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Episode Date: October 3, 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. President Trump and congressional leaders aren't expected to meet anytime soon to discuss ending the government shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson is calling on Democrats to support a Republican bill to reopen the government at current spending levels, but Democrats are holding out. They're calling for an extension of tax credits for health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act. Johnson says Democrats are asking for a wild list of partisan priorities. It is selfish, it is reprehensible, and it is

exactly the opposite of what they have all said themselves in their own words very passionately every day until now. Republican leaders say the Obamacare tax credits can wait since the subsidies expire at the end of the year. The FDA has approved a generic version of the abortion drug Mitha Pristone, meaning it can be more widely produced. As NPR's Katie Riddle reports, the decision comes at a time when the drug is under attack from abortion opponents. These kinds of approvals are typical when a drug's patent is up. If a generic drug maker shows its version is equivalent to the original, the FDA, by law, has to act. But with a Miffa pristone, the decision is controversial as it induces abortion. Medication abortion accounts for more than half of the abortions

in the United States. Given its widespread use, anti-abortion advocates have been working to limit Mifipurston's availability in recent years. HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently called for a review of its, quote, safety and efficacy. Scores of studies have found the drug to be effective and safe. Katie Riddle in PR News. New Mexico's Democrat-led statehouse voted to boost funding for food assistance and rural health care during a special legislative session today. It came in response to President Trump's cuts to spending on Medicaid and nutrition programs. The bill heads to the Democratic governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham. Republicans unanimously opposed it, arguing the state should focus on reducing errors and how benefits are distributed. A Russian tanker transporting oil

banned under international sanctions has been stopped off the Atlantic coast of France. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports, French president Emmanuel Macron is targeting the Russian phantom fleet. Macron spoke from Copenhagen after a two-day EU summit on Russian drone interference in the European airspace. He said drones over the EU must be shot down and the oil tankers stopped. There are around a thousand boats in this Russian phantom fleet moving Russian oil, he said, and proceeds from oil sales are financing up to 40 percent of Russia's war against Ukraine. Macron said European naval chiefs from countries supporting Ukraine will meet in the coming days to outline a plan to begin stopping these ships. He said the move would help force Russia

to the negotiating table. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris. Wall Street edged up to more records today. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. President Trump has declared drug cartels operating in the Caribbean are unlawful combatants and says the U.S. is now in a non-lawful. international armed conflict. The move comes after the U.S. military last month carried out three deadly strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean. The director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Kansas has lost his job after he refused to give a sword to the Trump administration. Zane Irwin of the Kansas News Service reports. Todd Errington was, until recently, director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. A few

months ago, the State Department asked him to give them one of Eisenhower's swords, so President Trump could present it as a gift to King Charles during his recent visit to the UK. But Arrington says the artifacts belong to the American people, so he helped find a replica saber for the king. Earlier this week, Arrington was told to resign or be fired. I was obviously shocked and saddened and heartbroken. An automated message at the National Archives and White House press offices said they were closed due to the government shutdown. For NPR news, I'm Zane Irwin in Kansas City, Missouri. A comet from another star system will swing by Mars tomorrow.

The comet known as 3-Ey Atlas will hurdle within 18 million miles of the red planet, its closest approach during its trek through the inner solar system. The European Space Agency and NASA are already observing the comet, which is only the third interstellar object known to have passed our way. It'll make its closest approach to the sun at the end of the month. I'm Rylan Barton. This is 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.