NPR News Now – September 11, 2025, 4AM EDT

Episode Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now update covers major overnight and breaking news stories as of September 11, 2025. News topics include an ongoing manhunt following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, updates on federal policing and the National Guard in Washington, D.C., heightened tensions between Poland and Russia amid the war in Ukraine, a school shooting in Colorado, new NASA findings related to ancient life on Mars, and the death of actress Polly Holiday.

Key Discussion Points and News

1. Manhunt after Assassination of Charlie Kirk [00:21–01:12]

• Incident: Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed at Utah Valley; a manhunt is underway for his assassin.
• Political Response: President Trump released a video response from the Oval Office, blaming political division and rhetoric from the left.
• Presidential Statement: Trump praised Kirk’s dedication to conservative activism and open debate.
  • Notable Quote:
    "What happened to Kirk is a direct consequence of people demonizing those they disagree with in hateful and despicable ways." — President Trump [00:58]
  • Notable Quote:
    "Radical left. Political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives. Tonight, I ask all Americans to commit themselves to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived and died." — President Trump [00:58]
• Contextual Note: NPR’s Tamara Keith points out that Trump did not address recent instances of right-wing political violence. [01:12]

2. Security in Washington, D.C.: National Guard Deployment [01:21–02:11]

• Background: The Trump administration's federal control of D.C. policing expired at midnight, but the Washington, D.C. National Guard deployment is extended through November 30.
• Purpose: The extension ensures troops qualify for uninterrupted benefits and pay.
• Brigadier General's Message:
  • Notable Quote:
    "Thank you to all of our soldiers and airmen, thank you to the families, thank you to our employers. Without you, we couldn't do this." — Brigadier General Leland Blanchard [01:50]
• Uncertainties: Unclear if additional National Guard units from eight other states will also remain deployed.
• Data Dispute: The White House credits the deployment for a drop in crime, while D.C. officials assert violent crime had already been declining. [01:58–02:11]

3. Poland Responds to Russian Drone Incursions [02:11–02:50]

• Incident: Russian drones violated Polish airspace during a large assault on Ukraine’s territory.
• Polish Stance: Foreign Minister Wratislav Sikorsky condemned the actions as deliberate and provocative.
  • Notable Quote:
    "Poland has activated NATO's Article 4, which provides for joint consultations between NATO allies, quote, whenever in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened, end quote." — Wratislav Sikorsky [02:31]
• Historical Context: Sikorsky noted this was the 19th such incursion and insisted they are not accidental. [02:50]
• Response: NATO, Poland, and the EU express resolve to not be intimidated by Russia.

4. Evergreen, Colorado School Shooting [02:50–03:17]

• Event: A shooting at a high school in Evergreen, Colorado leaves at least two teenagers in critical condition.
• Perpetrator: The 18-year-old suspected shooter reportedly died from self-inflicted wounds.
• Geography: Evergreen is located about 30 miles west of Denver.

5. 24th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks [03:17–03:47]

• Remembrance: Brief note that 24 years have passed since the September 11, 2001 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 Americans at the World Trade Center and Pentagon, plus 40 more in Pennsylvania.

6. NASA Discovers “Leopard Spots” That Suggest Ancient Martian Life [03:47–04:25]

• Discovery: NASA’s Perseverance Rover found potential biosignatures in Martian rock, particularly mineral patterns known as "leopard spots."
• NASA Commentary: Nikki Fox, associate administrator at NASA's Science Mission Directorate, describes the significance of the find.
  • Notable Quote:
    "This finding by our Incredible Perseverance Rover is the closest we've actually come to discovering ancient life on Mars." — Nikki Fox [03:57]
  • Notable Quote:
    "It's kind of the equivalent of seeing leftover fossils, you know, leftovers from a meal, and maybe that meal's been excreted by a microbe, and that's what we're seeing in this sample." — Nikki Fox [04:13]
• Next Steps: NASA would like to analyze the samples on Earth, but currently lacks a plan and funding for retrieval.

7. Death of Actress Polly Holiday [04:33–04:48]

• Passing: Polly Holiday, aged 88, has died.
• Career: Best known as Flo on CBS sitcom "Alice" (mid-1970s–mid-1980s) with over three dozen TV and film credits across five decades.

8. Financial Update [04:48–04:54]

• Wall Street: U.S. futures are flat in premarket trading.

Notable Quotes by Segment

• President Trump (on Charlie Kirk’s assassination):
  "Radical left. Political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives. Tonight, I ask all Americans to commit themselves to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived and died." [00:58]
• Brigadier General Leland Blanchard (on National Guard deployment):
  "Thank you to all of our soldiers and airmen, thank you to the families, thank you to our employers. Without you, we couldn't do this." [01:50]
• Wratislav Sikorsky (on NATO Article 4):
  "Poland has activated NATO's Article 4, which provides for joint consultations between NATO allies... whenever in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened." [02:31]
• Nikki Fox (on Martian life evidence):
  "This finding by our Incredible Perseverance Rover is the closest we've actually come to discovering ancient life on Mars." [03:57] "It's kind of the equivalent of seeing leftover fossils, you know, leftovers from a meal, and maybe that meal's been excreted by a microbe, and that's what we're seeing in this sample." [04:13]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:21 – Charlie Kirk assassination and President Trump’s response
• 01:21 – D.C. National Guard deployment update
• 02:11 – Poland's response to Russian drones
• 02:50 – Colorado high school shooting
• 03:17 – 9/11 anniversary acknowledgment
• 03:47 – NASA’s Martian discovery
• 04:33 – Passing of Polly Holiday
• 04:48 – U.S. market overview

This concise news update delivers national and international headlines with urgent stories and developing situations, keeping listeners informed on politics, security, science, and culture.