NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-07-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: October 7, 2025

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Shortwave thinks of science as an invisible force, showing up in your everyday life. Powering the food you eat, the medicine you use, the tech in your pocket. Science is approachable because it's already part of your life. Come explore these connections on the shortwave podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shay Stevens. The partial government shutdown has entered a seventh day after the U.S. Senate again failed to pass a stopgap spending bill. And as NPR's Giles Snyder reports, Democrats denied the talks are underway to end the standoff. President Trump seemed to open the door to a deal when he spoke with reporters at the White House.

We have a negotiation going on right now with the Democrats. Ted could lead to very good things. Democrats say they're ready to talk but deny that negotiations are underway. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffrey says the White House. House has been radio silent. Neither Leader Schumer or myself have heard a word from the administration about resolving this issue, making clear to us that the White House wanted to shut the government down. Democrats want to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that make the cost of health insurance

easier to bear. Republicans say the shutdown must end first. Trial Snyder, NPR News. Governor J.B. Pritzker says the Trump administration is trying to use federal troops to incite Illinois residents. The state and city of Chicago are suing the administration over the matter. But WBEC's Mauiqbal reports that a federal judge is delaying his ruling to allow time for appeal. A federal judge in Chicago is giving the Trump administration until Thursday to respond to the lawsuit. The president has been threatening to send military members to Chicago for months

in order to, quote, maintain order while federal agents ramp up immigration enforcement. Governor J.B. Prisker says the state will use every lever to resist. They think they can fool us all into thinking. thinking that the way to get out of this crisis that they created is to give them free reign. Well, that plan will only work if we let it. A federal judge in Oregon has barred the president from sending National Guard members to Oregon. From Parenthood News, I'm Mawa-Iqbal in Springfield, Illinois. The Census Bureau is seeking temporary workers in six states to help carry out next year's major field test.

As NPR's Hansi-Lewang report, some census advocates are concerned about delays. The Census Bureau says it needs about 1,500. workers for the 2026 census tests in parts of Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. They're supposed to help develop better ways of getting a count of every person living in the states in 2030. Those numbers determine each state share of congressional seats like total college votes and federal funding. But also implying with the census quality reinforcement task force is concerned the Bureau is behind on raising public awareness. They need to be able to test a lot of these procedures and they haven't gotten the budget

increases that they would need and they normally get at this point in the 10-year cycle. The Census Bureau says it plans some mail invitations to some households around the country to participate in the census test starting in March. Onzi Luong, NPR News. A medical helicopter crashed on a Sacramento Freeway late Monday, injuring the three-member crew. Reach Air Medical Service, which owns the chopper, says there were no patients aboard and that no one on the highway was injured. This is NPR.

A federal judge has rejected the Justice Department. Department's request for a delay in the deportation case against Kilmar Obrego-Garcia. The Maryland man was wrongfully deported to his native El Salvador earlier this year and then brought back to the United States under court order. He remains in detention on charges of human trafficking, which Obrego-Garcia denies. Drugstore chain, Rite Aid, has officially closed all of its locations. NPR's Alina Seljuk reports that the move follows the company's second bankruptcy in less than two years. once one of America's biggest drugstore chains with thousands of locations. But pharmacy chains

overall have struggled to adjust to changing payment structures for prescriptions and the retail side faces stiff competition from grocery, big box and dollar stores. Rite Aid first filed for bankruptcy protection in late 2023. Its debt ballooned in part because of expensive lawsuits alleging that Rite Aid illegally filled opioid prescriptions. The chain came out of bankruptcy last year, a smaller company after store closures and layoffs, but not for long. The restructuring plan failed, new funding fell through, and the chain went bankrupt again in May, this time for good. Alina Selukh, NPR News.

Belize in London say they've busted an international gang suspected of smuggling tens of thousands of stolen mobile phones. Authorities say 18 people have been arrested and more than 2,000 stolen devices have been recovered. Police say the investigation began last year after one victim tracked down. down his stolen phone to a warehouse where hundreds of other devices were found. This is NPR News. 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. or wherever you get your podcasts.