NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-15-2025 5PM EDT

Episode Date: October 15, 2025

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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 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. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. A federal court says President Trump has to stop firing workers during the government shutdown. U.S. District Judge Susan Ilston in San Francisco issued the ruling after federal agencies started laying off workers last week. Trump has said he's targeting what he calls Democrat agencies.

Democrats say they're not intimidated by Trump blaming them for the layoffs. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says Democrats are holding firm on their demands for Congress to extend health care subsidies. Neither Trump nor congressional Republicans are even trying to solve the health care crisis, and that is just a horror for the American people. Meanwhile, Republicans are confident in their strategy to not negotiate with Democrats on health care until the government is reopened. Here's Senate Majority Leader John Thune. I think the American people are wondering when the Senate Democrats are going to end their temper tantrum and vote to reopen the government. A bill to temporarily fund the government again failed in the Senate today. Government workers are feeling the effects of the shutdown as it stretches into week three.

Gabriella Paul at member station WUSF spoke with a federal worker who says it's affecting her finances and mental health. Tierra Carter answers the phones for the Social Security Administration in Tampa. She's working without pay until the shutdown ends. We're stressing about the fight that's going on in the White House. We're also stressing out about how we're going to handle our financial situation. at home. Last week, the Trump administration began mass layoffs across several federal agencies. Carter says her department is spared for now. To be completely honest, I feel ashamed to be a American citizen right now. I mean, who does this to their own essential workers? Every day the shutdown

drags on, Carter says the agency's backlog of service requests grows. For NPR news, I'm Gabriella Paul in Tampa. The Supreme Court's conservative majority appears open to prohibiting race. from being used when creating congressional districts. NPR's Hansi Lo Wong reports such a ruling would roll back the landmark Voting Rights Act and give Republicans an advantage in Congress. For decades, the Voting Rights Act has required certain places where voting is racially polarized to draw districts where racial minority voters have a real sick opportunity of electing their preferred candidates.

And during oral arguments over their constitutionality, one of the high court's liberal justices, Elena Kagan, asked the legal defense funds Janay Nelson about the possibility of ending those requirements. What would the results on the ground be? I think the results would be pretty catastrophic. If we take Louisiana as one example, every congressional member who is black was elected from a VRA opportunity district. Depending on when the Supreme Court rules,

it could allow Republicans to redraw up to 19 more House districts in their favor before next year's election. Hansi Luong, NPR News. Most U.S. stocks rose following another up and down day on Wall Street. This is NPR News from Washington. Syria's interim leader held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin today. That's even though President Ahmad al-Sharah led the rebel offensive last year that ousted former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who had Moscow's support. Russia gave asylum to Assad after he fled the country, but Russia is trying to establish ties with Syria's new leadership and secure a military foothold there. A new report from consumer reports on protein powders finds many best-selling products.

contains traces of lead and other heavy metals. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports the organization is calling for stricter regulation from the Food and Drug Administration. Consumer reports analyzed 23 protein powders and shakes and found about 70 percent contained levels of lead that the group says is concerning. The FDA sets a threshold for lead that is acceptable in baby food, but the group is asking the FDA to establish limits on lead in protein powders. Children and pregnant people are most vulnerable to potential harms. And experts say, One way to minimize exposure is not to consume too much of any one product. Lead levels in plant-based products were about nine times the amount found in dairy-based products.

One explanation is that lead has accumulated in the environment and is often detected in trace amounts in crops, including rice and peas, which are used to make protein powders. Alison Aubrey, NPR News. LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Kyle Lowry are making history as they enter their 20th NBA seasons or more. It's the first time the league has had three players in the 20-season clubs simultaneously. James will soon become the first pro basketballer to play 23 seasons. This is 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.