NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-01-2025 10PM EDT

Episode Date: October 2, 2025

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Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theshmit.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. Congress finished the day without ending the government shutdown. Republicans were once again unable to get enough democratic support to pass their short-term spending bill. NPR's Elena Moore reports. The bill needs at least 60 votes to pass, but the GOP-backed motion has come up short twice, 55 to 45. The divide is largely along party lines, with most Democrats vowing to oppose the measure unless it addresses soon to be expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies. Republicans have rejected that. Some say they're open to discussing that issue, but only after the government reopens. Moving forward, no votes are expected Thursday in observation of Yom Kippur.

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters conversations between lawmakers will continue. Elena Moore, NPR News, the Capitol. The government shutdown won't touch federal benefits like Medicare and Social Security, but NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports that nutrition assistance for pregnant women and new parents could be hit. The program WIC helps nearly 7 million people access healthy foods, but the National WIC Association estimates money for it will run out in about two weeks. After that, states will have to close the food. the gap if their budgets allow.

Lucia Graves in New Hampshire says if WIC benefits for her four-year-old daughter, and it will be a lot harder to make ends meet. The prices of milk, the prices of eggs, the price of bread, all of these things are like astronomical. So it would be a huge hit to us. If the shutdown drags out, the WIC Association says local clinics may have to triage, prioritizing pregnant or breastfeeding women and turning away preschool-aged children. Jennifer Lutton, NPR News, Washington. The mayor of Memphis says that National Guard troops are not in the city yet.

President Trump's federal intervention there will include more than a dozen federal agencies. NPR's Kat-Lonstorf reports. Speaking at a town hall, Mayor Paul Young told residents there's still a lot he doesn't know about the federal operation. He said a number of agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Marshals are operating in Memphis right now. The National Guard is not one of them yet. We know that at some point they will come. Memphis police chief, C.J. Davis, said troops are expected in the next two weeks, adding that there are still a lot of unknowns about the deployment.

Everybody wants to know how many National Guard are coming? We don't know. U.S. Attorney General Pambandi says 53 people were arrested in the first 48 hours of the operation, which is expected to have a slow rollout and last for weeks, maybe months. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Memphis. New Mexico lawmakers are pushing to shore up, safety net funding in a special legislative session in response to President Trump's spending and tax cuts. The state has one of the highest rates of Medicaid and federal food assistance enrollment. Stocks closed up today. From Washington, this is NPR News. The U.S. military

has begun drawing down its mission against the Islamic State in Iraq. American forces will leave some bases where troops have been stationed during a two-decade-long military presence in the country. The drawdown comes just months after the Trump administration withdrew about 600 troops from Syria. The Islamic State still carries out deadly attacks in both countries. A federal bank's repsy judge has rejected an effort by Alex Jones to stop the sale of his Info Wars company. Proceeds will go to families of Sandy Hook school shooting victims who sued and won nearly $1.3 billion after Jones said they were lying about their kids being among those killed. NPR's Tovia Smith reports.

In a fiery debate in federal bankruptcy court, Jones's lawyers tried to stop a Texas state court from seizing and selling off Info Wars brand and property. They tried to persuade the bankruptcy judge it should be handled by him, but the judge disagreed since Info Wars itself is not in bankruptcy. That means a state-appointed receiver can now proceed to put Info Wars up for sale. One of the family's lawyers welcomed the decision saying, quote, Jones's days of dodging justice are numbered. The satirical news site, The Onion, has expressed interest in buying info wars but did not respond to a request for comment after this latest ruling. Tovia Smith, NPR News. Coffee-Browned Maxwell House is downsizing to Maxwell apartment for a limited one-year lease. The company says it's rebranding to meet the needs of consumers in America where more than a third of people rent their homes instead of owning.

I'm Rylan Barton. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. This message comes from Snap Judgment. Their new series, A Tiny Plot, follows a group of homeless people in Oakland as they fight to create their own encampment run by their own rules. It's a bold experiment in freedom and community. Listen to Snap Judgment wherever you get your podcasts.