NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-30-2025 4PM EDT

Episode Date: September 30, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Amy Held. The U.S. is facing its first federal shutdown in almost seven years. Some services could be delayed and most federal workers would not get paid. But this time, President Trump said some could even be fired. Senators spoke today ahead of tonight's midnight deadline amid a congressional standoff over expiring health care subsidies and spending. Here's Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. We wanted to give our Republican colleagues a chance.

that's why some of us back in March said okay but we saw what happened after that we saw a decimation of health care in the BBB Republican Majority Leader John Thune says it's not about helping people pay for health insurance for Democrats they're on to argue about the substance of a continuing resolution that funds the government for seven weeks

at which time they'll have similar leverage it doesn't have anything to do with that has everything to do with politics Unsurprisingly, each side accuses the other of shouldering shutdown blame, but people would blame one party more. According to new polling from NPR PBS News and Marist, NPR's Domenico Montanaro reports. Neither party would get the majority of the blame, but Republicans who control both chambers of Congress would get more of it than Democrats by a 38 to 27 percent margin. Another 31 percent say they would blame both parties equally. Across the political spectrum, people are split on whether it's better to compromise to avoid a shutdown,

or to stand on principle, even if it means one would occur. Democrats and independents lean toward compromise, while Republicans tend towards standing on principle. The survey of more than 1,400 people across the country was conducted over five days last week. It has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points, meaning results could be three points higher or lower. Domenico Montanaro, NPR News, Washington.

Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Higgseth addressed senior military commanders, who came in from all over the world today for a highly unusual meeting outside Washington. NPR's Joe Hernandez reports. Heg Seth has made a warrior ethos central to his view of the military, and he reiterated that message telling top generals and admirals that the newly renamed Department of War had lost its way and become woke. He added, to ensure peace, we must prepare for war. Heg Seth summoned top U.S. military commanders from around the world for the unusual meeting in Quantico, Virginia, made even more unusual by the presence of President Trump.

The defense secretary has called for reducing by about 20 percent the number of admirals and generals who stand at more than 800. Joe Hernandez, NPR News. A federal judge in Boston today ruled the Trump administration is violating the First Amendment by targeting pro-Palestinian protesters for deportation. Judge William Young wrote that non-citizens in the U.S. legally enjoy the same free speech rights as citizens, and he will hold a hearing to decide how to try to force. the government to stop violating those rights. This is NPR News. A frantic race against time in Indonesia where rescuers are trying to get oxygen and water to dozens of students feared trapped in a collapsed school.

At least three were killed and more than 100 injured when the building came down yesterday in East Java province. Officials say the building collapsed during construction. Crews are using heavy equipment to try to free victims from the rubble. anti-government protests are taking place in two African nations, Morocco and Madagascar. Kate Bartlett reports both demonstrations, thousands of miles apart, are being led by angry youth, angry over government mismanagement. From the Indian Ocean to the Sahara, Gen Z is fed up. In Madagascar, after thousands took to the streets to protest against water and electricity shortages, the country's president announced he was dissolving the country.

government on Monday. The demonstrations started last week and the UN has condemned what it said was a violent response by the security forces. The capital city is under nighttime curfew. President Andre Rajalina hopes sucking his government will show he listened to the protesters, but they've also been calling for his resignation, which he fell short of offering. In North Africa, Morocco's youth-led protests are taking place of a corruption and an ill-functioning health system. They are mainly being organized on TikTok and Discord. For NPR News, I'm Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg. Eight hours before looming government shutdown at the closing bell on Wall Street, stocks were mixed. The Dow down 66 points, the S&P, up a fraction of a point. This is NPR News.