NPR News: 09-12-2025 11PM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now – 09-12-2025 11PM EDT

Host: Dale Willman
Date: September 13, 2025
Duration: 5 minutes

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Episode Overview

This fast-paced update covers top national and international news stories, focusing on:

• The arrest in the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk
• Missouri’s contentious new congressional map
• Proposed EPA rollbacks on climate reporting
• The WHO’s response to an Ebola outbreak in Congo
• A drastic decline in insects even in pristine US habitats
• Aaron Judge’s milestone home run

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Key News Segments & Highlights

1. Arrest in the Shooting of Charlie Kirk

[00:20–01:17]

• Anchor Dale Willman shares the arrest of a 22-year-old suspect (Tyler Robinson) connected to the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus.
• Reporter Steve Futterman covers public statements from Utah Governor Spencer Cox.
  • Spencer Cox (Governor):

    “This is our moment. Do we escalate or do we find an off ramp?” (00:42)

    • Emphasizes a choice between further division and national unity.

    “It's a choice. It's a choice and every one of us gets to make that choice.” (01:05)

• Motive not officially released; however, a family member indicated the suspect had become politicized recently and disagreed with Kirk’s views, calling them “hateful.”
• Formal charges expected the following week.

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2. Missouri Redistricting and Political Fallout

[01:17–02:16]

• Jason Rosenbaum (St. Louis Public Radio):
  • Missouri Republicans pass a congressional map aiming to unseat Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver by making his district GOP-leaning—aligned with broader efforts promoted by former President Trump.
  • Immediate grassroots pushback; activists seek to force a referendum by petition.
• Missouri Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck:

  “I am already going to start cutting up old campaign signs to put petitions on there and start going out and collect.” (01:56)

• Governor Mike Kehoe likely to sign the map, but it must survive the petition challenge to take effect.

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3. EPA’s Proposed Rollback on Emissions Reporting

[02:16–03:12]

• Reporter Jeff Brady:
  • Trump administration looks to end mandatory greenhouse gas reporting for major polluting industries—including suspending requirements for oil and gas facilities.
  • EPA’s justification: Cost savings for companies—$2.4 billion over 10 years.
  • Environmentalists, like David Doniger (Natural Resources Defense Council), call the move illegal and anticipate court challenges.
  • Emphasis on links between human-caused emissions and worsening climate events.

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4. Ebola Outbreak & WHO Response

[03:12–03:53]

• WHO is responding to an Ebola outbreak in southern Congo, dispatching vaccine doses (400 sent, 1,005 on the way from Kinshasa).
• Funding shortages are limiting the scope of campaign.

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5. Alarming Insect Population Decline

[03:53–04:39]

• Reporter Alana Weiss:
  • Keith Sockman (UNC Chapel Hill) finds a 72% drop in flying insect density over 15 summers in Colorado’s untouched mountain meadows.
  • While agriculture had previously been blamed for insect decline, pristine study sites suggest climate change and increased temperature are likely culprits.
  • Ecological importance: Insects pollinate, control pests, and recycle nutrients.
  • Proposed solutions: Plant trees and flowers, avoid insecticides.

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6. Sports Highlight: Aaron Judge’s Milestone

[04:39–05:00]

• Anchor Dale Willman:
  • New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge hits his 362nd home run, surpassing Joe DiMaggio for fourth-most in franchise history.
  • Home run hit during a game against the Boston Red Sox.

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Notable Quotes

• Spencer Cox (Utah Governor):

  “This is our moment. Do we escalate or do we find an off ramp?” (00:42)
  “It's a choice. It's a choice and every one of us gets to make that choice.” (01:05)

• Doug Beck (MO Senate Minority Leader):

  “I am already going to start cutting up old campaign signs to put petitions on there and start going out and collect.” (01:56)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Charlie Kirk Shooting Arrest: 00:20–01:17
• Missouri Redistricting Map: 01:17–02:16
• EPA Emissions Rollback: 02:16–03:12
• Ebola Outbreak Response: 03:12–03:53
• Insect Population Decline: 03:53–04:39
• Aaron Judge Home Run Record: 04:39–05:00

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This concise news roundup maintains NPR’s objective, informative tone and covers significant political, environmental, and sports developments from the day.

Transcript

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[Dale Willman]

Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Authorities say the search for the gunman who killed a conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, is over. But the 22 year old man was arrested today in connection with Wednesday's shooting on a Utah college campus.

[Steve Futterman]

As Steve Futterman reports, as he announced that authorities had arrested the suspect, Utah Governor Spencer Cox made a call for national unity.

[Spencer Cox]

This is our moment. Do we escalate or do we find an off ramp?

[Steve Futterman]

Although authorities have not shared a motive, Cox said a family member told investigators that Tyler Robinson had become more interested in politics in recent years and had criticized Charlie Kirk's views, which he said were hateful. The Utah governor said political differences should not lead to violence.

[Spencer Cox]

It's a choice. It's a choice and every one of us gets to make that choice.

[Steve Futterman]

Formal charges are expected next week when Robinson is due in court. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Orem, Utah.

[Dale Willman]

Missouri Republicans have passed a new congressional map that seeks to remove Democratic Congressman Emanuel cleaver. But as St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum reports, Missouri voters may have the final say over whether the map goes into effect.

[Jason Rosenbaum]

The new map would transform Cleaver's Kansas City based district into a GOP leaning seat. President Trump has been pressuring Republican led states to pass new maps before the 2026 election cycle. But Missouri redistricting opponents immediately launched an effort to put the map to voters. Missouri Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck says he thinks the map may be unpopular enough for Missourians to vote it down.

[Doug Beck]

I am already going to start cutting up old campaign signs to put petitions on there and start going out and collect.

[Jason Rosenbaum]

While Governor Mike Kehoe is expected to sign the map, it can't go into effect if redistricting foes turn in enough signatures to force a vote. For NPR News, I'm Jason Rosenbaum in Jefferson City.

[Dale Willman]

The Trump administration wants to end a requirement for some of the largest climate polluting industries to report their greenhouse gas emissions. As NPR's Jeff Brady reports, environmental groups say the proposal violates the law.

[Jeff Brady]

The Environmental Protection Agency's greenhouse gas reporting program requires companies that emit the most climate pollution to detail those emissions publicly. The companies include power plants and steel mills. The EPA also plans to suspend reporting for oil and gas facilities. The agency says this will save companies up to $2.4 billion in compliance costs over 10 years. Greenhouse gases from humans burning fossil fuels are heating the climate and causing more extreme weather, wildfires and flooding. David Doniger with the Natural Resources Defense Council says the proposal is illegal, which means the final regulation would almost certainly be challenged in court. Jeff Brady, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

Wall street closed the week with stocks mixed. Today, the dow was down 273points. This is NPR News. The World Health Organization is responding to an Ebola outbreak in southern Congo by trying to send vaccines into the region. Officials say they've already delivered 400 doses of the vaccine, and they're sending another 1,005 doses from the capital of Kinshasa. WHO officials, though, say a lack of money is limiting its response. Even in areas relatively undisturbed by human activity, insect populations are on the decline. That's according to new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And scientists say climate change is likely a factor. NPR's Alana Weiss reports.

[Alana Weiss]

In a remote meadow in the Colorado mountains, researcher Keith Sockman has calculated the density of flying insects over a period of 15 summers. During that time, he found that insect populations dropped by more than 72%. Scientists had attributed previous bug declines to things like boosts in agricultural productivity. But in the pristine Colorado mountain meadows, there wasn't a huge human footprint and the bugs were still dying off. That led him to the conclusion that hotter summer temperatures were the likely culprit. Many insects are vital to human survival. They're pollinators. They prey on the pest insects and they recycle nutrients in soil. Experts recommend planting trees and flowers and not using insecticides. Elana Wise, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 362nd home run today. That homer breaks his tie with hall of famer Joe DiMaggio and puts him in fourth place on the franchise's career home run list. The hit came during a game between the Yankees and the Red Sox in Boston. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.

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