NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-14-2025 4AM EDT

Episode Date: October 14, 2025

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Shortwave thinks of science as an invisible force, showing up in your everyday life. Powering the food you eat, the medicine you use, the tech in your pocket. Science is approachable because it's already part of your life. Come explore these connections on the shortwave podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. Monday was a historic day in the Middle East. Palestinians welcomed, released prisoners, and the last of the living hostages held by Hamas were freed. NPR's Daniel Ashton reports from Tel Aviv on reunions the 20 freed hostages had with their families.

Videos show the moments freed hostages first saw their families. The mother of 23-year-old Barr Cooperstain threw herself on to her son, reciting a Jewish prayer in tears. 32-year-old Avina Tan Orr returned from captivity and greeted his girlfriend, a former hostage, with a scream and kisses. Hamas said it was returning only a few of the deceased Israeli hostages' bodies today. Israel said a deliberate delay would violate the ceasefire deal. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

President Trump is back at the White House arriving a short time ago after hailing the ceasefire deal, he brokered between Israel and Hamas. He spoke before the Israeli parliament on Monday and then flew to Egypt for a summit with foreign leaders. Egyptian President Abd al-Fatel-Sisi said Trump's Middle East peace proposal represents the last chance for peace in the region. He also repeated his call for his two-state solution. House Speaker Mike Johnson says Democrats can end the government shutdown at any time,

calling their fight to extend the subsidies that help Americans pay for health, insurance under the Affordable Care Act, a boondoggle. Pass the clean, no strings-attached bill, and reopen the government. We're on duty here, and we can return quickly to legislative session. As soon as you turn the lights back on, Chuck Schumer. Johnson said the shutdown could become the longest in history, and he repeated that Republicans will not negotiate until Democrats reopen the government. The House remains out of session.

The Senate returns to work today with a string of failed votes behind it. A one-time Democrat who became a Trump loyalist is running to be Georgia's top elections official from member station WABE. Rahul Bali reports that Vernon Jones ran for Congress in 2022, repeating false claims about Georgia's election in 2020. Vernon Jones is a longtime political figure in the Atlanta area serving as the elected CEO of one of the state's biggest counties and as a Democratic state lawmaker. Jones became a Republican in 2021 and has been one of Trump's higher profile. file black surrogates. In his campaign launch ad, Jones tout some of the same things Trump wants changed with elections and voting. We need a secretary of state who will fight for paper ballots, limit mail-in voting, and enforce strong voter ID laws. Jones is looking to replace incumbent

Republican Brad Raffensberger, a key figure against Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results. Raffensberger is running for governor. You're listening to NPR News. Despite the government shutdown, it's a popular weekend for Acadia National Park in Maine, even though much of the park staff have been furloughed. Maine Public Radio's Caitlin Bedion reports that crowds, visitors are undeterred. The entrance to Acadia National Park at the Hullsco Visitor Center was packed this weekend with people looking to enjoy the iconic fall foliage. With the ongoing shutdown, there's a mix of services still open to the public. But Eric Stiles with the nonprofit friends of Acadia says that isn't stopping. people from making the trip. Turnout is really strong. So anecdotally looking at activities in the

park, it would seem to be just as busy as Indigenous People's Day last year, which was the highest visitation in record. But the park can't collect entrance fees, style says, so Friends of Acadia has set up a fund for visitors to donate the fee instead, hoping to make up some of the lost revenue for the park. For NPR News, I'm Caitlin Bidion in Bar Harbor, Maine. Republican legislative leaders in North Carolina say they will vote next week on a new map that redraws the state's house districts. The plan announced Monday comes amid the nationwide battle over redistricting ahead of next year's midterm elections. Los Angeles Dodgers heading into Tuesday's game. Today's game two of the National League Championship Series with some wind in their sales.

They held on for a two-to-one victory at Monday nights game one in the best of seven against the Milwaukee Brewers. In the American League, this Seattle, Mariner's have a two-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays with game three on Wednesday. I'm Jail Snyder. This is NPR News. A lot of short daily news podcasts focus on just one story. But right now, you probably need more. On Up First from NPR, we bring you three of the world's top headlines every day in under 15 minutes.

Because no one's story can capture all that's happening in this big, crazy world of ours on any given morning. Listen now to the Up First podcast from NPR.