NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-13-2025 10AM EDT

Episode Date: October 13, 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 Louise Skiyavoni. A historic day in the Middle East with Hamas freeing the last 20 living Israeli hostages it has held for the past two years. It's all part of a U.S. brokered ceasefire arrangement with multiple complex steps ahead. President Trump addressed the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem where he received standing ovations and also protests by some Israeli lawmakers.

NPR's Daniel Estrin has more from Tel Aviv. Air Force One landed in Israel as Israeli hostages were being escorted out of Gaza. And Israel began releasing Palestinian prisoners and detainees as Trump prepared to address Israel's parliament. In his speech, President Trump called it an exciting time for Israel and across the Middle East and even called for Israel-Iran peace. Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change and change very much for the better.

Two members of a left-wing Arab-majority political party held up signs saying recognize Palestine. Israel's parliament speaker ordered them to be ejected from the hall. Guards forced them out. Lawmakers chanted Trump's name, and Trump said... That was very efficient. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Thousands of federal workers received layoff notices Friday as the government shutdown continues into day 13. And Congress so far has failed to approve a government spending plan.

Republicans and the White House are blaming Democrats and threatening significant job cuts. NPR Stephen Fowler has more. It's mixed messaging from the White House. Administration officials have said that Democrats cause the government shutdown. The government shutdown means making hard choices about spending and staffing, and the White House feels forced to make those tough decisions. But at the same time, this is an extension of the Department of Government Efficiency push to slash the federal government's size and scope that's been underway since January.

And much like Doge, budget experts say to take these threats with a good. grain of salt. NPR's Stephen Fowler. Stocks opened higher this morning after a big sell-off Friday. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the Dow jumped about 450 points in early trading. President Trump triggered a sharp drop in the stock market last week when he threatened to impose a 100% tariff on goods from China. But over the weekend, Trump appeared to backtrack, posting on social media, quote, don't worry about China, it will all be fine. The dust up was sparked by China's move to impose stricter export controls on rare earth materials. It's still not clear whether Trump will meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping at an Asia-Pacific summit in South Korea later this month. China's exports to the U.S.

have fallen sharply. September's shipments were down 27 percent from a year ago. Other countries are still buying lots of goods from China, though. The country's overall exports last month were up more than 8 percent. Scott Horsley-NPR News, Washington. This hour, the NASDAQ, up 446 points. This is NPR. In South Africa, authorities say dozens of people were killed and injured when a bus veered off a road and crashed down an embankment on a steep mountain pass. The incident occurred about 250 miles north of Pretoria, the cause under investigation. A majority of states now have cell phone restrictions in schools, and some schools now ban devices even at lunch. NPR's Amy Held reports.

The iPhone was introduced 18 years ago. That means school kids today have not known life without. smartphones. We realize that this isn't addiction and kids are addicted. Julie Chancellor is principal at Doss High School in Louisville, Kentucky, which now has a bell to bell ban. Jamel Bishop is a senior. I kind of like it. It's given teachers a chance to be more direct with their class as a whole, which kind of allows for more individual student time. And reading time. Nearby Ballard High School reports their band's first month saw students checking out two-thirds more books. Still, some struggle to dial it back. In Houston, one private school says they can help with a metal grinder.

Warning, phones caught on campus will be destroyed. Amy Held and PR News. The Nobel Prize in Economics has been awarded to Joel Moker, Philippe Agion, and Peter Howitt, for having explained innovation-driven economic growth. Half of that went to Moker for having identified the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological progress. The other half jointly to Agion and Howitt for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction. The S&P 500 up 98. I'm Luis Skiyavoni and PR News.