Drones Close Denmark’s Airspace for Second Time

Summary

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WSJ What’s News Podcast Summary

Episode: Drones Close Denmark’s Airspace for Second Time
Date: September 25, 2025
Host: Caitlin McCabe, The Wall Street Journal

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Episode Overview

This episode covers a range of breaking stories affecting global business, security, and politics. Key segments include Denmark’s unprecedented drone incursions and possible NATO consequences, escalating U.S. government shutdown threats, heightened scrutiny on big tech H1B visa practices, criminal charges sought against James Comey, Delta’s response to toxic fume events on aircraft, Apple versus the EU’s Digital Markets Act, China’s updated climate targets, and a surge in ratings for Jimmy Kimmel’s show after a controversial suspension.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Danish Airspace Closed After Hybrid Drone Attacks

[01:02 - 02:55]

• Incident Details:

  • Drones flew over various Danish airports, including a critical military base housing F16 and F35 fighter jets.
  • This is Denmark’s second major airspace disruption in a week.
  • The attack follows recent Russian airspace violations in Estonia and Poland.

• Official Response:

  • Denmark’s Defense Minister called it a professional, likely foreign, operation, but said “no evidence links the activity to Russia.”
  • The incident is viewed as a “danger to freedom and safety.”
  • Denmark is considering invoking NATO Article 4 for security consultations.

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2. U.S. Government Shutdown and Permanent Layoff Threats

[02:55 - 03:17]

• Current Status:

  • Lawmakers have until October 1st to avoid a government shutdown.
  • The White House’s budget office has instructed agencies to prepare “permanent mass firings” for programs not aligned with the president’s priorities.
  • This raises pressure on Senate Democrats to negotiate over healthcare spending cuts.

• Political Quotes:

  • Hakeem Jeffries (Democratic House Minority Leader) [02:55]:

    “Democrats do not support the partisan Republican spending bill because it continues to gut the health care of the American people. Republicans have launched an all out assault on the health care of everyday Americans. The largest cut to Medicaid in American history.”

• Context:

  • GOP’s seven-week stopgap bill is the only offer; President Trump canceled talks with Democrats.
  • Shutdown deadline is 12:01am ET, October 1.

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3. Congress Investigates Big Tech’s H1B Visa Usage

[03:17 - 05:18]

• New Scrutiny:

  • Senators Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin sent letters to major H1B users (Amazon, Apple, JPMorgan Chase).
  • They seek explanations for ongoing H1B hiring “while also cutting other jobs.”

• Policy Backdrop:

  • Comes after a Trump administration overhaul of the visa system aimed at prioritizing U.S. workers.
  • Companies are asked for detailed data about H1B employees and impacts on American workers.

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4. Justice Department Moves to Indict Former FBI Director Comey

[05:18 - 05:45]

• Charges Sought:

  • DOJ wants to indict James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress about the Russia-Trump probe.
  • Effort is pressed as the statute of limitations nears expiry.

• White House Quote:

  • Caroline Levitt (White House Press Secretary) [05:18]:

    “The president is fulfilling his promise to restore a Department of Justice that demands accountability, and it is not weaponizing the Department of Justice to demand accountability for those who weaponized the Department of Justice... We are not going to tolerate gaslighting...”

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5. Delta Replaces Engines Amid Toxic Fume Events on Airbus A320s

[05:45 - 07:39]

• Problem Overview:

  • Multiple toxic fume events reported in Delta’s A320 fleet—linked to the auxiliary power unit (APU).
  • Investigation finds oil leaks, vaporizing into neurotoxins breathed by passengers and crew.

• Expert Insight – Ben Katz, Aviation Reporter [06:11]:

  “A fume event happens when oil leaks into an engine and vaporizes, releasing an unknown quantity of neurotoxins and other chemicals into the air that we then end up breathing inside the aircraft... On occasion the effects can be longer lasting and more severe... crew who have reported brain injuries or even developed cancer.”

• Delta’s Response:

  • Upgraded 90% of APUs on over 300 Airbus jets.
  • Full solution remains elusive, as fume events are rooted in aircraft design.

• Further Context – Ben Katz [07:16]:

  “There’s only one modern commercial plane that isn’t affected by fume events, and that’s the Boeing 787, but every other aircraft is... there’s also a fundamental issue with the design of the aircraft that Airbus has still yet to address.”

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6. Apple Pushes Back Against EU’s Digital Markets Act

[07:39 - 08:43]

• Apple’s Argument:

  • Urges the European Commission to repeal or ease DMA obligations, claiming it stifles business and innovation in Europe.
  • DMA compels Apple to open iPhones to rival app stores and display browser choice screens.

• Regulatory Context:

  • EU has fined Apple nearly $600 million for non-compliance since the law took effect.

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7. China’s New Climate Goals and U.S. Response

[09:02 - 12:40]

• Xi Jinping’s UN Address [09:02]:

  • Announces plan to reduce China’s greenhouse gas emissions “7 to 10% from their peak by 2035.”
  • Asserts the “green and low carbon transition [is] the trend of our time,” contrasting Trump’s UN remarks dismissing climate action.

• Expert Insight – Matthew Dalton, WSJ Climate Reporter [09:53]:

  • China is “both the largest emitter of greenhouse gases... and the dominant manufacturer of clean energy tech.”
  • Analysts are disappointed as China didn’t specify an exact emissions peak, leaving ambiguity about actual emission cuts.
  • China’s recent surge in renewables could lead them to exceed the announced reduction target, but uncertainty persists.

• Quote – Matthew Dalton [10:23]:

  “She said that China will aim to cut its overall Greenhouse gas emissions 7 to 10% from their peak by 2035... a lot of disappointment... because she didn’t say what the peak would be... leaves open the possibility that China could increase its greenhouse gas emissions by quite a bit before starting to reduce them.”

• Big Picture:

  • China’s emissions path is crucial to global efforts toward the Paris Accord’s 1.5°C target.

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8. Jimmy Kimmel’s Return Sparks Ratings Surge

[12:45 - 13:51]

• Viewership Spike:
  • Nearly 6.3 million viewers watched Kimmel’s return after suspension for remarks on conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing.
  • Noteworthy, as the show was unavailable in 20%+ of the country—some major cities still not airing it.

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Notable Quotes and Timestamps

• On the Danish Drone Attack:

  • “The drones were observed over multiple airports late Wednesday, including a military airbase housing most of the country’s F16 and F35 fighter jets.” – Caitlin McCabe [01:07]

• On Permanent Layoffs:

  • “The memo instructs agencies to design layoff plans for employees who work for programs that are, quote, not consistent with the president’s priorities.” – Caitlin McCabe [02:55]

• Bipartisan Tensions over Health Care:

  • “Democrats do not support the partisan Republican spending bill because it continues to gut the health care of the American people...” – Hakeem Jeffries [02:55]

• On Toxic Fume Events:

  • “There’s only one modern commercial plane that isn’t affected by fume events, and that’s the Boeing 787...” – Ben Katz [07:16]

• On China’s Climate Commitment:

  • “China is both the largest emitter of greenhouse gases... and it is also the dominant manufacturer of all kinds of clean energy technologies...” – Matthew Dalton [09:53]

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Segment Timestamps

| Topic | Start Time | |------------------------------------------------------|------------| | Denmark Drone Incident | 01:02 | | U.S. Shutdown & Layoff Threats | 02:55 | | Hakeem Jeffries Quoted | 02:55 | | Big Tech H1B Visa Scrutiny | 03:17 | | Comey Indictment Sought | 05:18 | | Toxic Fume Events on Delta Planes | 05:45 | | Delta’s Response & Aviation Design Flaws | 06:44 | | Apple vs. EU Digital Markets Act | 07:39 | | Xi Jinping’s Climate Pledge & U.S. Reaction | 09:02 | | Matthew Dalton on China’s Emissions | 09:53 | | Jimmy Kimmel Ratings Surge | 12:45 |

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Memorable Moment

• International Tension: Denmark weighing NATO Article 4 consultations after major drone incursions—a rare and serious step highlighting increasing hybrid threats in Europe.
• Sharp Domestic Policy Divide: Massive, permanent federal layoffs loom as shutdown politics escalate, with pointed remarks from congressional leadership on both sides.
• Delta’s Aircraft Challenge: The surprising scale of fume events on modern passenger jets and the difficulty of fully solving them.
• Geopolitical Drama at the UN: China and the U.S. offering dueling visions on climate change—underscoring deep divides on the global stage.

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This episode delivers a fast-paced but thorough breakdown of urgent cross-sector developments—from European security and U.S. political gridlock to aviation safety, big tech policy, and global climate leadership.

Transcript

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[Caitlin McCabe]

The Trump administration tells federal agencies to prepare for permanent mass firings if the government shuts down. Plus, we look at how Delta Airlines is racing to address a surge of toxic fume events happening on planes.

[Ben Katz]

The Airbus A320, which is the best selling aircraft in the world today, is kind of driving this increase in incidents that we measured in our reporting. And that's really the plane that Delta is trying to deal with, trying to curb some of these fume events.

[Caitlin McCabe]

And senators question big tech companies over how they use H1B visas. It's Thursday, September 25th. I'm Caitlin McCabe for the Wall Street Journal, and here is the AM edition of what's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today. We begin with breaking news from Denmark, which has suffered a professional hybrid drone attack overnight. Drones were observed over multiple airports late Wednesday, including a military airbase housing most of the country's F16 and F35 fighter jets. It's the second time in less than a week that unmanned aircraft have disrupted air traffic in the NATO country and follows Russian violations of Estonian and Polish airspace in recent weeks. The Danish minister of defense said a professional actor was behind the attack and that the drones were launched from Denmark's vicinity. He added that there was currently no evidence linking the drone activity to Russia, but called the action a danger to freedom and safety. The Danish government is now considering calling for national security consultations under NATO's Article 4, US lawmakers have less than a week to reach a spending agreement before the government shuts down. And the situation just got all the more complicated. The White House's budget office has directed federal agencies to go ahead with mass firings if the government does indeed go dark next week. The memo instructs agencies to design layoff plans for employees who work for programs that are, quote, not consistent with the president's priorities. These permanent layoffs would be in addition to any temporary furloughs that happen during a shutdown. The memo is sharply increasing pressure on Senate Democrats, who are demanding that Republicans restore hundreds of billions of dollars in health care spending in order to get their support for funding the government.

[Hakeem Jeffries]

Democrats do not support the partisan Republican spending bill because it continues to gut the health care of the American people. Republicans have launched an all out assault on the health care of everyday Americans. The largest cut to Medicaid in American history.

[Caitlin McCabe]

That's Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaking yesterday before the memo was revealed. Later, Jeffries said in a social media post that Democrats will not be intimidated. The GOP is insisting that their seven week stopgap measure to fund the government is the only one on the table and there are no planned talks with President Trump and Democrats after the president earlier this week backed out of a planned meeting. If no bipartisan deal is reached, the government will shut down at 12:01am Eastern on Wednesday, October 1st. We are exclusively reporting that lawmakers are ramping up scrutiny of how big tech Companies are using H1B visas. Last night, Republican Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Democratic Ranking Member Dick Durbin sent letters to the largest users of the visas that includes Amazon, Apple and JPMorgan Chase, asking them to explain why they continue to hire thousands of H1B visa holders while also cutting other jobs. It comes just days after the Trump administration overhauled the visa system, arguing that foreign professionals were occupying jobs that could be done by an American. Yesterday, the senators asked for detailed information on how many H1B workers the companies employ, what wages they are paid, and whether American workers have been displaced in the process. Meanwhile, the Justice Department is racing to obtain criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey this week, escalating President Trump's unprecedented efforts to prosecute his political foes. We've learned that prosecutors want a federal grand jury in Virginia to indict Comey as soon as today. The case involves allegations that he lied during 2020 congressional testimony about the bureau's earlier probe of Trump's connections to Russian interference in the 2016 election. The statute of limitations on such a case runs out next week. The move comes just days after Trump publicly questioned why the Justice Department hadn't brought cases against several top adversaries, including Comey. Here's White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt.

[Caroline Levitt]

The president is fulfilling his promise to restore a Department of justice that demands accountability, and it is not weaponizing the Department of Justice to demand accountability for those who weaponized the Department of Justice. And nobody knows what that looks like more than President Trump. We are not going to tolerate gaslighting from anyone in the media or from anyone on the other side who is trying to say that it's the president who is weaponizing the doj.

[Caitlin McCabe]

Comey did not respond to a request for comment. Now we are exclusively reporting that Delta is replacing engine units to address toxic fume surges on its planes. According to a Journal investigation published last week, there have been several APU related fume events on Delta's A320 jets over the past year. Here's aviation reporter Ben Katz.

[Ben Katz]

A fume event happens when oil leaks into an engine and vaporizes, releasing an unknown quantity of neurotoxins and other chemicals into the air that we then end up breathing inside the aircraft. Most of the time, even the effects are pretty fleeting, pretty mild. You may not even notice it. But on occasion the effects can be longer lasting and more severe. Right, and they range from reports of passengers feeling nauseous or vomiting to crew who have reported brain injuries or even developed cancer.

[Caitlin McCabe]

We've learned that Delta has been addressing the issue for some time and has now upgraded about 90% of the auxiliary power units on more than 300 of its Airbus jets. Airbus has previously identified the APU, which is typically a third engine that sits in the tail of an aircraft, as a leading cause of toxic fumes contaminating the air that's pumped into the plane when the two primary engines aren't running. That, for example, happens during taxiing. Ben says Delta's efforts will eliminate some of the fume events but not solve the entire problem.

[Ben Katz]

There's only one modern commercial plane that isn't affected by fume events, and that's the Boeing 787, but every other aircraft is. There are kind of a number of causes of these fume events. You know, they can affect the jet engines themselves. And there's also a fundamental issue with the design of the aircraft that Airbus has still yet to address. So it'll address some of these issues, but it won't eliminate the entire cause.

[Caitlin McCabe]

If you want to know more about the fume events and the Journal's investigation, follow the link we've left in our show Notes and Apple has asked the European Union to repeal or significantly scale back the Digital Markets act, saying the law is making it harder to do business and bring new products to Europe. The request came in remarks submitted to the European Commission, where officials are reviewing how the new law is working. Apple is now obliged to let rival app stores set up shop on iPhones and show users a choice screen that allows them to choose a different default default browser in the European Union. The Commission was quick to open investigations into Apple product changes early last year when the company had to start abiding by the law, and has fined the tech giant almost $600 million for failing to comply. Coming up, Chinese leader Xi Jinping takes a veiled swipe at President Trump while speaking to the UN Yesterday. Plus, Jimmy Kimmel was right. His four day suspension did lead to blockbuster ratings. More on those stories after the break.

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[Caitlin McCabe]

Chinese leader Xi Jinping unveiled a new plan to tackle climate change in an address to the United nations yesterday, just one day after after President Trump used the same global stage to do pretty much the opposite. The Chinese leader, speaking in a video message, presented a new plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Accord. He called the green and low carbon transition the, quote, trend of our time and said that while some countries are acting against it, the international community should stay focused in, quote, the right direction. Xi's remarks came a day after Trump spoke to the UN during which he called climate change a con job and green energy a scam. Matthew Dalton is a Journal climate reporter and joins me now. Matthew, some pretty interesting comments from Xi yesterday. Backing up for a second. Can you give us some context about China's role in the clean energy transition?

[Matthew Dalton]

China is both the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for about a third of the global total, and it is also the dominant manufacturer of all kinds of clean energy technologies, from solar panels to wind turbines to electric vehicles and batteries. So it is absolutely essential to both the problem of climate change and the solution to it.

[Caitlin McCabe]

What is the Chinese plan that she laid out yesterday promising here and how is it being received?

[Matthew Dalton]

So she said that China will aim to cut its overall Greenhouse gas emissions 7 to 10% from their peak by 2035. That's the core of the plan. And it was received with, frankly, a lot of disappointment from environmental groups and analysts because she didn't say what the peak would be. And that's a really important variable to determine what the overall course of the planet's warming is going to be. It leaves open the possibility that China could increase its greenhouse gas emissions by quite a bit before starting to reduce them. I think most people think that's unlikely because its emissions growth has been slowing very significantly in recent years and it's more or less flat, I would say, over the last year and that's because China has been adding so much wind and solar power to its electrical grid that the growth of coal fired generation has, has basically come to a stop. Now, there are other sources of greenhouse gases growth in China that could mess this all up. So China's at this kind of inflection point where if it keeps on doing what it's doing with renewable energy, then it really stands a good chance of starting to reduce its emissions very soon. And actually the 7 to 10% by 2035 from a peak would be a very conservative target. But that has been China's trend in climate policy since the Paris Accord was signed in 2015. I think the hope of environmental groups is that China is going to significantly overperform this target given all the renewable energy they're adding to the grid, given what a champion of renewable energy they have become. And that will put the goals of the Paris Accord within striking distance. Remember that the Paris Accord calls for governments to try to keep global warming to close to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And it's a target that's in serious jeopardy. But it's something that China's emissions are absolutely crucial for how close to the goal the entire world gets.

[Caitlin McCabe]

That's Journal climate reporter Matthew Dalton. Matthew, thanks for joining us today.

[Matthew Dalton]

Thanks a lot, Kaitlyn.

[Caitlin McCabe]

And finally, nearly 6.3 million people tuned in to watch Jimmy Kimmel's emotional return to the airwaves on Tuesday night after the show was suspended over remarks the comedian made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. That's well above the 1.8 million viewers that the show averaged in the second quarter of this year, based on preliminary numbers from Nielsen. Tuesday's ratings were also notable in part because Jimmy Kimmel Live wasn't available on broadcast TV in more than 20% of the country, including in big cities like Seattle, New Orleans, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. station owners Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group have not said if or when they would put Kimmel's show back on their stations. And that's it for what's news for this Thursday morning. Today's show is produced by Daniel Bach. Our supervising producer is Sandra Kilhoff. And I'm Caitlin McCabe for the Wall Street Journal. We'll be back tonight with a new show. Until then, thanks for listening.

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