NPR News: 09-17-2025 6PM EDT
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Why did former CDC director Susan Menares claim she was ousted over vaccine policy?
Live from MPR News in Washington, I'm Joyel Snyder. Former CDC Director Susan Menares told members of a Senate panel she was ousted because she refused to agree to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's Jr.'s demands on vaccines and other matters. Here's MPR's Will Stone reporting.
Menares told members of the Senate committee that Kennedy asked her to offer blanket approval on future vaccine recommendations and to fire career scientists. During the hearing, she recounted a string of events that she said led to her dismissal, culminating with a tense meeting in late August.
He called uh in that context C D C the most corrupt federal agency in the world. Uh emphasize that C D employees were horrible people. Uh he said that C D C employees were killing children and they don't care.
News.
In Pierce Mile Parks reports.
The Department of Justice has asked for sensitive elections data from many states, but Maine and Oregon are the first states to be sued over the matter.
What legal battle are Maine and Oregon facing over the DOJ's request for election data?
The Department says it needs the data to determine if the two states are following federal election laws when it comes to keeping accurate registration lists. But states have constitutional authority to run their own elections, and voting officials on both sides of the aisle have fought previous efforts to acquire the data DOJ is asking for, which includes partial Social Security numbers. One reason is security risks. Another is that the Trump administration has not been clear on what it plans to do with the data. Miles Parks, NPR News, Washington.
President Trump is wrapping up the first day of his state visit to the UK.
How is President Trump’s state visit to the UK shaping U.S.–U.K. relations?
He and First Lady Melania Trump are at Windsor Castle being treated to a lavish state dinner. Trump is to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer tomorrow. The Federal Reserve is cutting interest rates for the first time this year. NPR Scott Hoarsley reports on the vote today to lower the benchmark rate by a quarter percentage point.
The quarter point rate cut was widely expected. It will make it somewhat cheaper to get a car loan, bankroll a business expansion, or carry a balance on your credit card.
Why did the Federal Reserve decide to cut interest rates and what does it mean for borrowers?
The newest member of the Fed's rate setting committee, Stephen Myron, dissented from the vote, saying he would have preferred a larger half-point cut. Fed policymakers opted to lower their benchmark rate amid signs that hiring has slowed sharply in recent months. U.S. employers added just twenty-two thousand jobs in August, and revised figures show the economy lost jobs in June for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic. Growing concerns about the job market are overshadowing worries about higher inflation for now. Fed policymakers signaled on average they expect to cut interest rates by another half percentage point before the end of the year.
And you're listening to MPR News. Students at Utah Valley University began returning to classes today following last week's shooting death of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The courtyard where Kirk was shot remains blocked off.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensburger says he's entering the race for governor next year.
Who leads the Latin Grammy nominations this year and what are the standout categories?
Last year he made the announcement today, joining two others seeking the Republican nomination. Raffensberger famously rejected Donald Trump's request to overturn the results of the twenty twenty presidential election in Georgia. There's one name leading the pack of Latin Grammy nominations. Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican superstar, received twelve nominations today, as in Pierre's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento reports.
Bad Bunny is up for album of the year, song of the year, and record of the year. The nominations are for his album Devi tirar más fotos, a love letter to Puerto Rico's history and cultural heritage. The Argentine duo Catriel y Paco Amoroso follow close behind with 10 nods. Their album Papota, half of which was recorded at NPR's Tiny Desk, is up for Album of the Year. The duo also has multiple nominations for Song and Record of the Year. Among the artists up for Latin Grammys for their work behind the scenes, producer and songwriter Edgar Barrera has ten nominations for his work with artists like Carol G., Shakira, and Grupo Frontera.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
Why did former CDC director Susan Menares claim she was ousted over vaccine policy?
0:00–1:20
2
What legal battle are Maine and Oregon facing over the DOJ's request for election data?
1:20–1:52
3
How is President Trump’s state visit to the UK shaping U.S.–U.K. relations?
1:52–2:21
4
Why did the Federal Reserve decide to cut interest rates and what does it mean for borrowers?
2:21–3:25
5
Who leads the Latin Grammy nominations this year and what are the standout categories?
3:25–4:38