NPR News: 09-05-2025 12AM EDT

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shay Stevens.

Sparks flew at a Senate hearing Thursday on changes at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Health Secretary Robert F.

Kennedy Jr.

defended his policies and staffing cuts and accused medical groups of accepting contributions from drug makers.

These changes were absolutely necessary adjustments to restore the agency to its role as the world's gold standard public health agency with the central mission of protecting Americans from

infectious disease.

But Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden says that Kennedy's policies are making Americans sicker.

Every single day there's been an action that endangers the health and wellness of American families.

Robert Kennedy has elevated conspiracy theorists, crackpots, and grifters to make life or death decisions about the health care of the American people.

The Senate hearing was held in wake of an open letter signed by more than 1,000 current and former Health Department workers calling on Secretary Kennedy to resign.

President Trump will sign an executive order to rename the Pentagon the Department of War.

Details from NPR's Danielle Kirchlagen.

A White House official not authorized to discuss the order on the record confirmed to NPR that Trump will be signing the order and also provided a fact sheet.

According to that sheet, the order will authorize the department name change as a secondary title and will also allow Defense Department officials to substitute the word war into their titles.

For example, the Secretary of Defense could use the title Secretary of War.

In addition, the order will instruct the Secretary to recommend actions such as legislation to make the Department's name change permanent.

The Department of Defense was known as the Department of War until the 1940s.

The White House explained that the new name will, quote, signal to adversaries America's readiness to wage war to secure its interests.

Danielle Kurtzleben and PR News.

The Justice Department is suing Southern California Edison over its role in the Eaton Fire, which claimed 19 lives and destroyed over 4,000 homes.

Steve Futterman has more from Los Angeles.

The lawsuit puts the blame directly on Southern California Edison for both the Eaton fire and a fire east of L.A.

in 2022.

The big message today is that Edison is responsible.

The acting U.S.

Attorney in Los Angeles, Bylla Saley, says Edison failed to safely maintain its equipment.

But for Edison's negligence, these fires would not have started.

And they've got to change the way they do business.

In the case of the Eaton fire, it's believed sparks from a transmitter triggered the blaze.

So far, Edison has acknowledged only that its equipment may have been involved.

The lawsuit is seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages for costs incurred by the government.

For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles.

U.S.

futures are flat in after hours trading on Wall Street.

Asian markets are higher.

This is NPR.

The nation's air carriers will no longer have to compensate passengers for flight changes, including delays and cancellations.

The Trump administration is indicating it will cancel a Biden-era plan to provide inconvenienced passengers with cash, lodging, and meals as compensation.

Major airlines had warned of higher ticket prices if the plan was implemented.

The president of Northwestern University in Illinois is stepping down amid tensions with the Trump administration.

Michael Schill noted the institution's ongoing challenges, including federal research funding.

Among other things, Schill is credited with guiding the school through a hazing scandal that preceded his tenure and promoting free expression.

There's a flood of new music on this week's Billboard charts, and PR Stephen Thompson brings us some of the highlights.

This week, four new albums crack the Billboard top 10 for the first time, led by the K-pop boy band Stray Kids at number one.

Three very different albums round out this week's top 10 debuts.

Rapper Big X The Plug has a country album.

There's a new record by the hard rock band Deftones.

And though you don't usually hear her immediately after Deftones, the singer Leve scores her first ever top 10 album.

What a curse it is to be your lover girl.

Stephen Thompson, NPR News.

And I'm Shay Stevens.

This is NPR News.

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