NPR News: 09-08-2025 6PM EDT

Summary

---

NPR News Now — September 8, 2025, 6PM EDT

Host: Windsor Johnston (NPR)
Duration: 5 minutes

---

Episode Overview

This succinct NPR News Now episode delivers key headlines from across the U.S. and the world, covering topics like the launch of a new deportation campaign in Chicago, a Supreme Court decision on immigration enforcement, Florida's proposed changes to vaccine mandates in schools, political shakeups in France, a media stunt involving Howard Stern, and the death of Supertramp's Rick Davies. Listeners are offered a snapshot of major events shaping political, legal, health, and cultural landscapes.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. Deportation Campaign in Chicago

[00:25–01:23]

• News: The Trump administration launches “Operation Midway Blitz,” targeting undocumented residents in Chicago, its suburbs, and throughout Illinois.
• Local Response:
  • Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss assures the public that local police will not participate in federal deportation actions, emphasizing trust and community safety.
    • Quote:

      “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 [01:01]

• Context:
  • The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) states the operation honors Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old killed in a hit-and-run by a Guatemalan immigrant without legal status earlier in the year.

---

2. Supreme Court's Immigration Enforcement Ruling

[01:23–01:54]

• Decision: The Supreme Court lifts a lower court order, allowing federal agents to resume broad immigration stops, including arrests based on race, language, or location.
• Implications: The ruling follows incidents where U.S. citizens were mistakenly caught in immigration raids, raising questions about civil rights protections.

---

3. Florida School Vaccine Mandate Changes

[01:54–02:28]

• State Health Proposal: The Florida Department of Health plans to remove mandatory school vaccinations for hepatitis B, chickenpox, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and pneumococcal disease by December.
  • Quote:

    “It would take legislation at the state level to lift mandates for vaccines that prevent polio, measles, diphtheria, mumps and tetanus. Florida's legislative session start January.”
    — Carrie Sheridan [02:15]

• Details: Removal of further vaccine mandates (e.g., polio, measles, mumps) would require legislative action when the state legislature convenes in January.

---

4. French Prime Minister Loses Confidence Vote

[02:28–03:21]

• Development: Prime Minister Francois Byrou loses a parliamentary vote of confidence on budget deficit cuts (194 for, 364 against).
• Significance:
  • Byrou will submit his resignation.
  • Byrou was President Macron’s fourth prime minister in less than two years, highlighting instability.
  • The far left and far right now demand their own candidates for the prime minister post.
    • Quote:

      “...he wanted the parliament behind him and he wanted to alert the French to the gravity of the deficit, which is 114% of GDP.”
      — Eleanor Beardsley [02:56]

---

5. Howard Stern Publicity Stunt

[03:21–04:31]

• Stunt Summary: On his show, Howard Stern orchestrates a prank implying TV personality Andy Cohen would replace him, before clarifying he is not leaving (yet).
  • Notable Moment:

    “I've been thinking about retiring. Now I can't, because then they'll say I got pushed out. Here's the truth. SiriusXM and my team have been talking about how we go forward in the future.”
    — Howard Stern, clip [03:51]

• Background: Stern’s audience has dramatically declined—from 200 million daily listeners at his peak to under 200,000 now. His contract with SiriusXM is up for renewal.

---

6. Rick Davies of Supertramp Dies

[04:31–05:04]

• Obituary: Rick Davies, cofounder and lead singer of British rock band Supertramp, has died at age 81 from cancer.
• Legacy:
  • Major hits include “Goodbye Stranger” and “The Logical Song.”
  • The album Breakfast in America (1979) topped U.S. and Canadian charts, won two Grammys, and sold over 18 million copies.

---

Notable Quotes and Moments

• Daniel Biss on Community Trust:
  “They need to know that Evanston Police Department is not going to be participating and Evanston police officers can be trusted.”
  [01:01]
• Carrie Sheridan on Vaccine Mandate Process:
  “It would take legislation at the state level to lift mandates for vaccines that prevent polio, measles, diphtheria, mumps and tetanus. Florida's legislative session start January.”
  [02:15]
• Eleanor Beardsley on French Deficit Gravity:
  “He wanted to alert the French to the gravity of the deficit, which is 114% of GDP.”
  [02:56]
• Howard Stern on His Future:
  “I've been thinking about retiring. Now I can't, because then they'll say I got pushed out. Here's the truth. SiriusXM and my team have been talking about how we go forward in the future.”
  [03:51]

---

Timeline of News Segments

• 00:25 — Deportation campaign begins in Chicago
• 01:23 — Supreme Court immigration enforcement decision
• 01:54 — Florida school vaccine mandate changes
• 02:28 — French prime minister confidence vote and resignation
• 03:21 — Howard Stern’s SiriusXM publicity stunt
• 04:31 — Rick Davies (Supertramp) obituary

---

“Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.”
[00:25]

---

Transcript

[NPR Host]

Sources and Methods, the crown jewels of the intelligence community, shorthand for how do we know what's real? Who told us? If you have those answers, you're on the inside and NPR wants to bring you there. From the Pentagon to the State Department to spy agencies, listen to understand what's really happening and what it means for you. Sources and Methods, the new National Security Podcast from npr.

[Windsor Johnston]

Live from NPR News In Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The Trump administration is starting its long promise deportation campaign in Chicago. Alex Degman from member station WBEZ reports. The Department of Homeland Security announced Operation Midway Blitz today.

[Alex Degman]

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 he's urging residents to trust them. In this moment when people are understandably.

[Daniel Biss]

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 Degman]

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.

[Windsor Johnston]

The Supreme Court is allowing federal agents to resume broad immigration stops. In Los Angeles, the justices lifted a lower court order that limited arrests targeting people based on race, language or location. The case stems from US Citizens caught up in immigration raids by mistake. Florida is seeking to lift school mandates for a handful of childhood vaccines in the next 90 days. Carrie Sheridan from member station WUSF reports on which ones are on the list.

[Carrie Sheridan]

The Florida Department of Health says it can make a rule change so that vaccines to prevent hepatitis B in chickenpox are no longer required by December. Others on the list for quick removal are haemophilus influenza type B or Hib, and pneumococcal disease. Both are caused by bacteria and can lead to pneumonia, meningitis or bloodstream infections. It would take legislation at the state level to lift mandates for vaccines that prevent polio, measles, diphtheria, mumps and tetanus. Florida's legislative session start January. For NPR News, I'm Carrie Sheridan in Tampa.

[Windsor Johnston]

The French prime minister has lost a vote of confidence in his plans to cut the country's huge budget deficit. French media report he will hand in his resignation Tuesday morning. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley has more.

[Eleanor Beardsley]

The speaker of the French national assembly read out the vote on Prime Minister Francois Byrou'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. Byrou was President Emmanuel Macron's fourth prime minister in less than two years. 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. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.

[Windsor Johnston]

This is NPR Radio. Host Howard Stern pranked listeners this morning in a publicity stunt after years of declining ratings. NPR's Neta Ulaby reports. Stern had spent weeks teasing the idea he might leave SiriusXM.

[Neta Ulaby]

In the stunt designed for media attention, TV personality Andy Cohen pretended to take over Stern's job on Stern's show. Later in the show, Stern revealed that nothing has actually changed, at least not yet.

[Daniel Biss]

I've been thinking about retiring. Now I can't, because then they'll say I got pushed out. Here's the truth. SiriusXM and my team have been talking about how we go forward in the future.

[Neta Ulaby]

That's From a clip SiriusXM released on social media. Stern was once a huge cultural force with more than 200 million daily listeners, but that number has dropped. Fewer than 200,000 people now regularly tune in. His page views are dramatically down. Howard Stern's latest deal is currently up for renewal. Natta Ulibi, NPR News.

[Windsor Johnston]

Rick Davies, co founder and lead singer of the British rock band Supertramp, has died at the age of 81 from cancer. The band rose to fame in the 1970s with hits like Goodbye Stranger and the logical song. Their 1979 album Breakfast in America topped the charts in the US and Canada, won two Grammys and sold more than 18 million copies. I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington.

[Alex Degman]

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.