NPR News Now – September 27, 2025, 11PM EDT

Main Theme:
This five-minute episode delivers concise updates on significant national and international news, including domestic protests and federal actions, key developments in U.S.-Colombia relations, a milestone anniversary for railways, cultural honors, and college football highlights.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Federal Troops Deployed to Portland, Oregon

[00:20 – 01:16]

• President Trump announces a deployment of federal troops to protect ICE facilities in Portland, describing protesters as “domestic terrorists.”

• Protests at the Portland ICE facility have decreased since June, but renewed government presence has stirred concern.

• Circulating videos online show federal vehicles in the city.

• Portland Mayor Keith Wilson urges demonstrators to maintain peace, dismissing the troop presence as "a big show."

  “We have no tolerance for anyone in Portland who uses this difficult moment to hurt others or our home.”
  – Mayor Keith Wilson ([00:56])

• Details about troop numbers and involved agencies remain unclear; a protest is planned for Sunday near the ICE facility.

2. FBI Agents Fired Over 2020 Protest Actions

[01:16 – 02:08]

• Over a dozen FBI agents fired, including agents photographed kneeling during a 2020 racial justice protest post-George Floyd’s killing.

• FBI Agents Association claims the firings lack due process.

• 2020 DOJ review notes agents felt untrained and unequipped for civil unrest situations. No initial discipline was recommended by then-Director Chris Wray.

  "The FBI Agents Association condemns the firings and what they call a lack of due process."
  – Hua Jingnan ([02:00])

3. Deterioration in US-Colombia Relations

[02:08 – 03:14]

• US State Department revokes visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro after he urged U.S. troops to disobey President Trump during a New York rally.
• President Petro publicly scorns both the visa cancellation and Trump's pro-Israel policies amid ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
• Petro’s social media to Trump:

  “Do not surround yourself with the perpetrators of genocide.”
  ([02:56])

• US-Colombia relations, once strong, have been strained recently over tariffs and U.S. actions against alleged drug smuggling.

4. 200th Anniversary of First Steam Train Journey

[03:14 – 04:14]

• Britain celebrates 200 years since the world’s first public railway steam train journey via a replica of Locomotion No. 1 on the Stockton and Darlington line.

• This event is considered a watershed for global trade, travel, and even temporal awareness.

• Railway historian Simon Garfield compares the advent of railroads to the emergence of the Internet:

  “People knew it was going to be something extraordinary, but they didn’t quite know how extraordinary.”
  – Simon Garfield ([03:52])

• The phrase “letting off steam” originates from this railway heritage.

5. Tribute to Tina Turner and College Football Updates

[04:14 – 04:58]

• Brownsville, Tennessee, unveils a ten-foot statue honoring Tina Turner, commemorating her local roots and global impact; Turner died last year at 83.
• College Football Highlights:
  • #1 Ohio State rallies in the second half to defeat Washington 24–6, maintaining a strong defensive record.
  • #13 Ole Miss upsets #4 LSU, 24–19.
  • David Alano's last-second field goal secures #23 Illinois a 34–32 win over #21 Southern Cal.
  • Dayton wins over Stetson 48–14.

Notable Quotes

• Mayor Keith Wilson:

  "We have no tolerance for anyone in Portland who uses this difficult moment to hurt others or our home."
  ([00:56])

• Colombian President Gustavo Petro, on social media:

  “Do not surround yourself with the perpetrators of genocide.”
  ([02:56])

• Simon Garfield, Railway Historian:

  “I always think of it a little bit like the birth of the Internet. People knew it was going to be something extraordinary, but they didn’t quite know how extraordinary.”
  ([03:52])

• Hua Jingnan (on agent firings):

  "The FBI Agents Association condemns the firings and what they call a lack of due process."
  ([02:00])

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Federal Troops to Portland: [00:20 – 01:16]
• FBI Agents Fired Over Protest: [01:16 – 02:08]
• US-Colombia Diplomatic Rift: [02:08 – 03:14]
• Railway Anniversary in Britain: [03:14 – 04:14]
• Tina Turner Statue & Football: [04:14 – 04:58]

This episode provides a brisk yet informative overview of urgent domestic and international issues, major social movements, cultural milestones, and sports, retaining the matter-of-fact, succinct tone characteristic of NPR’s news bulletins.