NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-08-2025 4AM 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 Shea Stevens. President Trump says he'll follow the law when it comes to furloughed federal workers getting back pay when the government shutdown ends. But as NPR's Deepeshivaram reports, the administration argues that it does not necessarily mean that all workers will be paid. A law from 2019 signed by President Trump in his first term stipulates that all federal workers whose paychecks are paused during a government shutdown will receive the pay they've missed.

But this time around when Trump was asked whether furloughed workers should be paid. But 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's comments come on the heels of a draft memo from the White House that suggests that any back pay would require congressional action. Deepa Chivaram, NPR News, the White House. There's a legal fight brewing over the Trump administration's official federal website postings blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. NPR's Kirk Sigler reports that Democrats and a union argue that it's a violation of federal law. In a complaint filed with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, former Idaho, Democratic State Legislator Todd Achilles,

takes aim and a banner currently posted atop the U.S. Forest Service website. It advises the public there could be a slow response due to the fact that, quote, radical left Democrats shut down the government. The complaint alleges this partisan political message violates the Hatch Act, which bars executive branch employees from doing anything partisan while on duty. The USDA press office has also had automated email responses with similar language. A union representing federal workers has filed a separate lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education about the out-of-office email language. Kirk Sigler, NPR News, Boise.

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 of DOJ as being weaponized and said that that happened during the previous 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 border czar, Holman and unfinished business with the Jeffrey Epstein files. President Trump is predicting that Canadian snowbirds and tourists will return to the United States.

Canadian visits to the U.S. have dropped 23 percent in protests of Trump's policies. In an Oval Office meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney, the President promised fair trade with Canada, the U.S. has imposed higher tariffs on a range of Canadian products, including lumber, steel, and aluminum. This is NPR. The Associated Press has rejected a former Tennessee Commissioner as the winner of the Republican primary for an open U.S. House seat. Trump-endors candidate Matt Van Epps has apparently defeated 10 opponents, although two suspended their campaigns. Van Epps will face Democrat Afton Bain in the December 2nd general election. The winner will fill a seat vacated by former Congressman Mark Green.

Federal health officials are warning about the spinach in certain Hello Fresh subscription meals. The spinach may have been contaminated with Listeria, as NPR's Giles Snyder reports. The Agriculture Department has issued a public health alert, warning people not to eat the hello fresh meals with spinach. They include the pork pepper pasta, ready-made meal, and unstuffed peppers with ground turkey. Hello-fresh meals are shipped directly to consumers. those in question were produced by the California-based company Fresh Realm, which says testing showed no match to any known Listeria outbreak and no illnesses have been reported.

However, Fresh Realm has been linked to an expanding Listeria outbreak tied to heat and eat meals made with pasta supplied by Nate's Vine Foods, leading grocery stores including Kroger, Giant Eagle, and Albertsons to recall pasta salads and other dishes. Trial Snyder, NPR News. 30 paintings by late artist Bob Ross are set to be auctioned to support public television stations. The auction comes as Congress eliminates over $1 billion in funding for public broadcasting. Ross died in 1995 following 11 years as host of The Joy of Painting.

This is NPR News. You care about what's happening in the world. Stay informed with NPR's State of the World podcast. In just a few minutes, we take you to stories around the globe. You might hear the latest developments in the world. world conflicts or about what global events mean for the price of your coffee. Listen to the State of the World podcast from NPR.