NPR News Now - NPR News: 09-30-2025 5PM EDT

Episode Date: September 30, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. Federal workers across the country could be furloughed at midnight. That's if Congress fails to reach a deal to keep the government open. Still, that doesn't mean the government would cease to function entirely. NPR's Andrea Shue reports. In a shutdown, some government functions that are not funded by Congress do continue. Social security checks still go out. Your mail will still be delivered.

Other functions considered necessary to protect life or property would also continue. But the Trump administration has not made explicitly clear what those would be. Max Steyer, the CEO of the nonpartisan partnership for public service, says the administration has already demonstrated and even threatened... To pursue an agenda that is personal to the president as opposed to in the public's interest. Steyer warns government shutdowns make the government slower and less efficient. He says they interrupt modernization efforts and training programs and lead to a loss of talent. Andrea Shue and PR News.

Trump's federal intervention in Memphis has begun. That's according to a tweet from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. As NPR's Kat-Lansdorf reports, the operation is set to include more than a dozen federal agencies and the National Guard. Trump has said the Memphis task force is to fight crime in the city, which has some of the highest rates of violent crime in the country. Those numbers have been declining, but they're still high. Many residents in Memphis welcome the federal intervention, like 42-year-old Ronnie Davis in the northern neighborhood of Frazier. We need all the government agencies that we can get down here because the problem is coming overwhelming. Davis says gun violence in particular has become so common in his neighborhood.

He's almost numb to it. But others have protested, worried it will expand federal power in the city. Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee supports the operation and has offered the National Guard to help. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Memphis. Wall Street is largely shrugging off worries about the potential government shutdown. U.S. markets closed up slightly for the day, finishing out their latest winning month. As NPR's Maria Aspen reports, the SMP 500 rose 0.4% today to close out its fifth straight winning month after setting a record last week. The federal government seems headed for a shutdown tonight, but investors have had a great September.

All the major U.S. stock indices rose this month, despite mounting worries about inflation, tariffs, and signs of weakness in the job market. If the government does shut down, it could be harder for investors and everyone else to get updates about how, the economy is doing. The Labor Department is due to release the latest jobs report on Friday, but says that it won't release it or any other economic data while the government is closed. There are some signs that all this uncertainty is rattling investors. The price of gold, traditionally seen as a safe haven investment, has hit new record highs. Maria Aspen, NPR News, New York. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 81 points. This is NPR News from Washington. Ukraine is sending a mission to Denmark to share expertise fighting Russian drones.

Europe's drone fighting technology lags far behind Ukraine in Russia, where cutting-edge drone warfare has become a reality in recent years. European leaders agreed last week to build what they called a drone wall to track and intercept drones violating their airspace. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says it's going ahead with the dedication of its newest temple, despite the recent death of the religion's president and an attack on a church in Michigan. Colorado Public Radio's Stina Stieg reports. This small western Colorado city will be home to the religion's 210th dedicated temple in

less than three weeks. Spokesperson Paige Storheim says this honors the memory of President Russell M. Nelson. This is what he would want. He'd want us to move forward and to dedicate and to come together at our big general conference next week. President Nelson died Saturday at the age of 101. During a seven-year term, he announced the construction of hundreds of temples worldwide. He also denounced the term Mormon, citing a divine revelation to use the full name, the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day Saints. From PR News, I'm Stina Sieg in Grand Junction, Colorado.

As the Major League Baseball postseason begins, fastballs are getting faster. the average four-seam fastball among right-handed pitchers has reached 95 miles an hour for the first time. The average velocity has increased for seven straight seasons. A study released by the MLB last year concluded that faster pitches is leading to an increase in pitching injuries. This is NPR News from Washington.