NPR News Now: 09-27-2025 12PM EDT

Host: Nora Ramm
Date: September 27, 2025

Episode Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now episode, hosted by Nora Ramm, delivers concise coverage of the latest U.S. and global news headlines. Key stories include President Trump’s directive to send troops to Portland, the U.S. revoking the Colombian president’s visa, changes in Jimmy Kimmel Live's broadcast, Meta's new subscription option for UK users, the suspension of humanitarian operations in Gaza City, pleas from former national park superintendents regarding the shutdown, and updates on Atlantic tropical storm systems.

Key Stories and Insights

1. President Trump’s Directive on Portland and ICE Facilities

[00:14]

• President Trump has publicly directed the Defense Department to send troops to Portland, Oregon, to protect the city and ICE facilities.
• Cited acting at the request of the Secretary of Homeland Security, he claims authorization of "full force if necessary."
• However, the Pentagon has not confirmed any troop movements.

Quote:

• "President Trump said today he's directing the Defense Department to provide troops to be sent to Portland, Oregon, to protect the city and ICE facilities… authorizing full force if necessary."
  — Nora Ramm [00:14]

1.1 State Department Revokes Colombian President Petro's Visa

[00:57] Amy Held

• U.S. revokes President Gustavo Petro's visa after his speech at a pro-Palestinian rally in NYC, where he encouraged U.S. soldiers to "disobey" President Trump.
• The U.S. State Department calls his remarks "reckless and incendiary."
• Petro responded that he’s back in Bogotá and unconcerned, stating, "humanity must be free all over the world."

Notable Quote:

• "He says, I ask all soldiers in the US army not to point their guns at humanity. Disobey Trump's order."
  — Amy Held reporting on Gustavo Petro [00:57]
• "Petro said he's back in Bogota and does not care he no longer has a visa, writing 'humanity must be free all over the world.'" — Amy Held [01:25]

2. TV: Jimmy Kimmel Live Returns to All ABC Affiliates

[01:43]

[01:52] Steve Futterman

• Kimmel’s show returns to nearly 70 ABC stations owned by Nexstar and Sinclair following their earlier boycott after its return.
• The change followed a surge in ratings, with over six million viewers tuning in on Tuesday.

Highlight:

• "On Tuesday, it drew more than 6 million viewers."
  — Steve Futterman [02:12]

3. Meta Introduces Ad-Free Subscriptions in the UK

[02:20] Nora Ramm & [02:29] Vicki Barker

• Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) will offer UK users a ~$4/month subscription to remove ads.
• This step follows an out-of-court settlement after a British privacy campaigner's lawsuit over data protection.
• UK regulators endorse the move, while European regulators contest the notion that users must pay for data privacy.

Notable Quote:

• "They argue customers shouldn't have to pay to enjoy their fundamental right to data protection."
  — Vicki Barker [03:03]

4. Humanitarian and Environmental Headlines

4.1 Doctors Without Borders Suspends Operations in Gaza City

[03:14]

• The organization halts all Gaza City operations due to unsafe conditions amidst an Israeli ground offensive.
• Leaves hundreds of thousands with extremely limited access to healthcare.

4.2 National Parks Could Close Amid Shutdown

[03:45] Kirk Zigler

• 40+ retired national park superintendents urge closure of all parks during a government shutdown, citing vandalism and habitat destruction risks from past partial closures.
• President Trump’s administration has cut a quarter of permanent park staff, exacerbating strains despite record visitation.

Quote:

• "They say past shutdowns in which parks stayed open with the skeleton staff resulted in increased vandalism and habitat destruction and other public safety risks."
  — Kirk Zigler [03:55]

5. Weather: Atlantic Storm Tracking and Fujihara Effect

[04:27]

• Two tropical systems monitored in the Atlantic. Hurricane Omega Umberto is not expected to affect the U.S. mainland but could impact a developing system—possibilities include merging, disruption, or the rare Fujiwhara (Fujihara) effect, where two storms swirl around each other.

Memorable Moment:

• "Another possibility is a rare dance when two storms dance together, swirling around a spot in the middle. It's called the Fujihara effect for the Japanese scientist who discovered it 100 years ago."
  — Nora Ramm [04:46]

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "President Trump said today he's directing the Defense Department to provide troops to be sent to Portland, Oregon...authorizing full force if necessary." — Nora Ramm [00:14]
• "I ask all soldiers in the US army not to point their guns at humanity. Disobey Trump's order." — Gustavo Petro (via Amy Held) [00:57]
• "On Tuesday, it drew more than 6 million viewers." — Steve Futterman [02:12]
• "They argue customers shouldn't have to pay to enjoy their fundamental right to data protection." — Vicki Barker [03:03]
• "Past shutdowns in which parks stayed open with the skeleton staff resulted in increased vandalism and habitat destruction and other public safety risks." — Kirk Zigler [03:55]
• "Another possibility is a rare dance when two storms dance together, swirling around a spot in the middle. It's called the Fujihara effect..." — Nora Ramm [04:46]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [00:14] President Trump troop directive; State Department visa revocation
• [01:52] Jimmy Kimmel Live broadcast update
• [02:29] Meta ad-free subscription option in UK
• [03:14] Doctors Without Borders suspends Gaza City operations
• [03:45] National park superintendents urge closure in shutdown
• [04:27] Atlantic storm updates and Fujiwhara effect explanation

This concise newscast delivers essential updates with clear attribution and pithy summaries, embodying NPR's straightforward, informative tone for news on politics, technology, humanitarian affairs, and science.