NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-13-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: October 13, 2025

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Crime looks different than it used to. A loophole in a crypto wallet could yield a billion dollars. A deep fake of your voice could be used to steal money from your bank. We have PhDs in our team, and they can't tell the difference themselves. AI has gotten that good. The indicator from Planet Money is digging into the evolving business of crime. And listen in the NPR app or wherever you get podcasts. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. Hamas has begun the release of the last remaining.

live Israeli hostages. Seven have now been handed over to the Red Cross, including twin brothers. Earlier Monday, Hamas released a list of names for the 20 hostages they say are still alive. Families in Gaza are also waiting for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli prisons. These exchanges, though, do not remove all the obstacles to a final peace, as NPR's Jane Arraf tells us from Amman Jordan. The ceasefire is just the beginning. Israel says it still needs to ensure Hamas won't be a threat, so that has to be worked out. It's still unclear who will govern Gaza and who will pay for reconstruction. And most Arab countries are insistent that this has to be the start of a process that leads to a Palestinian state, but that's

unlikely to be hammered out at this summit. That's NPR's Jane Arraf reporting. Francis's prime minister, who is renamed to the Post on Friday, says he will form a cabinet by Monday. MPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports the far right and far left are already threatening to bring this latest government down. In an unheard-of move, President Emmanuel Macron reappointed Sebastian Le Corneux as Prime Minister just days after Le Corneux resigned from the position. Le Corneau told the media he has no other ambition but to pull France out of its crisis. But the Parliament is fragmented and no party has a majority, though the extremes have the biggest voting blocks. Far right leader Marine Le Pen says Macron must let the French people choose their future. This is a deplorable circus, she said.

the only solution that respects democracy is to dissolve the National Assembly and hold new elections. But analysts say doing so might increase fragmentation and the representation of the extremes in the French Parliament. Eleanor Beardsley and Pierre News, Paris. The investigation into the cause of a deadly blast of the military munitions plant in rural Tennessee last week continues. The local church community, meanwhile, is working to support the families and first responders who have been affected by the explosion. Justin Barney from member station WPLN has more. Churches will play a big role in the recovery from the deadly blast at the accurate energetic systems plant. The major employer was closely tied to the community.

Multiple vigils, fundraisers, and collections of supplies have come together. At Hope Church Hickman, Pastor Devin Pickard asked his congregation to help with meal prep after their weekly service. You've got a lot of these folks who are working this site who, it's going to be traumatic for them. I can't begin to imagine what the things they've seen. And you cannot unsee those things. And so this is the least that we can do. His church includes congregants who lost loved ones in the blast. After the sermon, one said that it provided her with comfort during this hard time.

For NPR News, I'm Justin Barney in Hickman County, Tennessee. In Alaska, remnants of Tropical Storm, Hulong, are causing major problems for some coastal communities in some areas' storm surges, pushing entire homes off their foundations, and at least one person is unaccounted for. This is NPR News. The government shutdown has now entered its 13th day, and thousands of federal employees have begun receiving reduction in force notices. The Senate will reconvene on Tuesday to consider legislation to reopen the government, but House Speaker Mike Johnson continues to refuse to bring the House back into session. NPR Zava Pookech reports, meanwhile, that the shutdown is

affecting one of the world's biggest museum and research institutions. All 21 Smithsonian Institution Museums, its research centers, and the National Zoo are now closed. The Smithsonian had kept these sites running for the first 11 days of the shutdown using prior year funds. The Institute says animals at the National Zoo and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute will continue to be fed and cared for, but the popular live animal cams will be turned off. About 62% of the Smithsonian's budget comes from the federal government. Other popular tourist sites in Washington, D.C., including the open-air Lincoln and Jefferson Memorial, Remain Accessible.

Iba Puketsch and Peer News, Washington. Tron Aries struggled at the box office this weekend. The Disney flick came in first in North American theaters with $33.5 million in sales, but expectations for the sequel were much higher. The new release, Roof Man, also had a difficult time. It landed in second with just $8 million in sales. One battle after another brought in $6.7 million. That was good enough for third.

while Gabby's dollhouse was in fourth with $3.4 million in ticket sales. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News. 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.