Up First from NPR

Episode: ICE Shooting In Texas, UNGA: Ukraine Warning, Government Shutdown Standoff
Date: September 25, 2025
Hosts: Steve Inskeep, Amy Martinez, with reporting from Selena Simmons Duffin, Tolawani Osi Bamowo, and Joanna Kakissis

Episode Overview

This episode covers three major news stories dominating headlines as of September 25, 2025:

• A deadly shooting at a Dallas ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) facility, exploring the investigation and broader context of escalating violence at immigration sites in Texas.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s stark warning to the United Nations about Russia’s war and its global stakes, delivered amid shifting signals from President Trump on U.S. support for Ukraine.
• The intensifying U.S. government shutdown standoff, with major implications for federal employees and millions who rely on health insurance subsidies.

1. Shooting at Dallas ICE Facility

Segment begins ~[02:26]

Key Points:

• At least one immigration detainee was killed and two wounded in a shooting at the Dallas ICE field office—marking the third such attack on Texas immigration facilities this year.
• The shooter, identified as Joshua John, is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
• The FBI considers the incident an “act of targeted violence,” possibly politically motivated, as one bullet casing was inscribed with “anti-ICE.”
• No prior violent crime history for the suspect; one of the injured is a Mexican national.
• The attack is part of a concerning trend: recent months also saw shootings at other Texas border enforcement sites and bomb threats targeting ICE.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps:

• Joanna Kakissis (FBI): “There will be no resource not utilized.” [03:28]
• FBI Director Kosh Patel: Called it “a despicable, politically motivated attack on law enforcement.” [03:38]
• Neighbor Sherry Davis: “I would have never imagined that such a thing, you know, someone that felt so... so disenfranchised would live so close to me.” [04:24]
• Tolawani Osi Bamowo (KERA): “Immigrants have been at the center of the political divide, often portrayed in a negative light. And yesterday, some immigrants became victims of this political rhetoric.” [05:43]

Details on Related Incidents:

• July 4: Gunfire at an ICE facility protest in Alvarado.
• Three days later: Shooting at a Customs and Border Protection facility in McAllen.
• Late August: Bomb threat at the same Dallas ICE office.

2. Ukraine at the United Nations: Escalating War and Shifting U.S. Support

Segment begins ~[05:58]

Key Points:

• President Zelensky warned the UN General Assembly that Russia’s invasion is fueling “the most destructive arms race in human history,” now involving AI weapons.
• Zelensky claims the war will spread if the world doesn’t force Russia into a durable peace.
• President Trump’s stance on Ukraine appears to have shifted—he now says Ukraine can win and promises continued U.S. weapons, after earlier public doubts.
• In Kyiv, Trump’s statement met with both relief and skepticism—Ukrainians appreciate U.S. support but remain wary of vague promises and a possible U.S. retreat from the peace process.
• Ukrainian officials say recapturing occupied land is nearly impossible without direct U.S. engagement; mere pressure on Russia is not enough.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps:

• Selena Simmons Duffin (citing Zelensky): “We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history because this time it includes artificial intelligence.” [00:24]
• Oleksandr Kryv (Ukrainian analyst): “He’s just stating the fact that somebody should do something about it, but definitely not me.” [07:19]
• Oleksandr Mereshko (Ukrainian MP): “He promised also severe consequences for Russia if Russia rejects this. ... It is his war. So he just needs to be consistent and to deliver on his promises, wants to remain a credible politician.” [08:12]
• Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze (Ukrainian MP): “It will be very, very difficult [to reclaim occupied territory], because I don’t think that Russia is capable of changing its behaviour if it doesn’t feel the pressure, if it doesn’t feel the economic pain, industrial pain, military pain of its own action.” [08:41]
• Joanna Kakissis (on Kremlin): “Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also took issue with Trump calling Russia a paper tiger ... Peskov said, actually, Russia’s a bear and there’s nothing paper about a bear.” [09:07]

3. Looming U.S. Government Shutdown and the Future of Health Insurance Subsidies

Segment begins ~[09:40]

Key Points:

• The risk of a federal government shutdown appears higher than in recent years, with a White House memo instructing agencies to prep not just for furloughs, but potential mass layoffs.
• At issue: fate of the enhanced ACA (“Obamacare”) premium tax credits, which enabled millions to afford health insurance; these are set to expire soon.
• If Congress does not act, millions may lose health coverage or see premiums spike during November’s open enrollment.
• There is bipartisan interest in extending the subsidies, but disagreements over the scope and structure of reforms have stalled negotiations.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps:

• Steve Inskeep: “This plan goes beyond the usual temporary furloughs during a shutdown. It would permanently cut jobs in programs that are established by law. But the president doesn't like.” [09:46]
• Selena Simmons Duffin: “If Congress doesn’t act to extend those tax credits in the next week or two, people are going to get sticker shock when open enrollment starts and they see that monthly amount they pay for health insurance is going to go way up next year.” [11:00]
• Sabrina Corlette (Georgetown University): “Enrollment more than doubled. It’s now 24 million people. And the uninsured rate for the entire country sank to the lowest it’s ever been.” [11:42]
• Emily Pisa Creta (healthcare podcast producer): “Five hundred a month is not little, and to imagine it going up to almost 900 a month seems really scary.” [12:48]
• Selena Simmons Duffin: “Many Republican voters will likely be hard hit by the higher premiums. ... Other Republican lawmakers think the subsidies are too expensive and argue they might be willing to extend them, but they want to change the program in various ways and not sort that out now with the shutdown looming.” [13:11]

Memorable Moments

• A stark local-to-national connection: From a neighbor's disbelief (“I would have never imagined...”) [04:24] to a discussion on rhetoric fueling violence at ICE sites, the episode directly links political discourse with on-the-ground consequences.
• Global implications of domestic politics: As seen in Ukraine coverage, U.S. political posturing has direct life-or-death impacts abroad, a reality echoed by Ukrainian voices (“It is his war. ... he just needs to be consistent.” [08:12])
• Personal stakes in policy talk: Emily Pisa Creta’s perspective brings human weight to the debate over ACA subsidies.

Important Timestamps

• [02:26] – Details on the Dallas ICE facility shooting
• [05:58] – Zelensky’s UN speech and the evolving U.S. position on Ukraine
• [09:40] – Discussion on the looming government shutdown and health insurance debate

Overall Tone and Takeaway

The episode’s tone is urgent, factual, and empathetic—highlighting the interplay between political decisions, international consequences, and deeply personal stakes. The hosts and correspondents balance rapid-fire reporting with on-the-ground insight, showing how the big headlines are felt at street level, in conflict zones, and across kitchen tables in America.

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