that Evanston Police Department is not going to be participating and Evanston police officers can be trusted.

[Alex Stegman]

DHS says the deportation effort honors 20 year old Katie Abraham, who was killed by a Guatemalan immigrant without legal status in a hit and run car crash earlier this year. For NPR News, I'm Alex Degman in Springfield, Illinois.

[Lakshmi Singh]

President Trump is pledging to protect prayer in public schools with new guidance from the Department of Education. During remarks at a meeting of Religious Liberty Commission at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. trump also promised to protect Judeo Christian values.

[Donald Trump]

There is a tremendous anti Christian bias. We don't hear about it, we don't think about it. You hear about anti Semitic, but you don't hear about anti Christian. Now you have a strong anti Christian bias, but we're ending that rapidly. I will tell you.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Public schools are legally prohibited from leading students in classroom prayer under the First Amendment, but students are permitted to pray alone or in groups such as part of a club, as long as it does not infringe on the academic rights of other students. The government of France has collapsed again. The French prime minister today lost a vote of confidence in his plans to cut the country's huge budget deficit. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports. Prime minister will likely resign in the coming hours.

[Podcast Listener]

The speaker of the French national assembly read out the vote on Prime Minister Francois Bairu's deficit cutting plans, 194 for, 364 against. Bairu said he called the risky vote of confidence because he wanted the parliament behind him and he wanted to alert the French to the gravity of the deficit, which is 114% of GDP. Byron was president Emmanuel Macron's fourth prime minister in less than two years. Navy none has been able to enact his centrist agenda. The far left and far right, who have the biggest blocks in Parliament, are now demanding that a new prime minister come from their camps. After the vote, the far left crowed that Macron's policies that favor the rich and his social war against the people had been voted down. Far left leader Jean Luc Melanchon posted on X that it's now time for Macron to go, too. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.

[Lakshmi Singh]

U.S. stocks have ended the day higher, with the dow closing up 114 points and at 45,514. This is NPR News. Israeli forces say they leveled another high rise building in Gaza City that the military says its Hamas enemies have been using for surveillance. Israel has been warning residents to evacuate south as it pushes ahead with demolitions in Gaza City. PNC Financial is acquiring First bank in a deal worth more than $4 billion. The deal expands PNC's presence in Arizona. It also makes it the largest bank in the Denver, Colorado, market. Nearly a dozen artists have removed their music from Spotify since June. It's the largest streaming service in the world, but musicians are leaving the platform in protest of the CEO's investments. NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento has details.

[Isabella Gomez Sarmiento]

A wave of artists has left Spotify in objection to CEO Daniel X ties to the defense company Helsing. The German startup focuses on artificial intelligence for military applications. It also manufactures drones. In June, Eck's venture capital firm raised more than $700 million for Helsing. Since then, some artists have criticized Eck for investing in military technology. Rock bands including Deerhoof, King Gizzard and the Lizard wizard and Shushu have all pulled their music from Spotify. Jamie Stewart of Shoeshoes says Spotify was a large source of digital revenue for their band.

[Ian and Mike]

It's a noticeable amount that we are no longer making.

[Isabella Gomez Sarmiento]

But Stewart says they morally oppose art as a means to fund war. Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

The NASDAQ closes up 98s and P up 13, and the Dow gained 114 points. It's NPR.

[Alex Stegman]

Listen to this podcast sponsor free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or or any podcast app by subscribing to NPR News Now. [e-mail] that's plus.NPR.org.