NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-11-2025 10PM EDT

Episode Date: October 12, 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. Israel and Hamas are preparing for the first big test of the ceasefire agreement intended to end the war in Gaza. Hamas has to release all remaining Israeli hostages and Israel has to free Palestinian detainees. And peers Greg Maury has more.

A massive crowd filled Tel Aviv's hostage square, the plaza where there's been a vigil throughout the war for Israeli captives in Gaza. The featured speaker was Steve Whitkoff, the U.S. envoy who helped negotiate the truce. To the hostages themselves, our brothers and sisters, you are coming home. When Whitkoff mentioned President Trump, the crowd cheered wildly. When he mentioned Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, the crowd booed long and hard. On Monday, Hamas must release 20 hostages believed to be alive as well as 28 dead hostages. In turn, Israel must free the Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Greg Myrie, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

Amid the more than 4,000 federal workers who got layoff notices from the Trump administration last night were several scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But today, the administration scrambled to reverse some of those layoffs. And here's Jeff Brumfield has more. The situation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is just really chaotic. On Friday night, a number of employees received a notice that they've been laid off. These people were working in everything from global health to infectious diseases and immunizations, respiratory disease, chronic disease, things like that. Then on Saturday, a number of these employees received a notice that they were no longer laid off, according to a letter seen by NPR.

It remains unclear how many people have actually lost their jobs and what it means for the nation's main infectious disease agency. NPR's Jeff Brumfield reporting. Figils were being held this evening for victims of an industrial explosion in Tennessee. Blake Farmer of Member Station WPLN reports no survivors have been recovered. The explosion occurred Friday at a remote facility operated by accurate energetic systems. The company processes explosives. The search for remains has involved hundreds of responders who must move cautiously. They've warned neighbors that controlled detonations may be needed.

A federal team of investigators has joined to help determine the cause. Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis says they will take their time. Can I say we're going to rule out foul plate? We can't answer that. That might be days or weeks or months before we can do that. Davis says they owe it to the victims to get the investigation right. The company is providing assistance to the families. The CEO appeared in a video to say their hearts are broken and ask for prayers.

For NPR News, I'm Blake Farmer in Nashville. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Washington. In Mexico, heavy rain set off floods and landslides, killing at least 37 people in the central and southeastern part of the country. This says thousands of soldiers cleared blocked roads to rescue the missing. The heavy rains also cut off power to around 150 communities north of Mexico City. Officials say more than 16,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Oscar-winning actor Diane Keaton has died. She was 79 years old. Keaton was best known for her role in Annie Hall, for which she won an Oscar, and dozens of other films, including The Godfather, where she played the wife of Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino. Here's a cut from that movie. Michael, why did you come here? Why? What do you want on me after all this time without you from calling your writing? I came here because I need you, because I kept for you.

Please stop it, Michael. Because I want you to marry me. Keaton was also in the First Wives Club, Baby Boom, Father of the Bride, and many others. The cause of her death hasn't been released. The U.N. says postal traffic to the U.S. is down about 70 percent, five weeks after the Trump administration ended the de minimis exemption, which had spared low-value packages worth less than $800 from duties and taxes. Last month, the Universal Postal Union reported that 88 of its 192 member countries had since spend at all or some postal services to the U.S. to adjust their shipping procedures,

only a handful of those have resumed operations to the U.S. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.