NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-05-2025 3PM EDT

Episode Date: October 5, 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 Nora Rom. The Pentagon in a memo yesterday called up at least 300 members of the Illinois National Guard into federal service. NPR's Tom Bowman has more. This memo obtained by NPR calls for troops to deploy for 60 days to Chicago.

The troops are expected to deploy sometime this week, no idea exactly when. And Hakesh's Saturday memo says the troops are there to protect facilities where, quote, violent demonstrations are occurring or could occur based on threat. assessments. Now, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has refused to deploy his guard to Chicago saying it's not necessary, so President Trump took over the National Guard by federalizing them. NPR's Tom Bowman. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard to Portland, Oregon. The order issued yesterday said the government has not shown that recent protests outside an ICE facility justified sending in the National Guard.

It's day five of the government shutdown. Democratic and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill say neither side is willing to talk. NPR's Luke Garrett reports. The Senate will vote on whether to reopen the government Monday, but leader John Thune tells Fox News the two parties are at an impasse. The Democrats just need to open up the government. Right now, we're at a stalemate. Most Democrats are withholding their support of a short-term funding bill

in order to negotiate health care benefit extensions. Thune says this won't happen during a shutdown, but Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, tells CBS, talks need to happen now. It's a Republican shutdown because they've refused to talk with us. Meanwhile, one of President Trump's top economic advisors, Kevin Hassett, tells CNN, federal workers could start losing their jobs. If the president decides that the negotiations are absolutely going nowhere,

then there will start to be layoffs. But Hassett did not say when. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington. Negotiators are to meet in Egypt tomorrow to discuss a U.S. proposal to end the war in Gaza. Both Israel and Hamas have said they accept the first phase, but much needs to be settled. Meanwhile, conditions in Gaza remain desperate, as NPR's Michael Levitt reports. Humanitarian organizations say that the need for aid corridors to the besieged territory remains urgent. It's been over a month since famine was declared in Gaza.

UNICEF spokesperson James Elder says the need goes beyond food supplies. He spoke to NPR from Gaza, where he has been visiting hospitals. Pain killers have not been allowed in. Or it's hygiene kits or it's, you know, hygiene pads for girls, or it's incubators. I just was at a hospital two days ago. You're talking about three premature babies on a bed sharing oxygen. And what possible reason is there to deny incubators? Elder says there is hope among Palestinians amid news of progress on a peace deal.

Hope, he says, is literally all they have. Michael Levitt, NPR News. This is NPR News. Ukrainian officials say Russia launched a major attack on Ukrainian infrastructure overnight, killing at least five civilians. President Vladimir Zelensky says Moscow sent more than 50 ballistic missiles and about 500 drones into nine regions across the country. On social media, Zelensky said his country needs more protection

that Russia is targeting everything that ensures people can live a normal life. Puerto Rican singer and rapper Bad Bunny is continuing a high-profile week, kicking off last night's season premiere of Saturday Live as host. NPR's Matt Bloom reports his monologue focused on his upcoming Super Bowl performance. Bad Bunny poked fun at the blowback among some Trump administration officials and conservative media outlets over his Spanish language music catalog. I'm very happy, and I think everyone is happy about it. Even Fox News.

The halftime show is expected to be performed entirely in Spanish. After speaking a few lines, Bad Bunny joked that if people didn't understand him, they had four months to learn. But he also expressed pride. The 31-year-old has been an outspoken critic of Trump's immigration agenda. He's skipping the U.S. mainland in his upcoming world tour, citing concerns about ice raids and safety for his fans. Matt Bloom, NPR News. In women's basketball, game two of the WNBA finals will be held in Las Vegas tonight.

Las Vegas leads the Best of Seven series after beating Phoenix. I'm Nora Rahm. NPR News in Washington. I'm Jesse Thorne. Ghostface Killa told me about when he was a kid, he found the number of his hero, Dougie Fresh.

He dialed it. He didn't really think it through. And he's like, hey, who this? And it just goes quiet, just like that. Ghostface Killah. That's on Bullseye for MaximumFun.org and NPR.