NPR News Now: September 19, 2025, 11AM EDT

Main Theme:
A swift yet comprehensive update on key national and international developments: changes to childhood vaccine policy, South Korea–U.S. investment and immigration issues, the global health cost of climate change, U.S. government spending bills, crowd safety research from Spain, and new Social Security payment policies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. CDC Vaccine Panel Reverses Course on MMRV Immunizations

[00:18–01:13]

• Meeting Overview:
  Kristen Wright reports the CDC’s new vaccine advisory panel is meeting for the second day, addressing possible changes to childhood vaccine schedules.

  • After a revote, the panel reversed its prior decision and will now allow a federal program to pay for MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox) immunizations.

• Policy Update:
  The panel voted to stop recommending combined MMRV shots for children under 4.

  • Notable Insight:
    Ping Huang describes the meeting as “highly unusual,” with new members challenging established vaccine science and delving into older data to reassess risks.

    • Quote:
      “They’re challenging years of established vaccine science and they're digging deep into old data to try and find evidence of harms.” – Ping Huang [00:52]

  • Committee Dynamics:
    The new panel, in place since June after a mass firing, is reportedly clashing with the broader medical establishment.

  • Outstanding Business:
    Action on delaying the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose was tabled, with some members demanding more information.

2. South Korea–U.S. Visa Issues Linked to Major Investments

[01:13–02:19]

• Backdrop:
  South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun emphasized efforts to resolve skilled worker visa issues following a U.S. immigration raid detaining 300+ Korean workers at a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia.

• Implications:
  While visa resolution is not a stated precondition for delivering $350 billion in investment pledges, it is “a very important issue,” per Cho ([01:52]). U.S. officials have expressed regret over the raid, and President Trump reinforced the need for Korean workers to build and train in the U.S.

  • Notable Quote:
    “We will make our best effort to resolve the visa issue one way or another before actual investments begin.” – Cho Hyun [01:56]

3. Health Impacts and Economic Costs of Climate Change

[02:19–03:12]

• New Analysis:
  Alejandra Barunda summarizes a Nature journal study on the toll of climate-driven health problems.

  • Extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and weather events are causing thousands of premature deaths and increases in diseases like malaria and dengue.

  • The direct cost of climate-related deaths is pegged at at least $10 billion per year, with heat-related deaths alone potentially costing $30 billion annually.

  • Policy Context:
    Health costs are rarely foregrounded in climate negotiations. Researchers suggest that including these would clarify the “value of taking climate action.”

  • Memorable Line:
    “Extreme heat may have cost tens of thousands of lives this summer… Heat related deaths worldwide alone could cost $30 billion a year.” – Alejandra Barunda [02:33, 02:54]

4. U.S. Government Spending Bill Update

[03:12–04:00]

• Congressional Action:
  The House passed a short-term spending measure (217–212) to fund the government through November 21. Only one Democrat supported it.
  • The Senate faces votes on rival bills, but neither is expected to pass at present, and the timeline for considering the House’s version is unclear.

5. Crowd Safety Lessons from Spain’s Running of the Bulls

[04:00–04:45]

• Research in Pamplona:
  Ari Daniel reports on physicist Iker Thuriguel’s study of crowd behavior at San Fermin Festival.

  • By filming festival crowds, Thuriguel identified a recurring movement: each person traces a rough circle on the ground about the size of a car.

  • He’s now investigating “pressure waves” that could cause crowd crushes—a phenomenon not yet seen in Pamplona but fatal elsewhere.

  • Takeaway:
    Understanding these dynamics may inform crowd management strategies globally.

  • Quote:
    “If we understand why this happens… we will be able to apply some strategies in other places, thereby translating the jitters of a sangria soaked crowd into recommendations that may save people's lives.” – Ari Daniel (paraphrasing Thuriguel), [04:30–04:39]

6. IRS to Cease Social Security Paper Checks

[04:45–04:56]

• Policy Change:
  The IRS will stop mailing paper checks for Social Security benefits starting September 30, moving fully to electronic payments.

Notable Quotes

• “They’re challenging years of established vaccine science and they're digging deep into old data to try and find evidence of harms.”
  — Ping Huang, [00:52]
• “We will make our best effort to resolve the visa issue one way or another before actual investments begin.”
  — Cho Hyun (via Anthony Kuhn), [01:56]
• “Extreme heat may have cost tens of thousands of lives this summer… Heat related deaths worldwide alone could cost $30 billion a year.”
  — Alejandra Barunda, [02:33, 02:54]
• “If we understand why this happens… we will be able to apply some strategies in other places, thereby translating the jitters of a sangria soaked crowd into recommendations that may save people's lives.”
  — Ari Daniel (paraphrasing Iker Thuriguel), [04:30–04:39]

For Listeners

This 5-minute NPR News Now episode delivers concise, factual, and timely updates on science-driven policy, global economics, and public safety, drawing on diverse expert voices and international events.