NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-30-2025 11PM EDT

Episode Date: October 1, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. A government shutdown is expected to begin in less than one hour. This after the Senate failed to pass two competing temporary spending measures, as NPR's Barbara Sprunt reports. At 12.01 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, the government will officially be shut down. Essential services will continue, but hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be furloughed without pay. A memo from the White House's budget arms suggests that agencies could be laying off workers as well. This comes after congressional leaders met with President Trump Monday in the Oval Office to try to negotiate a deal. No compromise was reached.

Republicans needed some Senate Democrats to vote alongside them to temporarily fund the government. But Democrats insisted a stopgap deal also had to extend health care subsidies which expire at the end of the year. Barbara Sprint and Pierre News, the Capitol. A federal judge in Boston says, the Trump administration's targeting of pro-Palestinian protesters is a violation of the First Amendment. As NPR's Adrian Florido reports, it is one of the major free speech cases of the second Trump term. Judge William Young wrote that officials in the Departments of State and Homeland Security have been misusing the powers of their offices to target non-citizen pro-Palestinians for deportation because of their protected political speech. The lawsuit was brought by academics who argued during a nine-day trial this summer that the

The Trump administration's policy to try to deport students like Mahmoud Khalil, Ramesa Azturk, and others, was meant to silence criticism of Israel. In his ruling, Judge Young wrote that non-citizens legally in the U.S. enjoy the same free speech rights as citizens. He said he'll soon hold a hearing to decide how to try to force the government to stop violating those rights. Adrian Flaredito and Pierre News. President Trump says his administration has reached a deal with Harvard University over more than billion dollars in federal funds. That story from NPR's Illison Hadbrine. Trump told a room full of reporters at the White House, the administrations in the final stages of a deal with the Ivy League school.

I guess we reached a deal with Harvard today, so we'll see what you have to do is paper it, right, Linda? Yes, sir. Paper it out. He's referring there to Education Secretary Linda McMahon. When asked for details, Trump caveated a bit, saying that they were getting, quote, very close to finalizing the terms. He did say Harvard would pay $500,000.

million dollars and fund trade schools in exchange for the reactivation of federal research funding and so that, quote, their sins are forgiven. Officials at Harvard have not commented on the deal. Alistin Adwarning and PR News. President Trump today told the nation's top commanders that the U.S. military will be used to combat the, quote, enemy within. Trump also defended the use of U.S. troops in major cities to aid immigration agents and local police. You're listening to NPR. President Trump says he has reached a deal with Pfizer to lower prescription drug costs for Medicare. According to the Trump administration, Pfizer has agreed to discount drugs sold directly to U.S. consumers.

The deal also calls for a new government-run website for selling prescription drugs called TrumpRX.gov. Further details are expected next week. A major earthquake has jolted an area of the Philippine province of Cebu, killing it. at least 31 people, and injuring scores others. The magnitude 6.9 quake was centered about 10 miles northeast of Bogo, a coastal town of about 90,000 people. A stage adaptation of the Apple TV Plus series Shmigadoon is headed to Broadway in the spring.

As Jeff London reports, the stage version was presented at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. last winter. Shmigadoon is a loving, satirical look at Broadway musical of the Golden Era, the 1940s and 50s. With script, music and lyrics by Cinco Paul, the television series starred Keegan Michael Key and Cecily Strong as a modern couple who get trapped in a town

where everybody sings. Paul has reprised his role for the stage show produced by Lorne Michaels, which is yet to announce a cast and creative team. Shmigadoon opens on Broadway for a limited run beginning in April. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York. U.S. futures are lower in after-hours trading on Wall Street. This is NPR News.