NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-08-2025 1AM 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 Shay Stevens. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson says he wants furloughed government workers to receive back pay, but he says the White House has the authority to withhold it. Minority Leader Khakiing Jeffries disagrees and says Democrats will fight to make sure those payments are made.

Every single furloughed federal employee is entitled to back pay. Period. Full stop. The law is clear, and we will make sure that that law is followed. A shortage of air traffic controllers is disrupting. travel at several airports across the nation as the partial government shutdown continues. Democrats say they will not support a proposal to end the shutdown until Republicans restore health care subsidies expiring on December 31st. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the Justice Department's actions under the Trump administration during a Senate hearing on Tuesday. Bondi bristled when asked if DOJ as being weaponized, saying that happened during the Biden administration.

They were playing politics with law enforcement powers and will go down as a historic betrayal of public trust. This is the kind of conduct that shatters the American people's faith in our law enforcement system. We will work to earn that back every single day. Bondi deflected questions on bribery allegations against the border czar, Tom Poman, an unfinished business with the Jeffrey Epstein files. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is accusing President Trump, Trump of using American troops as political props and pawns. Pritzker says he made the remark as Texas National Guard members arrived in Chicago against his

wishes. President Trump insists federal intervention is needed to combat crime and illegal immigration in cities run by Democrats. Meanwhile, a judge in California says the deployment of National Guard members in Los Angeles earlier this year was illegal. In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton says his office is launching undercover investigations into what he calls leftist violence. KERA's Caroline Love has details from Dallas. Ken Paxton calls far-left political violence a clear and present danger and cites the recent killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk as an example. Extremism expert Jason Blasekis from the Middlebury Institute says the Trump administration has cut funding for federal programs

aimed at preventing terrorism and violence. This administration, unfortunately, has it invested in prevention, which is one of the most important ways we can stop this kind of behavior. President Trump recently declared the leftist Antifa movement a domestic terrorist organization. Historically far-right extremist violence has been far more prevalent in the U.S. For NPR News, I'm Caroline Love. U.S. futures are flat in after-hours trading on Wall Street. You're listening to NPR.

A former Tennessee Commissioner has won the Republican primary to fill an open U.S. House seat in the state's 7th Congressional District. That Van Epps defeated 10 opponents, but two suspended their campaigns. It was also endorsed by President Trump. Van Epps will face Afton Bain on the December 2nd general election. The winner will fill a seat that was vacated by former Congressman Mark Green. Pilots are calling on India's aviation regulator to inspect all Boeing 787 Dreamliners that are operating in that country for potential electrical problems. As NPR's Dia Hadid reports from Mumbai, the request follows a mid-air incident last weekend.

The request came after a dreamliner abruptly deployed an emergency power system mid-air during an Air India flight to Britain. The device would normally be activated when an aircraft's engine. lose power, or its hydraulic systems register critically low pressure, or its electrical systems fail. But the Federation of Indian Pilots says the emergency power system was engaged unexpectedly. Air India told AP that an initial inspection found that all electrical and hydraulic parameters were normal and that the aircraft landed safely. In June, a dreamliner bound for London crashed in the Indian city of Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff, killing 260 people. The cause is still under investigation.

Dear Hadid, NPR News, Mumbai. U.S.S. futures are flat in after-hours trading on Wall Street, on Asia-Pacific market shares are mixed, down 1% in Hong Kong. This is NPR News. America's global role is shifting fast. On sources and methods, we explain how and why. I'm Mary Louise Kelly. I've talked to spies.

I've reported from war zones I've interviewed ambassadors, generals, presidents. I want to understand what is happening around the world and how it affects us. us, join me and my fellow reporters as we break it down for you. Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.