NPR News: 09-09-2025 9AM EDT

Summary

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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.

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Key News Segments & Discussion Points

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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

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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

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.”

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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

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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.

Transcript

[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. The U.S. supreme Court says the Trump administration may continue using federal agents for immigration sweeps in Los Angeles. As Steve Futterman reports, city officials say the legal battle is not over.

[Steve Futterman]

L A Mayor Karen Bass attacked the ruling.

[Karen Bass]

This is simply un American.

[Steve Futterman]

The city of Los Angeles was a party to the lawsuit, bass pointed out. This is not a full ruling based on the merits of the case and, and the battle goes on.

[Karen Bass]

We will bring justice to this issue to our community.

[Steve Futterman]

Immigration advocates who filed the lawsuit admit the Supreme Court ruling is a major setback. Rebecca Brown is an attorney with Public Counsel.

[Rebecca Brown]

Essentially, the Supreme Court gave a green light to continue the raids across Southern California that are based on racial profiling.

[Steve Futterman]

And she advises people to document any actions that they believe are a violation of their rights. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles.

[Korva Coleman]

The family of media titan Rupert Murdoch has reached a deal on who will control his empire and wealth after he dies. That includes Fox News, the Wall Street Journal and other media outlets. NPR's David Folkenflick reports control will pass to one of Murdoch's sons.

[David Folkenflick]

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 ide theological leanings, but he had sort of pitched his two boys against each other in competition throughout their entire adult life and really ignored people like Prudence Murdoch, his eldest child, who really didn't have the same interests. And Elizabeth Murdoch, a media executive of some real renown and accomplishment because they were female.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's David Folkenflick reporting. Authorities in Charlotte, North Carolina, are investigating the fatal stabbing of a woman aboard a light rail train. As Nick Delacanal of member station WFAE reports, the victim was a Ukrainian refugee.

[Nick Delacanal]

The stabbing took place Aug. 22 but has gained national attention after the release of surveillance video. It shows 23 year old Irina Zyrutska boarding a train and watching her phone as the attacker seated behind her, suddenly stands up and stabs her from behind. Police have charged a 34 year old man with a long criminal record. Mayor by Lyles is calling the attack, quote, a tragic failure by the courts and says the city will hire more security, step up fair enforcement and increase police patrols. The case has become a political flashpoint, with some Republicans and the White House blaming Democrats and city leaders. For NPR News, I'm Nick Della Canal in Charlotte.

[Korva Coleman]

The Israeli military has told all Palestinians in Gaza City to leave. Israel plans to expand its military offensive in the city. It says it's targeting Hamas fighters. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians will be forced to move again. There is no safe area to go in Gaza. You're listening to NPR. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says at least 20 civilians have been killed in a Russian bombing attack today. The bomb hit a village in eastern Ukraine. Zelensky says the victims were older people who had gathered to receive pensions. He's demanding a strong reaction to Russia's attack. With great fanfare, Ethiopia has inaugurated its controversial megadam on the Blue Nile river today. It's the biggest hydroelectric dam in Africa, but it's divided the region and even caught the attention of President Trump. Kate Bartlett reports.

[Kate Bartlett]

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has a capacity of 74 billion cubic meters, was 40 years in the making, and cost $5 billion. Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Abe Ahmed, hopes the dam, which will double Ethiopia's energy production, will transform the country's economy. But neighbouring Egypt sees the dam on a tributary of the Nile river as a disaster and has tried to block it for years. Egypt is worried it will result in water shortages. 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. For NPR News, I'm Kate Buttard in Johannesburg.

[Korva Coleman]

A US Firm based in Missouri has signed a huge deal with Pakistan that is worth half a billion dollars. The company, US Strategic Metals, will able to mine in Pakistan for critical minerals that includes gold, copper, rare earths and other resources. However, a lot of those minerals are located in a rural province. Separatists who live there oppose the extraction of the minerals. This is npr.

[NPR News Announcer]

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