NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-10-2025 1AM EDT

Episode Date: October 10, 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 Steven. The Israeli government has approved the first phase of a U.S. draft ceasefire plan for Gaza, and Hamas says its negotiators have received guarantees that the agreement ends the war. The proposal calls for the release of all remaining hostages by early next week

in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. As NPR's Greg Myrie reports, it is still unclear who will control a post-war Gaza. Trump's plan is outlined last week says Hamas, which is ruled there for almost 20 years, is supposed to step aside, but they haven't publicly agreed to do that. It's the plan calls for Palestinian technocrats to take over, at least temporarily, but no one knows exactly who these people are, what authority they would have, how long they'd be there. And on top of this, there's supposed to be a committee, a Gaza committee, that Trump and the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair would head is a so-called Board of Peace.

NPR's Greg Myrie reporting. Some furloughed U.S. federal workers say they're tired of living under threat and are demanding that Congress do more. From member station, WAMU, Jenny Obama, has more. Ian Morgan is a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland and the leader of a local federal worker union. He wants any budget deal to include protections for federal workers and the services they provide.

From my perspective, it feels like the federal government has, in some ways, been shut down for the past nine months. We've seen that where, at least where I work at the NIH, right? Early on, we weren't able to get supplies to do our work. It's frustrating to be at home and not being able to do that important work. I've also been kept from doing that for the past nine months. Morgan also wants Congress to guarantee back pay for federal contractors he works closely with, many of whom will not receive pay while the government is shut down. For NPR News, I'm Jenny Abamo. Social Security checks are still going out, but agency employees say they cannot help people during the shutdown.

As NPR's Ashley Lopez reports, many Social Security recipients are left in a bind. Benefit verification letters are a service provided by the Social Security Administration that act as a sort of income verification. That is key to obtaining aid like housing assistance, fuel assistance, and help from nonprofits. But during the shutdown, the agency says people can only use either the automated phone service or online portal to get their letters. Christine Lazott, a claims representative for the agency in Auburn, Maine, said those systems don't work for everyone. This is the most vulnerable population. These are elderly people who've never used a computer. Agency employees say they're dealing with an uptick of frantic and upset callers as they work without pay. Ashley Lopez, NPR News.

U.S. futures are flat in after-hours trading on Wall Street. This is NPR. The Trump administration's effort to deploy Texas National Guard troops in Chicago is on hold, at least for two weeks. A federal judge has issued a temporary injunction saying there's no substantial evidence that the troops are needed there. She's also said in October 22nd hearing to determine if her order should be extended. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Brazil's Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke by phone Thursday. As Julia Canero reports, it's a positive step toward easing tensions between the two countries. Rubio and Brazil's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mao agreed to meet in Washington soon to discuss both countries trade and economic relations

following Monday's conversation between President Trump and Brazil's president Luis In Nasu Lula da Silva. In the call, Lula asked Trump to reduce the 50% tariffs imposed on Brazilian goods and to lift sanctions on Brazilian authorities. U.S.-Brazil relations had nosedived in the wake of the former Brazilian president Jae Bolsonaro's coup trial, seen by Washington as unjust. Bolsonaro, a Trump ally, was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison. For NPR News, I'm Julia Carnero in Rio de Janeiro.

A major earthquake has rocked the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. There were no immediate reports of severe injuries, but several buildings have been damaged. Emergency workers were evacuating coastal areas early Friday, following a tsunami warning that has since been lifted. The Philippines is still recovering from a deadly earthquake that killed 74 people in central Cebu, province two weeks ago. On Asian stock markets, shares are lower, down 1% in Hong Kong and Tokyo. This is NPR News.