NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-07-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: October 7, 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 Amy Held. President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are meeting at the White House. They're discussing soured trade relations after Trump imposed seep tariffs on imports from Canada, top U.S. trading partner.

It comes on day seven of the federal shutdown that's furloughed 750,000 federal workers. By law, that Trump signed in his first term, workers are guaranteed back pay after the shutdown ends. A reporter asked Trump whether this time around, that's still the case. It really depends on who you're talking about. But for the most part, we're going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don't deserve to be taken care of, and we'll take care of them in a different way. Trump did not offer specifics.

The administration has reiterated threats of using the shutdown to justify mass layoffs. Trump also said today he will be eliminating some government programs. While the government shutdown won't touch federal benefits like Medicare and Social Security, nutrition assistance for pregnant women and new parents could take a hit. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports. The program WIC helps nearly 7 million people access healthy foods, but the National WIC Association estimates money for it will run out in about two weeks. After that, states will have to close the gap if their budgets allow. Lucia Graves in New Hampshire says if WIC benefits for her four-year-old daughter end, it will be a lot harder to make ends meet.

The prices of milk, the prices of eggs, the price of bread, all these things are like astronomical. So it would be a huge hit to us. If the shutdown drags out, the WIC Association says local clinics may have to triage, prioritizing pregnant or breastfeeding women and turning away preschool-aged children. Jennifer Lutton, NPR News, Washington. Today marks two years since Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and sparking the war in Gaza. Since then, the Gaza Health Ministry says Israeli forces have killed more than 67,000

Palestinians. U.S. led efforts to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continue. Now, NPR's Jason DeRose says a new poll from the Washington Post finds many American Jews are critical of how Israel is conducting the war in Gaza. The poll found that more than six in ten American Jews say Israel has committed war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza. It also found that nearly four in ten describe Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide. The Washington Post poll surveyed 815 American Jews in early September. The findings are in concert with a poll released last month conducted by Ipsos in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Rochester. That earlier study found just 31% of American Jews approve of Israel's military campaign in Gaza over the last two years, suggesting there's greater internal difference

regarding Israel's actions than once thought. Jason DeRose, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News. Help has arrived for more than 300 people trapped by heavy snow at campsites on Mount Everest, but more than 200 of them remain stuck in frigid temperatures. One person has died from hypothermia. Snowstorms on Saturday buried trails, stranding hundreds of tourists on the Tibet side of the mountain. And extreme weather has stalled rescue efforts. Paleontologists say they've unearthed the oldest and most complete skeleton of a little-known group of dinosaurs. They existed about 110 million years ago.

Ari Daniel reports. The researchers in southern Mongolia spotted something in the rock face that looked like a perfectly polished jewel. It was a skull belonging to a new species of the oldest known Pachycephalosaur, a dinosaur with a domed head made of solid bone. This specimen was at least two years old when it died, revealing young animals already had fully developed domes. Whether they were battling it out for territory or mates is something we're not entirely sure of, but whatever they were doing with those domes, they started practicing at a very young age. North Carolina State University paleontologist Lindsay Zano says the discovery fills a crucial gap in the evolution of these dynos. For NPR news, I'm Marie Daniel. The latest tropical storm has formed in the Atlantic.

Jerry forecast to pass near the northern Leward Islands later this week. and in the Pacific, Priscilla has strengthened to a category two hurricane, bringing rain and wind to parts of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. Hurricane season lasts until the end of November. It's NPR News.