NPR News Now: September 9, 2025, 9AM EDT

Host: Korva Coleman
Length: 5 minutes
Main Theme:
A concise roundup of the latest national and international news, including updates on immigration enforcement in Los Angeles, Murdoch family succession plans, a high-profile crime in Charlotte, the Israeli military’s evacuation order in Gaza, a deadly Russian attack in Ukraine, Ethiopia's controversial new dam, and a major U.S.-Pakistan mining deal.

Key News Segments & Discussion Points

1. Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration Immigration Sweeps in Los Angeles

[00:00 - 00:58]

• Supreme Court Ruling: The Court permits continued federal immigration sweeps in LA, despite ongoing legal challenges.
• Response from Local Officials:
  • LA Mayor Karen Bass strongly criticizes the move:
    • “This is simply un-American.” (Karen Bass, 00:17)
    • Pledges ongoing resistance: “We will bring justice to this issue to our community.” (Karen Bass, 00:29)
• Legal & Advocacy Perspectives:
  • Rebecca Brown, attorney with Public Counsel, highlights concerns:
    • “Essentially, the Supreme Court gave a green light to continue the raids across Southern California that are based on racial profiling.” (Rebecca Brown, 00:42)
    • Advises community members to document potential rights violations.
• Reporting by: Steve Futterman

2. Murdoch Family Succession Plan Finalized

[00:58 - 01:45]

• Rupert Murdoch’s Empire: Succession decisions reached, covering control of Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, and other assets.
• Heir Apparent:
  • David Folkenflick reports Rupert Murdoch’s older son, Lachlan, is confirmed as successor.
    • “His desired heir was his older of the two sons, Lachlan Murdoch, somebody really cast in his own image, looks a lot like Rupert Murdoch, has some of the bravado and certainly definitely the ideological leanings…” (David Folkenflick, 01:15)
  • The succession reportedly involved sibling rivalry and sidelining of female descendants, despite their qualifications.
• Reporting by: David Folkenflick

3. Fatal Stabbing of Ukrainian Refugee in Charlotte, North Carolina

[01:45 - 02:38]

• Incident Details:
  • 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Irina Zyrutska was killed aboard a light rail train on August 22.
  • Surveillance showed the attack was sudden and unprovoked.
  • The suspect, a 34-year-old man with a lengthy criminal record, has been charged.
• Community & Political Response:
  • Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles calls it a “tragic failure by the courts.”
  • Security measures planned: more security, fare enforcement, and increased patrols.
  • The case has become contentious politically, with blame directed at both local Democrats and city leaders.
• Reporting by: Nick Delacanal (WFAE)

4. Israel’s Military Offensive in Gaza Intensifies

[02:38 - 03:05]

• Evacuation Order: Israeli military demands all Palestinians evacuate Gaza City.
• Humanitarian Impact:
  • Hundreds of thousands must relocate, with “no safe area to go in Gaza.”
• Israel’s Justification: Offensive targets Hamas fighters.

5. Russian Bombing Kills Civilians in Ukraine

[03:05 - 03:18]

• Ukrainian Reporting: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says a Russian bomb killed at least 20 elderly civilians gathered for pension payments in eastern Ukraine.
• International Demand: Zelenskyy urges a “strong reaction” to Russia’s attack.

6. Ethiopia Inaugurates Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

[03:18 - 04:12]

• Project Overview: Africa's largest hydroelectric dam, 74 billion cubic meter capacity, $5 billion cost, 40 years of planning and construction.
• Ethiopian Perspective:
  • Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expects it to “transform the country’s economy,” doubling energy production.
• Regional Tensions:
  • Egypt fears water shortages and has long opposed the dam.
  • President Trump recently claimed US government financing and previously made controversial comments.
    • “Trump claimed recently the US Government had mostly paid for the dam after angering Ethiopia in his first term by suggesting Egypt would blow it up.” (Kate Bartlett, 03:56)
• Reporting by: Kate Bartlett

7. U.S.-Pakistan Critical Minerals Mining Deal

[04:12 - 04:40]

• Commercial News:
  • Missouri-based US Strategic Metals signs a $500 million deal with Pakistan to mine gold, copper, rare earths, and other minerals.
• Local Tensions:
  • Many mineral sites are in separatist-affected rural provinces where extraction is opposed by local groups.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Karen Bass (00:17): “This is simply un-American.”
• Rebecca Brown (00:42): “Essentially, the Supreme Court gave a green light to continue the raids across Southern California that are based on racial profiling.”
• David Folkenflick (01:15): “His desired heir was his older of the two sons, Lachlan Murdoch, somebody really cast in his own image…”
• Mayor Vi Lyles (reported at 02:18): Called the Charlotte stabbing “a tragic failure by the courts.”
• Kate Bartlett (03:56): “Trump claimed recently the US Government had mostly paid for the dam after angering Ethiopia in his first term by suggesting Egypt would blow it up.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Supreme Court Immigration Ruling/LA: 00:00 – 00:58
• Murdoch Succession: 00:58 – 01:45
• Charlotte Stabbing: 01:45 – 02:38
• Israel/Gaza Update: 02:38 – 03:05
• Ukraine Bombing: 03:05 – 03:18
• Ethiopia Dam: 03:18 – 04:12
• US-Pakistan Mining Deal: 04:12 – 04:40

This five-minute newscast delivers key updates on U.S. Supreme Court immigration decisions, global media leadership changes, regional conflicts and humanitarian crises, major infrastructural projects, and significant international business agreements, with attention to their broader social and political impacts.