NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-02-2025 8PM EDT

Episode Date: October 3, 2025

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There's something wrong with the plumbing in Cincinnati. Billions of gallons of raw sewage ends up in waterways every year. And for some, that raw sewage is a lot closer to home. When it's coming out of the drain down there, it's sewage. The stench was terrible. Listen to the Backed Up podcast from the NPR Network and Cincinnati Public Radio. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. The government shutdown is expected to run through the weekend as talks in Washington remain gridlocked.

Claudio Grisales reports the Senate on Friday will hold another vote on partisan stopgack bills that have repeatedly failed to win enough support. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he'll put the failed stopgap bills on the floor again to keep up pressure on Democrats. But even Thune is skeptical. Anything will change. They'll have a fourth chance tomorrow to vote to open up the government. And if that fails, then we'll get enough weekend to think about it. We'll come back and we'll go in on Monday. have 53 seats in the Senate, so they'll need support from at least seven Democrats to reach a required 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster. But the parties are stuck. Democrats are

demanding an extension of expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, and Republicans say that won't happen in a short-term measure. Claudia Rises, NBR News, the Capitol. Defense Secretary Pete Hegeseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi traveled to Memphis today to oversee President Trump's effort to crack down on crime in the city, NPR's Kat-Lonstorf reports more than 90 arrests have been made since the federal intervention began. Speaking in front of both state and federal law enforcement, as well as members of the National Guard, Defense Secretary Hague Seth said they had his support, as well as that of President Trump.

We're not here to second-guess you. We're here to have your back, to unleash you to do your job so you come home safely. Trump announced the federal task force to fight crime in the city, which is one of the highest violent crime rates in the country, although those numbers have been declining recently. Officials from more than a dozen federal agencies are out on the streets, and city leaders say National Guard troops are expected within the next two weeks. Democratic Memphis Mayor Paul Young, while unhappy about the deployment, has largely been conciliatory. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Memphis.

The Department of Energy has canceled more than $7 billion in funding for hundreds of projects. NPR's Michael Copley reports Democrats say the White House is using the cuts. to punish its political opponents. The Energy Department says it terminated funding for projects that don't address the country's energy needs and aren't economically viable. The announcement came hours after the White House Office of Management and Budget Director, Russ Vote, posted on X that the administration was canceling funding for projects in 16 states, all of which voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the last election.

DOE hasn't released a list of the projects. Democratic lawmakers called the move an illegal act of political retribution. The White House referred NPR to the Energy Department for comment. DOE didn't respond to messages seeking comment. Michael Copley, NPR News. U.S. stocks edged up to more records today with tech stocks leading the way. The SMP 500 rose a tenth of a percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added two-tenths of a percent.

From Washington, you're listening to NPR News. President Trump has declared drug cartels operating in the Caribbean are unlawful combatants and says the U.S. is now in a non-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. At least two of those operations were carried out on vessels that originated from Venezuela. An aid group in Haiti is warning that the violence in the capital city keeps getting worse. NPR's Ader-Peralta reports, this comes as the U.N. has approved a new effort to help quell the violence.

Doctors Without Borders says their teams treated some 2,600 survivors of sexual violence in the first six months of the year. Their hospitals admitted more than 2,000 people for traumatic injuries due to violence. The UN estimates that more than 3,000 people were killed in that same period. Gangs have taken most of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, and at the moment, only one hospital is functional. This week, the UN Security Council voted to create a new security mission. In 2023, the U.N. authorized the deployment of a Kenyan-led mission, which was underfunded and understaffed, and it failed to make significant gains against the gangs. Ida Pralta, NPR News, Mexico City. The State Department says it will increase staffing at certain embassies and consulates around the world to accommodate a jump in visa applications from soccer fans, wanting to attend the World Cup in the U.S. next year.

The Department plans to send hundreds of officers across the world to handle the demand for applications. The countries where they will go hasn't been determined because the 48 team field for the cup hasn't yet been finalized. I'm Rylan Barton. This is NPR News from Washington. In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life. Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show, sources and methods. NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people helping you understand why distant events matter here at home. home. Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.