NPR News Now: September 26, 2025, 11PM EDT

Host: Dale Willman
Duration: ~5 minutes
Purpose: Fast, concise briefing on top national news stories

Main Theme

This episode delivers a rapid rundown of major U.S. news events: new legal actions involving former President Trump and James Comey, tightening of commercial driver’s license requirements, the return of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to affiliate stations, a notable college football result, Fat Bear Week in Alaska, calls to close national parks during a potential government shutdown, and the death of activist Assata Shakur.

Key Stories and Insights

1. Indictment of James Comey (00:11–01:14)

• Event: Former FBI Director James Comey indicted on two counts related to allegedly lying to Congress.
  • The move follows President Trump's appointment of a new federal prosecutor.
  • Trump says he expects more prosecutions of his political adversaries.
• Quote – Donald Trump:

  “It’s about justice, really. It’s not revenge. It’s about justice... They are sick, radical left people and they can’t get away with it. And Comey, Comey was one of the people. He wasn’t the biggest, but he’s a dirty cop.” (00:48)

• Comey’s Response: Maintains innocence and “looks forward to proving it at trial.”

2. Stricter Commercial Driver’s License Rules for Non-Citizens (01:14–02:06)

• Event: The U.S. Department of Transportation is imposing tighter requirements for non-citizens to obtain commercial driver’s licenses.
  • Driven by fatal crashes involving non-citizen truck drivers in Florida, Texas, and Alabama.
  • Only specific visa classes will remain eligible; most immigrants excluded.
  • Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, threatens to pull $160M in federal funding from California over compliance.
• Response from California:
  • Governor Gavin Newsom’s spokesperson notes California’s commercial driver fatal crash rate is “almost 40% below the national average.”

3. “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Returns to Sinclair and Nexstar Stations (02:06–03:00)

• Event: Sinclair and Nexstar, major ABC affiliates, reinstate “Jimmy Kimmel Live” after initial suspension post-controversial remarks by Kimmel.
  • Suspension followed comments about the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination and public FCC pressure for Disney (ABC’s parent) to act.
  • The FCC Chair had openly pressured Disney to punish Kimmel.
  • ABC restored Kimmel’s show amid “enormous public blowback.”
• Reason for Affiliates’ Change:
  • Sinclair cites “feedback from viewers, advertisers and community leaders."
  • Nexstar points to “discussions with Disney.”
• Quote – Chloe Veltman (NPR):

  “Disney experienced enormous public blowback for caving in to the FCC’s threats.” (02:57)

4. University of Virginia Upsets Florida State in College Football (03:00–03:10)

• Highlight: Virginia beats #8 Florida State in overtime, 46–38.

5. Alaska’s Fat Bear Week Returns (03:10–04:13)

• Event: Annual "Fat Bear Week" contest for the largest bear at Katmai National Park continues.
  • Bracket down from 12 bears; standout contenders: #32 “Chunk” (last year’s runner-up, over 1,200 lbs) and #128 “Grazer” (two-time champion, aiming for a three-peat).
  • Voting is closed for the weekend, resumes Monday, ends Tuesday.
• Quote – Jessica Franzen (teacher, AK):

  “A lot of them were Grazer, a lot of them were Chunk. But to be fair, those are two really excellent choices... Chunk is massive. And Grazer kicks everybody’s butt. So they love her for that. So it's hard to compete with those two.” (03:50)

6. Former National Park Chiefs Urge Closures During Potential Shutdown (04:13–04:33)

• Event: Former park superintendents urge closure of all U.S. national parks in the event of a government shutdown.
  • Their open letter warns that past shutdowns led to vandalism and destruction of wildlife habitat.
  • Parks already strained by staff and budget cuts.

7. Death of Assata Shakur (04:33–04:54)

• Event: Black liberation activist Assata Shakur, who escaped a U.S. prison in 1979 and lived in Cuba, has died at an advanced age due to health complications, per Cuban sources.

Notable Quotes

• Donald Trump (00:48):
  “It’s about justice, really. It’s not revenge. It’s about justice. It’s also about the fact that you can’t let this go on. They are sick, radical left people and they can’t get away with it. And Comey... he’s a dirty cop.”

• Jessica Franzen (03:50):
  “A lot of them were Grazer, a lot of them were Chunk. But... Chunk is massive. And Grazer kicks everybody’s butt. So they love her for that.”

• Chloe Veltman (02:57):
  “Disney experienced enormous public blowback for caving in to the FCC’s threats.”

Timestamps – Important Segments

• Trump on Comey Indictment: 00:11–01:14
• Transport Dept. rules for non-citizen drivers: 01:14–02:06
• Jimmy Kimmel Live affiliate drama: 02:06–03:00
• Virginia upsets Florida State: 03:00–03:10
• Alaska Fat Bear Week: 03:28–04:13
• Parks and government shutdown warning: 04:13–04:33
• Death of Assata Shakur: 04:33–04:54

This episode delivers a brisk, informative snapshot of the most pressing national stories as of late September 2025, blending political drama, regulatory change, pop culture, wildlife fun, and somber historical news—all in NPR’s signature straight-news voice.