Friday morning news: September 5, 2025

Editor's note: The following text is a transcript of a podcast story. To listen to the story, click on the arrow beneath the headline above.

Ukraine latest » European leaders say they will continue to stand with Ukraine after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday.

And during that meeting:

LEYEN:  The leaders endorsed the work of the Chiefs of Defense and defense ministers.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said European allies will be—in her words “relentless in [their] efforts to keep Ukraine strong.”

LEYEN: We must turn Ukraine into a steel porcupine, indigestible for present and future aggressors.

She says that means ensuring Ukraine’s military is well trained and equipped.

Kyiv says it must have ironclad security guarantees ahead of any potential peace deal with Russia. And French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to that need at a news conference alongside Zelenskyy.

MACRON: In French

Macron says more than two dozen countries have already pledged to send troops into Ukraine if it is threatened after the war ends.

Kennedy testimony » Fireworks on Capitol Hill as a Senate panel grilled Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden pressed Kennedy about the firing of the now-former CDC Director Susan Monarez after less than a month on the job.

WYDEN:  Did you in fact do what Director Monez said you did, which is tell her to just go along with vaccine recommendations even if she didn't think such recommendations aligned with scientific evidence?

KENNEDY: No, I did not.

Democrats sparred with Kennedy throughout the hearing. And he fielded tough questions from some Republicans as well, including a pair of physicians, Senators Bill Cassidy and John Barrasso:

BARRASSO:  Secretary Kennedy, in your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines. Since then, I've grown deeply concerned.

Barrasso also questioned him over high profile staffing shakeups.

For his part, Kennedy said with regard to HHS vaccine guidance:

KENNEDY:  Yeah, we're gonna make it clear evidence-based and trustworthy for the first time in history.

Kennedy has scaled back promotion of routine immunizations, emphasizing “individual choice.” And he has pressed for stricter scrutiny of vaccine messaging from agencies like the CDC.

New push to ban stock trades in Congress » Elsewhere at the Capitol, a number of Republicans and Democrats are joining forces in a bid to ban lawmakers from trading stock.

Supporters of a new bill call it an effort to end what they say is effectively legalized insider trading in Washington.

It’s a cause fostering rare harmony between conservatives like Congressman Tim Burchett:

BURCHETT:  This body has been enriching itself on the taxpayer's dime and that government, it's got to stop.

And liberals like Alexandria Ocasio Cortez:

CORTEZ:  If anyone says, you know, this isn't fair, I'm gonna have to divest all my stocks. If I'm gonna run for Congress, maybe you should stay home.

The bill would ban trading of individual stocks, securities, commodities, and futures by members of Congress as well as their spouses and dependent children.

President Trump has said he would sign a bill banning stock trading by lawmakers.

Texas abortion "bounty hunting" law » Texas is making it easier for residents to sue providers who ship abortion drugs into the state. WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher reports:

BENJAMIN EICHER: With Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s pending signature, a new law will allow residents to sue out-of-state individuals or organizations that ship abortion drugs into Texas in violation of state law.

Abortion drug distributors could face fines of up to $100,000.

Only a pregnant woman or her family is entitled to keep the full amount while others could keep up to $10,000 and must donate the remaining funds to charity.

But some blue states have so-called “shield laws” designed to protect abortion drug providers from penalties in other states. And that sets the stage for a legal battle in federal court.

Legislators passed the bill as one Texas man is suing a California abortionist for shipping pills to his girlfriend on two separate occasions.

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher.

Armani obituary » Italian designer Giorgio Armani has died at the age of 91.

Armani rose to fame in the fashion world in the 1970s eventually dressing the rich and famous in classic tailored styles.

And his black tie outfits and glittering evening gowns often stole the show on award season red carpets.

Today, the $10-billion dollar Armani empire employs more than 9,000 people … designing clothing, accessories and more.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: responding when the world calls good evil and evil good, John Stonestreet is standing by. Plus, a new comedy from the creators of The Office.

This is The World and Everything in It.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.