NPR News: 09-25-2025 10AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now – September 25, 2025, 10AM EDT

Host: Korva Coleman
Duration: ~5 minutes
Theme: A concise roundup of major headlines, including developments on security incidents, legal updates on 9/11 defendants, economic shifts, drone activity in Denmark, environmental concerns in California, and encouraging findings in medical research.

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Main News Highlights

1. Dallas ICE Facility Attack

• Summary: Authorities are seeking the motive behind an attack on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas. The gunman killed one detainee, wounded two others, and then took his own life.
• Key Insight: FBI disclosed the shooter used ammunition casings with the words "anti ICE" written on them, linking the incident with other recent high-profile killings.
  • Quote:
    • "One of the casings that he was using had the words anti ice. So you're going to begin with that. And it's very similar to recent killings that we've seen both in Charlie Kirk and this UnitedHealth CEO killing in which these men are using these casings and writing on them."
      — Juliette Kahn, Former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security [00:41]
• Context: Juliette Kahn emphasized patterns in such violent acts and referenced previous cases.

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2. 9/11 Defendants Seek Plea Deal Reinstatement

• Summary: Three men accused in the September 11, 2001 attacks, including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, are appealing to reinstate plea deals that would avoid the death penalty.
• Key Points:
  • The plea deals were previously canceled by the U.S. government.
  • Defendants want the full D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to hear their case; further appeals to the Supreme Court remain an option.
  • Prosecutors support plea deals as the best resolution, noting the case still hasn’t gone to trial nearly 24 years after the attacks.
  • Quote:
    • "They want the full D.C. circuit Court of Appeals to hear their case. If it takes the case but doesn't rule in their favor, they can still appeal to the Supreme Court."
      — Sacha Pfeiffer, NPR Correspondent [01:21]

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3. Starbucks Announces Store Closures and Layoffs

• Summary: Starbucks will close hundreds of stores and lay off almost 1,000 workers in North America to address ongoing poor sales.
• Statistics:
  • Affected stores represent about 1% of Starbucks' total store count.
  • This is part of broader efforts to reverse more than a year of declining sales.

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4. Economic Update: Housing and Broader Economy

• Home Sales:
  • Sales of existing homes fell 0.2% in August, continuing a prolonged downturn.
  • The number of homes on the market decreased, but the average sale price rose to over $422,000.
  • Stock Market Impact: The Dow fell about 180 points in early trading; later, the drop was noted at 130 points.
    [02:32 & 03:13]
• GDP and Trade:
  • U.S. GDP for April–June was revised up to 3.8% annual growth, mainly from stronger consumer spending.
  • The national trade deficit narrowed in August as higher tariffs started to bite.
    • Quote:
      • "Revised figures from the Commerce Department show the US economy grew faster during the spring than had been reported... The upward revision primarily reflects stronger consumer spending."
        — Scott Horsley, NPR Correspondent [02:32]

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5. Denmark Faces Second Airport Drone Disruption

• Summary: For the second time in a week, a drone swarm forced Danish authorities to close an airport. Officials suspect a professional group and are considering a NATO consultation.
• Implications: The repeated nature of the incidents signals a serious aviation and national security concern.

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6. Olympia Oyster Decline in California

• Summary: Coastal development and overharvesting have severely depleted Olympia oyster populations, historically vital to Native Americans and Gold Rush-era settlers.
• Restoration Efforts:
  • Community members and the nonprofit Coastkeeper are using restaurant shell strings to facilitate oyster recovery by transferring baby oysters (spat) to local wetlands.
  • Quote:
    • "Yeah, I don't see any oysters yet."
      — Craig Schopner, Local Volunteer [04:02]
  • Quote:
    • "The goal is to rebuild the once abundant oyster beds along the coast to improve water quality and help prevent erosion in the face of rising sea..."
      — Jill Replogle, NPR Correspondent [04:05]

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7. Huntington’s Disease Breakthrough in London

• Summary: Doctors in London report that a new treatment has significantly slowed the progression of Huntington’s disease—the first successful intervention of its kind.
  • The treatment involves extensive brain surgery, lasting up to 18 hours.
  • Results are described as “spectacular,” promising hope in managing this genetic condition.
  • Quote:
    • "The treatment involved up to 18 hours of brain surgery, but the doctors say the results are spectacular and that these demonstrate a successful treatment for the disease for the first time."
      — Korva Coleman [04:32]

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Juliette Kahn [00:41]: Linking ammunition casings in attacks:
  "...very similar to recent killings that we've seen... in which these men are using these casings and writing on them."

• Sacha Pfeiffer [01:21]: On legal maneuvering for 9/11 defendants:
  "They want the full D.C. circuit Court of Appeals to hear their case..."

• Scott Horsley [02:32]: GDP revision and trade gap:
  "Revised figures... shows the US economy grew faster... primarily reflects stronger consumer spending."

• Craig Schopner and Jill Replogle [04:02, 04:05]: Citizen science in action and environmental stewardship.

• Korva Coleman [04:32]: Medical breakthrough in Huntington's disease described as "spectacular."

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Dallas ICE Facility Attack: 00:16–01:01
• 9/11 Defendants’ Plea Deals: 01:01–02:00
• Starbucks Closures & Economic Update: 02:00–03:13
• Danish Drone Incidents & Oyster Restoration: 03:13–04:32
• Huntington’s Disease Breakthrough: 04:32–04:58

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This NPR News Now episode provides concise, factual reports across law enforcement, legal proceedings, business, economics, global security, environmental science, and medicine—summed up in just five minutes, for busy listeners staying engaged with top developments.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

O.Com live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. Authorities are looking for the motive in yesterday's attack on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas, which one detainee was killed, two others wounded. Officials say the gunman took his own life. Former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Juliette Kahn says officials have disclosed evidence linked to the shooter that seems similar to other killings.

[Juliette Kahn]

The most important thing is at least what's been disclosed by the FBI director is that one of the casings that he was using had the words anti ice. So you're going to begin with that. And it's very similar to recent killings that we've seen both in Charlie KIRK and this UnitedHealth CEO killing in which these men are using these casings and writing on them.

[Korva Coleman]

She spoke to NPR's Morning Edition. Three men implicated in the September 11, 2001 attacks have asked a federal court to reinstate their plea deals. These were reached with the U.S. government last year but later canceled. NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer reports. One of the men includes the alleged mastermind of the attack.

[Sacha Pfeiffer]

Wednesday was the deadline for three of the 911 defendants to appeal the rejection of their plea deals, and all three of them did appeal in, including the alleged ringleader, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. They want the full D.C. circuit Court of Appeals to hear their case. If it takes the case but doesn't rule in their favor, they can still appeal to the Supreme Court. The plea deals, if allowed, would let them plead guilty and spend life in prison rather than face the death penalty. Prosecutors have said plea deals would be the best resolution since the case has still not gone to trial nearly a quarter century after the attacks. Sacha Pfeiffer, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

Coffee retailer Starbucks says it will close hundreds of stores in North America and lay off nearly 1,000 workers. It's an effort to reverse the company's poor sales over more than a year despite the numerous store closures. Starbucks says these are only about 1% of its store count. Stocks opened lower this morning as the national association of Realtors reported a modest drop in home sales last month. NPR's Scott Horsley reports. The Dow Jones industrial average fell about 180 points in early trading.

[Scott Horsley]

Sales of existing homes fell by 0.2% in August, extending a months long slump. The number of homes on the market was also down, but the average selling price inched up to more than $422,000. Revised figures from the Commerce Department show the US economy grew faster during the spring than had been reported. GDP grew at an annual pace of 3.8% in April, May and June, up from an earlier estimate of 3. The upward revision primarily reflects stronger consumer spending. The nation's trade deficit narrowed in August as higher tariffs took effect. The trade gap had widened the previous month as importers raced to beat those higher taxes. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

[Korva Coleman]

On Wall street, the Dow is now down 130 points. This is NPR. Another swarm of drones in Denmark last night forced Danish officials to close an airport. That's the second time this week this has happened. Danish officials say a professional act is responsible, and they may officially consult NATO. Researchers say harvesting and coastal development along the California coast have nearly depleted the Olympia oyster population. The oysters were once an important food source for Native Americans and gold rushers. Jill Replica reports from Huntington Beach.

[Jill Replogle]

Every two weeks, Craig Schopner pulls up strings of discarded oyster shells from restaurants hanging off of his dock in Huntington Harbor. He checks to see whether any baby oysters have latched on.

[Craig Schopner]

Yeah, I don't see any oysters yet.

[Jill Replogle]

Schopner and some 80 of his neighbors around the harbor have been caring for these shell strings since the spring. The nonprofit organization Coastkeeper will soon collect them and transfer any baby oysters, called spat, to a nearby wetlands area. The goal is to rebuild the once abundant oyster beds along the coast to improve water quality and help prevent erosion in the face of rising se. For NPR News, I'm Jill Replogle in Huntington Beach.

[Korva Coleman]

Doctors in London say a new treatment for the genetic disease known as Huntington's has helped slow it by a significant amount. The disease kills brain cells and causes involuntary movements in the body. The treatment involved up to 18 hours of brain surgery, but the doctors say the results are spectacular and that these demonstrate a successful treatment for the disease for the first time. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.

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