NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-04-2025 8AM EDT

Episode Date: October 4, 2025

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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 Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. Israel's military is cutting back on some of its operations in Gaza in order to allow Hamas to locate living hostages and exhumed the bodies of those who are dead. Hamas said earlier it had agreed to a U.S. proposal to hand over all remaining hostages to Israel, after which Israel would end its war in Gaza. But as NPR Assembly Fang reports, there is no ceasefire yet.

Israeli shelling of Gaza continued overnight into Saturday. And Piazana's Baba in Gaza reported at least three strikes Saturday morning, one of which killed one civilian. Mahmoud Basel, the spokesperson for Gaza's civil defense teams, warned residents not to return to areas the Israeli military was withdrawing from. And recorded warning he listed off-limits neighborhoods and said his teams are awaiting an official ceasefire announcement from the U.S. Earlier this week, Israel issued an ultimatum, warning all civilians to leave Gaza City in the news. North or be considered a, quote, supporter of terror. Emily Fang and Pier News Tel Aviv. Republicans are blaming Democrats for the government shutdown that has now entered a fourth day.

They say Democratic demands at any deal include an extension of health care subsidies is unrealistic. House Speaker Mike Johnson. I don't have anything to negotiate. Leader Thune and I can't take off Republican priorities that we put in the CR and say, hey, is that better? Could you vote for that? because we didn't put them on there in the first place. Johnson says the House will be closed for legislative business next week

in an effort to force the Senate to focus on the bill passed by House Republicans. The shutdown will continue at least until Monday. It's not clear if any negotiations are underway, but the Senate is not in session this weekend. Majority Leader John Thune says he does not see the point since there's been no progress. Some Republican senators are attending a Republican fundraiser at a coastal resort in Georgia this weekend.

With the ongoing shutdown, many federal workers at the Department of Education were surprised by a change to their email. NPR's Corey Turner reports that Trump administration wrote a new out-of-office message for them. If you email furloughed workers at the Education Department, you're likely to get the same out-of-office response. It says, thank you for contacting me. Unfortunately, Democrats senators are blocking passage of H.R. 5371 in the Senate, which has led to Alaska. and appropriations. Multiple employees confirmed to NPR that though this message was written in the first person and sent from their email, they did not write it, and were not told it would replace whatever message they had written. The partisan message may also be at odds with the

Hatch Act, a law that limits political speech by federal employees. A request for comment to the department's press office was returned with the same message. Corey Turner, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR news. Portland, Oregon police chief Bob Day is rejecting claims that his officers are aligned with protesters demonstrating against President Trump's immigration crackdown. You know, the irony here is we were condemned in 2020 for our approach towards the left, and now we're being condemned in 2025 for our approach to the right. So I would say we've landed right in the middle of the fairway.

The White House announced Friday an investigation into the Portland police, a conservative journalist was among three people who were arrested, and the administration is also threatening to withhold federal aid to Portland last week. President Trump said he will send soldiers to Portland to protect ICE agents and immigration facilities. Japan's ruling liberal Democratic Party, or LDP, has chosen a conservative woman as its next leader. And Pierce Anthony Kuhn reports that Japan's parliament is expected to vote her in as prime minister later this month. Former economic security minister, Sinai Takaiichi, beat out four other competitors in two rounds of voting. She's now poised to become Japan's first female

prime minister. Takaichi advocates increased defense spending and stricter immigration controls. She opposes same-sex marriage and letting women exceed to Japan's imperial throne. Japanese are fed up with a political establishment. The LDP, which has governed Japan for most of the past seven decades, now finds itself in the minority in both houses of parliament. It can only get its legislation passed by forming coalitions with opposition, parties. Takeichi will face an early test of her foreign policy skills when President Trump visits Japan towards the end of this month. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul. And I'm Jail Snyder. This is NPR News.