NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-03-2025 11PM EDT

Episode Date: October 4, 2025

NPR News: 10-03-2025 11PM EDTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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. Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Dua Halle, Psychology. Tell. President Trump says he believes Hamas is now ready for a lasting peace after the organization responded to the White House's ceasefire deal released earlier this week. And Pierre's Deepa Chivaram reports. Trump posted on social media that Israel, quote, must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza. His post came shortly after Hamas released a statement saying that it would agree to release Israeli hostages. Hours earlier, Trump set a deadline of 6 p.m. on Sunday for Hamas to agree to the ceasefire deal. or he said hell would break out for Hamas.

That deal was released on Monday when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House. Israel already agreed to the deal, which stipulates an immediate end to the war in Gaza, with Israel allowing more aid into Gaza and Hamas releasing the remaining Israeli hostages. Deepa Shiverram, NPR News, the White House. A new poll published today finds that a large majority of the public thinks Congress should extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act Health. plans. NPR Selina Simmons-Duffins reports. More than three quarters of people across the political spectrum say Congress should extend the enhanced ACA tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the

year. That's according to a poll from KFF, the nonpartisan health research organization. It also found most Republicans support extending the subsidies. Ashley Kersinger of KFF says people who have these plans are worried about their rates doubling. Seven and ten, say they're they wouldn't be able to afford that coverage, and four in 10 so that that means that they would go without health insurance coverage in 2026. The Congressional Budget Office estimates millions of people will become uninsured if the subsidies aren't extended. Salina Simmons-Duffin, NPR News, Washington. The U.S. Secretary of Defense says they destroyed another boat off the coast of Venezuela. NPR's Ada Peralta reports this is the fourth boat targeted by the U.S. since early September.

Secretary Pete Hexeth said the attack killed four men whom he accused of being, quote, narco-terrorists. President Trump alleged the boat was loaded with enough drugs to kill up to 50,000 people, but the White House has offered no evidence of that. Venezuela says these are provocations by the U.S., which is intent on toppling the leftist authoritarian government of President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela's Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padino, said they had also detected five American F-35s flying very close to Venezuelan territory on Thursday. day. This is a threat against the security of the nation, he said. Adapralta, NPR News, Mexico City.

The Justice Department says it is launching an investigation into the Portland Police Bureau following the arrest of a conservative journalist and influencer. You are listening to NPR News from New York. A district judge in New York has sentenced hip-hop mogul, Sean Diddy, Combs to four years and two months in prison and a fine of $500,000 for transporting his girlfriends and male escorts across state lines for sexual encounters that often involved drugs. The judge told Combs, who looked visibly emotional and downcast in court, quote, you were no John. You were more than that, even if your currency was satisfying your

sexual desires instead of money. But Combs' attorneys claimed the sex involved was consensual. they plan to appeal. This week's number one album comes with a twist. It was certified platinum on the day of its release. And Pierre Stephen Thompson has that story. Typically, it takes time for a hit album to be certified platinum. It sells a lot of copies and racks up streams in the days and weeks after its release. But Am I the Drama by the rapper Cardi B was already platinum the moment it came out.

That's because two of its songs were colossal hits four or five years ago. The chart-toppers Wop and Up. Those songs had never appeared on an album before. Now that they are on Am I the Drama, the record gets retroactive credit for billions of song streams. Am I The Drama also features loads of new songs, 16 of them hit this week's Hot 100 singles chart, and the album itself debuts at number one. Stephen Thompson, NPR News. This is NPR.