NPR News Now — September 9, 2025, 8PM EDT

Host: Windsor Johnston
Length: 5 minutes
Format: Hourly news update

Overview

This NPR News Now episode delivers a rapid, comprehensive overview of major national and international headlines as of September 9, 2025. Covered topics include a pivotal Supreme Court immigration ruling, new developments in the Jeffrey Epstein case, oil production updates from OPEC, the death of Supertramp co-founder Rick Davies, and groundbreaking FDA approval for pig kidney transplant trials in humans.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Supreme Court Allows Federal Immigration Stops in Los Angeles

[00:20–01:19]

• Supreme Court Ruling: Federal agents are now permitted to resume broad immigration stops in Los Angeles while the legal case continues.
• City's Response:
  • LA Mayor Karen Bass condemned the Supreme Court’s decision.
  • Quote — Karen Bass [00:38]: “This is simply un American.”
  • Bass clarified the city is contesting the ruling and the decision is not final on the merits.
  • Quote — Karen Bass [00:50]: “We will bring justice to this issue to our community.”
• Immigration Advocates: The plaintiffs in the case view the ruling as a "major setback."
  • Rebecca Brown of Public Counsel highlighted the racial profiling concerns fueling the lawsuit.
  • Quote — Rebecca Brown [01:03]: “Essentially, the Supreme Court gave a green light to continue the raids across Southern California that are based on racial profiling.”
  • Brown advised the public to document rights violations.

2. New Epstein Files Delivered to Republican House Oversight Committee

[01:19–02:25]

• Context: House Oversight Committee receives a new batch of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein from the Justice Department, per a subpoena.
• Files Include:
  • “50th birthday book” compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, now imprisoned for sex trafficking.
  • Epstein’s last will and testament.
  • A 2007 court non-prosecution agreement.
• Points of Interest:
  • A note in the book mentions President Trump, featuring an outline of a woman’s body with typewritten dialogue between Trump and Epstein.
  • Trump has denied authorship of this note.
• Speaker — Claudia Grisales [01:32–02:25]: Provides summary and notes political context, with Democrats publicizing the book excerpt mentioning Trump.

3. OPEC Exporters Signal Oil Production Hike

[02:25–03:07]

• Production Increase: OPEC and allied nations plan to boost oil supply, challenging previous trends of production cuts intended to keep prices high.
• Motivation: Exporters balancing high prices versus market share, with recent signals suggesting a shift toward the latter.
• Economic Impact:
  • Higher supply could lead to a near-term oil glut.
  • Potentially lower consumer prices at the pump.
  • Could negatively impact U.S. oil producers.
• Speaker — Camila Dominoski [02:37–03:07]:
  • “Right now, it seems like the desire for market share is winning. … Some analysts see a potential oil glut in the near future, which would save money for consumers and be a blow for US oil producers.”

4. Stock Market Update

[03:07–03:26]

• Day’s Results:
  • Dow Jones up by 114 points at close.
  • Nasdaq up by 98 points.

5. Rick Davies, Supertramp Co-Founder, Dies at 81

[03:26–04:26]

• Career Overview:
  • Rick Davies placed an ad in 1969 that led to forming the British band Supertramp with Roger Hodgson.
  • Their 1979 album Breakfast in America was a major success, generating three Billboard top-100 singles.
• Musical Legacy:
  • Marked by a unique contrast between Davies’ “jaded baritone” and Hodgson’s “vibrant falsetto.”
  • Following the duo’s split in the 1980s, Davies continued to perform with various versions of Supertramp.
• Speaker — Isabella Gomez Sarmiento [03:33–04:26]: Provides a brief appreciation and career highlights.

6. FDA Approves Nationwide Clinical Trials for Pig Kidney Transplants

[04:26–04:59]

• Medical Milestone:
  • FDA authorizes Mass General Brigham (Boston) and E. Genesis (Cambridge) to expand clinical trials of genetically engineered pig kidneys.
• Background:
  • Mass General Hospital previously conducted a successful transplant of this kind over a year ago.
  • New approval paves the way for wider adoption at transplant centers across the country.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Karen Bass [00:38]: “This is simply un American.”
• Karen Bass [00:50]: “We will bring justice to this issue to our community.”
• Rebecca Brown [01:03]: “Essentially, the Supreme Court gave a green light to continue the raids across Southern California that are based on racial profiling.”
• Camila Dominoski [02:37]: “Right now, it seems like the desire for market share is winning. … Some analysts see a potential oil glut in the near future, which would save money for consumers and be a blow for US oil producers.”
• Isabella Gomez Sarmiento [03:33]: “It [‘Goodbye Stranger’] brilliantly contrasted Davis jaded baritone against Hodgson’s vibrant falsetto.”

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:20 — Supreme Court immigration ruling
• 01:19 — New Epstein files to House Oversight Committee
• 02:25 — OPEC oil production plans & impact
• 03:07 — Stock market results
• 03:26 — Rick Davies (Supertramp) obituary & legacy
• 04:26 — FDA approves pig kidney transplant trials

This concise yet thorough episode keeps listeners updated on critical news ranging from high-profile legal decisions and congressional investigations to economic trends, musical legacies, and advances in medical technology.