NPR News: 09-21-2025 3AM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now – September 21, 2025, 3AM EDT

Host: Dale Willman
Duration: 5 minutes

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Overview

This NPR News Now episode, anchored by Dale Willman, offers a concise yet thorough update on key events overnight. Coverage spans a New Hampshire shooting, California's new law responding to immigration raids, the deportation of a journalist in Georgia, updates on H1B visa policy, attacks on environmental activists in Latin America, federal threats to transit funding in Boston and Chicago, and notable college football results.

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Key News Highlights & Insights

New Hampshire Country Club Shooting

• [00:11] Dale Willman reports that a gunman opened fire at a New Hampshire country club, resulting in one death and multiple injuries.
  • Witnesses described the scene as "chaotic" and noted the suspect seemed to be targeting an individual.
  • Police have taken the suspect into custody but have not identified a motive.

California Restricts Law Enforcement Masking

• [00:33] California Governor Gavin Newsom signs a bill barring local and federal law enforcement from wearing face coverings during official business, effective January 1st.

  • The law is a direct response to recent high-profile immigration raids in Los Angeles.

  • Newsom's action is pointed at federal actions initiated by President Trump.

  • [00:54] Unidentified commentator elaborates:

    • Quote: “He sent the United States Marines, active duty Marines, to the city of Los Angeles. He federalized 4,000 of our National Guard.”

  • Exemptions: Undercover officers, medical masks, and tactical gear are excluded.

Journalist Ordered Deported in Georgia

• [01:23] Emily Wu Pearson (WABE/Atlanta) covers the story of Mario Guevara, a Spanish-language journalist from El Salvador:
  • Arrested in June during an anti-Trump protest, charges were later dropped.
  • Guevara continues to be detained by ICE, although an immigration judge granted bond.
  • The federal government appealed; on Friday, the Board of Appeals ordered deportation.
    • Quote: "The ACLU says his life is in danger if he's deported to El Salvador and is calling for Guevara to be released from detention." (Emily Wu Pearson, [01:48])
  • Guevara’s lawyers argue he is authorized to work in the US.

H1B Visa Fee Update

• [01:56] Willman explains that the White House's new $100,000 fee for H1B visas applies only to new applicants, calming concerns among skilled tech workers and companies.
  • The H1B is critical for hard-to-fill tech positions in the US.

Violence Against Environmental Activists

• [02:27] Jeff Brady (NPR) summarizes the latest Global Witness report:
  • At least 2,253 environmental activists were killed or disappeared globally since 2012.
  • In 2024, Colombia tops the list with 48 killings/disappearances; others are Guatemala, Mexico, and Brazil.
  • Indigenous activists are disproportionately affected.
  • Quote: "Deaths and disappearances in some countries with authoritarian leaders, such as China, may be under reported." (Jeff Brady, [02:39])
  • While numbers are slightly down from 2023, the criminalization of activism is rising, including in the US, UK, and Australia.

Federal Pressure on Boston and Chicago Transit

• [03:10] The Trump administration threatens to withhold federal funds from Boston’s MBTA and Chicago’s CTA over crime and safety concerns.
  • [03:31] Jeremy Siegel (GBS) details Secretary Sean Duffy’s letters requesting crime reduction plans:
    • Quote: "Take actions that enhance safety and reduce crime or risk a loss of federal support."
  • [03:52] Jim Alawisi, former Massachusetts Transit chief, calls the threat hollow:
    • Quote: “The day to day operations of the T or CTA are not funded at all by the federal government, so the threat of pulling that money is nonexistent because it doesn't exist.” (Jim Alawisi, [03:52])
  • The move is part of a federal push to exert control over major transit systems.

College Football Highlights

• [04:19] Major results from Saturday’s games:
  • LSU (No. 3): Defeated Southeastern Louisiana, 56–10.
  • Miami (No. 4): Overcame Florida, 267–7, after a slow start.
  • Michigan (No. 21): Beated Nebraska, 30–27.
  • William & Mary: Tyler Hughes had a standout game, 296 yards/4 TDs, in a 27–7 victory over Charleston Southern.
  • Oklahoma (No. 11): Beat Auburn (No. 22), 24–17.
  • USC (No. 25): Beat Michigan State, 45–31.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On military presence in LA immigration raids:

  • “He sent the United States Marines, active duty Marines, to the city of Los Angeles. He federalized 4,000 of our National Guard.”
    (Unidentified commentator, [00:54])

• On the deportation of Mario Guevara:

  • "The ACLU says his life is in danger if he's deported to El Salvador and is calling for Guevara to be released from detention."
    (Emily Wu Pearson, [01:48])

• On reporting violence against environmentalists:

  • “Deaths and disappearances in some countries with authoritarian leaders, such as China, may be under reported."
    (Jeff Brady, [02:39])

• On federal transit funding threat:

  • “The day to day operations of the T or CTA are not funded at all by the federal government, so the threat of pulling that money is nonexistent because it doesn't exist.”
    (Jim Alawisi, [03:52])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• New Hampshire shooting: [00:11]
• California law on face coverings: [00:33]
• LA military raids/Trump: [00:54]
• Journalist Mario Guevara’s case: [01:23] (Quote at [01:48])
• H1B visa policy update: [01:56]
• Environmentalist killings (Global Witness): [02:27] (Quote at [02:39])
• Federal transit threat, Boston/Chicago: [03:10] (Siegel at [03:31], Alawisi at [03:52])
• College football scores: [04:19]

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This fast-paced segment delivers clear, matter-of-fact reporting on major political, legal, immigration, environmental, and sports developments from around the US and globe, true to NPR’s objective news style.

Transcript

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[Dale Willman]

[e-mail] Live from NPR News in Washington, D.C. i'm Dale Willman. A gunman opened fire at a New Hampshire country club on Saturday. Police say one person was killed and several others were wounded. The suspect has been taken into custody. A witness said it was chaotic when the shooting began. He also said the suspect appeared to be targeting someone. Police say they have no motive yet for the shooting. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill Saturday that will prevent local and federal law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings when conducting official business. The measure takes effect on January 1st. Newsom says the law is in direct response to immigration raids in Los Angeles earlier this year that were pushed by President Trump.

[Unidentified Commentator]

He sent the United States Marines, active duty Marines, to the city of Los angeles. He federalized 4,000 of our national Guard.

[Dale Willman]

The bill offers exemptions for undercover agents, medical masks and tactical gear. A Georgia based journalist arrested while covering an anti Trump protest in June has been ordered to be deported. From member station WABE in Atlanta, Emily Wu Pearson reports.

[Emily Wu Pearson]

Mario Guevara, a Spanish language journalist from El Salvador, has been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention since his arrest this summer, even though charges were dropped. And his attorneys say he's authorized to work in the U.S. an immigration judge said Guevara could be released on bond, but the federal government appealed. Homeland Security officials say he's in the US Illegally. On Friday, the Immigration Board of Appeals ruled Guevara should be deported. The ACLU says his life is in danger if he's deported to El Salvador and is calling for Guevara to be released from detention. For NPR News, I'm Emily Wu Pearson in Atlanta.

[Dale Willman]

The White House says the new $100,000 fee on the H1B visa will only apply to new applicants. President Trump announced the new fee on Friday. The visa is used primarily by skilled tech workers who were worried they, too, would be required to pay the fee. The visa is used by tech companies to fill jobs that are hard to fill. Colombia has had the most environmental activists killed or disappeared for the third year in a row. And and as NPR's Jeff Brady reports, the group Global Witness says Latin America remains the deadliest region for such attacks.

[Jeff Brady]

Global Witness has documented deaths and disappearances of environmental activists globally since 2012. Over a dozen years, it says at least 2,253 activists were killed or disappeared in 2024. Colombia was first with 48 people, followed by Guatemala, Mexico and Brazil. Indigenous people make up a disproportionately large share of the victims. Deaths and disappearances in some countries with authoritarian leaders, such as China, may be under reported. Report authors say the number of killings and disappearances last year was lower than in 2023, but Global Witness has documented a growth in criminalizing activism in some countries, including the U.S. united Kingdom and Australia. Jeff Brady, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

And you're listening to NPR News. The the Trump administration is threatening to withhold federal funding from transit agencies in both Boston and Chicago over concerns about crime and safety. Jeremy Siegel of member station GBS reports that the warning came in a pair of letters sent by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

[Jeremy Siegel]

In his letters to the heads of Chicago's CTA and the MBTA in Boston, Duffy urged both agencies to, quote, take actions that enhance safety and reduce crime or risk a loss of federal support. Jim Alawisi is the former head of Massachusetts State Transportation Department. He says it's a mostly empty threat.

[Jim Alawisi]

The day to day operations of the T or CTA are not funded at all by the federal government, so the threat of pulling that money is nonexistent because it doesn't exist.

[Jeremy Siegel]

Still, Duffy is asking both agencies to turn over documents related to plans to reduce crime. The move comes amid a broader federal effort to exert more control over transit hubs around the country. For NPR News, I'm Jeremy Siegel in Boston.

[Dale Willman]

In College football, number three, LSU, easily beat Southeastern Louisiana Saturday, 56 10. Number four, Miami, struggled early but pulled away for a 267 win over Florida. Number 21, Michigan, meanwhile, slipped past unranked Nebraska 30 to 27. And Tyler Hughes threw for a career high 296 yards and four touchdowns as William and Mary beat Charleston Southern by a score of 27 7. Number 11, Oklahoma, beat number 22, Auburn, 24 to 17 and 25. USC beat Michigan State 45 to 31. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.

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