NPR News: 10-04-2025 3AM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theschmidt.org.
Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Dua Halisa-Cautel. The Trump administration has activated 200 National Guard troops to Oregon to support federal immigration and customs enforcement agents.
Why are National Guard troops being activated for federal immigration enforcement in Oregon?
But it isn't clear when their deployment will take place, pending a judge's ruling, possibly later today. Meanwhile, the White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt announced that the Department of Justice will investigate the Portland Police Bureau after a conservative online journalist was arrested in South Portland Thursday during an alleged clash outside an ICE facility.
I just spoke with the president about this, and he has directed his team here at the White House to begin reviewing aid that can potentially be cut in Portland. We will not fund states that allow anarchy. There will also be an additional surge of federal resources to Portland immediately, including enhanced CBP and ICE resources.
The Democratic nominee for attorney general in Virginia is apologizing after it was reported he sent text messages wishing violence on a prominent Republican. VPM News' Jad Khalil reports.
What prompted the Justice Department review and potential cutting of federal aid to Portland?
The National Review first reported on the text messages from 2022. In them, Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, talked about the Republican speaker of Virginia's House of Delegates at the time being shot. Jones apologized publicly for the remarks and said he had also apologized to the former speaker. He said he was embarrassed and ashamed by what he said. The text messages drew widespread condemnation from fellow Democratic candidates, including gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger, who said the violent language did not belong in politics. Recent polls put Jones ahead of incumbent Republican Jason Meares. Their contest is considered to be the closest of the three statewide races in Virginia's off-year election.
How did Virginia's AG nominee apologize after violent text messages surfaced and what are the political implications?
For NPR News, I'm Jad Khalil in Richmond.
President Trump has endorsed a candidate in Tennessee's special congressional race days before the primary election. Mariana Bakayau from member station WPLN reports on Trump's pick.
After months of silence, Trump has endorsed Matt Van Epps, a former Tennessee commissioner and combat veteran. Van Epps has also been endorsed by Mark Green, whose surprise resignation from Congress this summer kicked off the special election. Outside money groups, including a PAC almost entirely funded by the parents of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, have spent half a million dollars supporting his run. More money from outside groups has gone to opposing anti-school voucher candidate and state representative Jody Barrett's bid for Congress. Barrett and Van Epps will appear on a ballot of nearly a dozen Republican candidates in Tuesday's primary.
Why did former President Trump endorse Matt Van Epps in Tennessee's special congressional primary?
The general election is set for December 2nd. For NPR News, I'm Mariana Bacayau in Nashville.
And you are listening to NPR News from New York. Japan's ruling Democratic Party has elected a new leader, Sane Takaichi. She defeated four male opponents, setting her up to become the country's first female prime minister. A new study shows that artificial intelligence could be used to evade biosecurity systems at companies that make DNA. NPR's Nell Greenfield-Boyce reports these companies screen customer orders to keep this information out of the wrong hands.
In the journal Science, researchers say they wanted to know if AI tools could rewrite the code for hazardous proteins like toxins.
How could AI threaten DNA synthesis biosecurity and what fixes were implemented?
And it turns out AI could. It generated thousands of them. Eric Horvitz is Microsoft's chief scientific officer.
To our concern, these reformulated sequences slipped past the biosecurity screening systems used worldwide by DNA synthesis companies to flag dangerous orders.
The research team quickly produced a software fix and rolled it out with the help of a DNA manufacturing industry group. But the episode shows how AI is revving up longstanding concerns about how to keep well-intentioned biology from being misused.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:30
2
Why are National Guard troops being activated for federal immigration enforcement in Oregon?
0:30–1:23
3
What prompted the Justice Department review and potential cutting of federal aid to Portland?
1:23–2:04
4
How did Virginia's AG nominee apologize after violent text messages surfaced and what are the political implications?
2:04–3:01
5
Why did former President Trump endorse Matt Van Epps in Tennessee's special congressional primary?
3:01–3:54
6
How could AI threaten DNA synthesis biosecurity and what fixes were implemented?
3:54–4:54