NPR News Now: 09-24-2025 6PM EDT

Host: Ryland Barton
Date: September 24, 2025
Duration: 5 Minutes
Episode Theme:
A concise update on key national and global news stories, covering political violence in the U.S., international nuclear tensions, media and free speech developments, wildfire settlements, Forest Service staffing, and the latest in social media reach.

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. Political Violence & ICE Facility Shooting

Segment: 00:18-01:17

• Vice President J.D. Vance directly addressed rising political violence, focusing on the day's shooting at a Dallas ICE facility that left one detainee dead and two critically injured.
• Vance criticized Democratic Party leadership for allegedly encouraging political violence.
• He clarified his position on illegal immigration, stressing, “we don’t want them to be executed by violent assassins engaged in political violence.”
  • Quote:

    “Look, just because we don't support illegal aliens, we don't want them to be executed by violent assassins engaged in political violence.”
    — J.D. Vance (00:49)

• Vance rejected the idea that "both sides" equally contribute to political violence, calling on Democrats to “look in the mirror.”
  • Quote:

    “The issue of political violence is not a, quote, both sides problem and... Democrats need to, quote, look in the mirror.”
    — Deepa Shivaram, summarizing Vance (01:06)

2. Iran’s Nuclear Position at the UN

Segment: 01:17-02:16

• Iran’s President Massoud Pezeshkian declared Iran has “never sought and never will seek to build a nuclear weapon,” referencing an edict from religious leaders.
• The statement came as the E3 (Germany, France, UK) discussed reimposing sanctions over Iran’s alleged violations of the 2015 nuclear deal, with sanctions likely to resume “this weekend.”
• Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled out direct nuclear talks with the U.S., calling them “a dead end.”
  • Quote:

    “President Massoud Pezeshkian said an edict issued by the country's religious leaders prevents Tehran from seeking a nuclear weapon.”
    — Jackie Northam (01:32)

3. Jimmy Kimmel’s Return & Free Speech Debate

Segment: 02:16-03:03

• Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel resumed his ABC show after a brief removal related to remarks about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
• Media peers (Stephen Colbert, Jim Weimer) and podcaster Joe Rogan publicly supported Kimmel’s return and free speech rights.
  • Quote:

    “I'm glad Kimmel's back... He is a wonderful fella. To know him well is to admire him immensely, even if he takes the whole summer off.”
    — Stephen Colbert & Jim Weimer (02:33-02:36)

  • Quote:

    “He did not believe a government should be involved in dictating what comedians say.”
    — Netta Ulaby, paraphrasing Joe Rogan (02:42)

• Kimmel's monologue on YouTube quickly drew over 10 million views.

4. U.S. Stock Market Update

Segment: 03:03-03:09

• U.S. markets declined for a second day after setting record highs earlier in the week.
• S&P 500 dropped 0.3%.

5. Colorado Wildfire Settlement & Forest Service Staffing

Segment: 03:10-04:41

• Xcel Energy will pay an estimated $640 million to settle lawsuits over Colorado’s 2021 wildfire (the state’s most destructive), which destroyed nearly a thousand homes.
• Investigations tied the fire partially to a sparking Xcel-owned power line.
• The U.S. Forest Service in North Idaho faces staffing shortages due to firings and departures. Office employees have been retrained to handle fire information duties.
  • Quote:

    “This summer, we recruited lots of Forest Service employees into the fire information function, trying to train folks that have the interest into public information officer roles.”
    — Jim Weimer, Nez Perce Clearwater National Forests (04:00)

• Employees even delivered supplies to fires, often working overtime.

6. Instagram Surges to 3 Billion Monthly Users

Segment: 04:41-04:57

• Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Instagram surpassed 3 billion monthly active users, marking a 1 billion increase since October 2022.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• J.D. Vance:
  “Look, just because we don't support illegal aliens, we don't want them to be executed by violent assassins engaged in political violence.” (00:49)
• Deepa Shivaram, summarizing Vance:
  “It's not a, quote, both sides problem and that Democrats need to, quote, look in the mirror.” (01:06)
• Jackie Northam:
  “President Massoud Pezeshkian said an edict issued by the country's religious leaders prevents Tehran from seeking a nuclear weapon.” (01:32)
• Stephen Colbert & Jim Weimer:
  “I'm glad Kimmel's back… He is a wonderful fella. To know him well is to admire him immensely, even if he takes the whole summer off.” (02:33-02:36)
• Netta Ulaby, quoting/paraphrasing Joe Rogan:
  “He did not believe a government should be involved in dictating what comedians say.” (02:42)
• Jim Weimer:
  “This summer, we recruited lots of Forest Service employees into the fire information function, trying to train folks that have the interest into public information officer roles.” (04:00)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Political Violence & ICE Shooting: 00:18-01:17
• Iran & Nuclear Sanctions: 01:17-02:16
• Jimmy Kimmel & Free Speech: 02:16-03:03
• Markets Recap: 03:03-03:09
• Colorado Fire/Forest Service: 03:10-04:41
• Instagram 3B Users: 04:41-04:57

This news-packed episode efficiently covers breaking political, international, and cultural stories, giving listeners an essential snapshot of major headlines as of 6PM EDT on September 24, 2025.