NPR News Now – September 19, 2025, 4PM EDT

Hosted by Lakshmi Singh

Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now episode delivered quick updates on major national and international stories, including the CDC vaccine panel’s close vote, ongoing political gridlock over government funding, developments in U.S.-China relations regarding TikTok, Ukraine’s emerging defense exports, the dismissal of Trump’s defamation lawsuit, the death of Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James, and dangerous weather in Southern California.

Key Stories and Discussion Points

CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel’s Surprising Decision

• COVID Vaccine Prescription Requirement Fails
  • A CDC advisory panel considered, but narrowly failed to require prescriptions for COVID vaccines.
• No Change to Infant Hepatitis B Guidance
  • The panel also opted to maintain its longstanding recommendation: infants should get their first hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. The vaccine policy has been controversial, drawing criticism especially from anti-vaccine groups and officials including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
• Unexpected Motion by Dr. Robert Malone
  • One of Kennedy’s appointees, Dr. Robert Malone, moved to postpone an immediate vote on the issue indefinitely.
    • Notable Quote: “I believe that there’s enough ambiguity here that I believe that a vote today is premature.”
      — Dr. Robert Malone ([01:12])
• Panel Decision
  • The committee voted 11-1 to table the hepatitis B recommendation, with Chair Martin Koldorff being the only dissenter.

U.S. Government Funding Crisis and Legislative Gridlock

• Short-Term Funding Bill Falters
  • A Republican proposal to temporarily fund government agencies for seven weeks, despite House passage, stalled in the Senate amid broad Democratic opposition.
• President Trump’s Update on TikTok Deal
  • On social media, President Trump stated he and China’s President Xi Jinping made progress on TikTok negotiations during a phone call. They agreed to meet in person at the APEC summit in South Korea next month, and Trump plans to visit China next year.
    • TikTok remains under threat of a U.S. ban over data privacy concerns regarding its parent company, ByteDance.

Ukraine’s Defense Exports to Fund Their War Effort

• President Zelensky’s Announcement
  • Ukraine is launching export channels to sell domestically produced weapons, including sea drones and anti-tank weaponry, to allies.
  • Zelensky outlined three initial export channels: the U.S., European countries, and additional partners.
    • Summary by Joanna Kakissis: “He said Ukraine already has a surplus of some modern weapons… and the capacity to produce even more… These weapons include sea drones, which have helped Ukraine drive out part of Russia's Black Sea fleet, and also anti-tank weapons.” ([02:31])

Federal Judge Dismisses Trump’s Defamation Suit against NYT

• Ruling in Florida
  • Judge rejected Trump’s $15 billion defamation claim against the New York Times, critiquing the lengthy complaint for being “full of tedious and burdensome language.”
    • Judge’s Order: Trump’s lawyers have 28 days to refile, limited to 40 pages.

Tragic Death of Songwriter Brett James

• Plane Crash Claims Noted Musician
  • Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James, 57, died in a North Carolina plane crash.
  • Noted work with artists such as Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, and pop icons like Taylor Swift and the Backstreet Boys.
    • Notable Quote: “James won a Grammy Award in 2007 as part of the team that penned ‘Jesus Take the Wheel.’”
      — Isabella Gomez Sarmiento ([03:56])
    • James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.

Mudslides in Southern California Trap Motorists

• Severe Weather Fallout
  • Overnight mudslides and debris flows stranded at least six vehicles for ten hours on narrow, winding mountain roads. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dr. Robert Malone expresses caution:
  “I believe that there’s enough ambiguity here that I believe that a vote today is premature.”
  ([01:12])

• Joanna Kakissis on Ukraine’s new defense industry:
  “He said Ukraine already has a surplus of some modern weapons and the capacity to produce even more... These weapons include sea drones, which have helped Ukraine drive out part of Russia’s Black Sea fleet and also anti-tank weapons.”
  ([02:31])

• On Brett James’s legacy:
  “James won a Grammy Award in 2007 as part of the team that penned ‘Jesus Take the Wheel.’ He also wrote songs for pop artists like Jessica Simpson, the Backstreet Boys and Taylor Swift.”
  ([03:56])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• CDC Vaccine Panel Decisions: 00:18 – 01:32
• Congressional Funding, TikTok, and Ukraine News: 01:32 – 03:12
• Trump Lawsuit and Brett James Tribute: 03:12 – 04:27
• California Mudslides: 04:38 – 04:57

Summary prepared for listeners seeking a concise, meaningful update on major stories as covered by NPR News Now.