NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-08-2025 12PM EDT

Episode Date: October 8, 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 Janine Herbst. Former FBI Director James Comey has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges brought by federal prosecutors. The case has fueled concerns that the Justice Department is being used to go after President Trump's perceived political enemies. And peers Ryan Lucas has more.

Comey's attorney entered the not guilty plea at his arraignment in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. The former FBI director faces one false statements count and one count of obstruction of a congressional proceeding. The charges stem from testimony Comey gave to Congress in 2020. The Justice Department charged him just days after President Trump publicly called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to go after Comey and two other political foes. Trump also pushed out the top federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia and replaced him with a former insurance lawyer who once served as Trump's personal attorney, who days later secured the Comey indictment. That has fueled growing concerns that the Justice Department is being weaponized to target Trump's opponents. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. the second week of the shutdown of the federal government with no end in sight. The longest was

35 days in 2019. And Pierce Domenico Montanaro has more on what the path out might look like. Already there are delays at airports around the country as air traffic controllers call out sick, and they haven't even missed a full paycheck yet. That'll happen October 28th. The White House isn't budging and is trying to blame Democrats. Democrats are holding firm on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies which expire at the end of the year. Right now it appears to be a game. of chicken with the way out likely going to come down to who wins the messaging battle and which side feels the most pressure. Do Democrats fold and agree to a short-term reopening? Do Republicans appear to go too far with attempted firings and cutting off funds to blue states?

At this point, it's not clear who has the advantage, and this could go on a while. Domenico Montanaro, NPR News, Washington. Forecasters think global trade will grow faster this year than they had expected. And Pierre Scott Horsley has more on the latest outlook from the World Trade Organization. The WTO expects global goods trade to grow by 2.4% this year, more than twice as fast as it had been projecting just a couple months ago. That's partly thanks to robust trade in computer chips and other products tied to artificial intelligence. Tesla is rolling out cheaper models of two of its electric vehicles, the Model Y and Model 3, will both list for under $40,000. Tesla's trying to recharge sales, which have been hurt by increased competition and political backlash to CEO Elon Musk.

And gold prices continue to sparkle. After topping $4,000 an ounce this week, for the first time ever, gold continues to see strong demand from anxious investors seeking a safe haven. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. Wall Street's higher at last check. The Dow is up 183 points, the NASDAQ up 193, S&B 500, up 37. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The MacArthur Foundation has revealed its latest,

batch of fellows. There are 22, and each will receive $800,000 to support their ideas and potential. Ari Daniel has more on the seven science and math awards. One of the recipients manipulates the surface proteins of viruses to develop more effective vaccines, including perhaps a universal coronavirus vaccine. Another fellow has discovered more than a million binary star systems, dozens of neutron stars, and two dormant black holes by analyzing massive data sets. Yet another winner explores the critical relationships between plants, fungi, and microbes, showing these organisms reward and punish one another with precision. Other fellows study the primate visual system, recovering nutrients from wastewater,

the forces driving tropical weather, and unexpected connections between math and physics. For NPR News, I'm Ari Daniel. Federal health officials are warning consumers about a potential risk of listeria traced to spinach in certain hello-fresh subscription meals sold in the U.S. The USDA has issued a public health alert warning people not to eat the hello-fresh meals with spinach, including the pulled pork pepper pasta, ready-made meal, and unstuffed peppers with ground turkey produced by the California company and then shipped directly to consumers. Eating products with listeria can cause serious infections in older adults, pregnant women,

and in newborns. I'm Janine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.