NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-15-2025 7PM 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 judge in San Francisco has halted the Trump administration's latest round of mass layoffs. The decision from U.S. District Judge Susan Ilston pauses the layoffs of more than 4,000 people who've received their notices since Friday, as NPR's Andrea Shue explains. President Trump has said repeatedly that he's cutting Democrat programs, his words.

And some of the offices that we know have been targeted for cuts are indeed things that Democrats have championed, like offices that worked on energy efficiency and renewable energy products. An energy department spokesperson told NPR that these are offices that, and I'll quote here, played a major role in the Biden administration's war on American energy. NPR's Andrea Shue reporting, the Republican-led Senate failed to draw enough votes to reopen the government today. NPR's Claudia Grisales reports there's a little sign of progress towards breaking the gridlock. Senate Majority Leader John Thune now plans to tee up a 10th vote on the Republican stopgap plan to try to force a of Democrats to defect. This needs to end. We can end it today. But Democrats are insisting Republicans

negotiate a deal that addresses looming Affordable Care Act premium spikes. Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says without that deal. Americans will have to choose plans that send this cost skyrocketing. Without hope of a bipartisan deal in hand, lawmakers are predicting that the government shutdown may not end anytime soon. Claude Riesales, NPR News. The Capitol. A county judge in Chicago has barred ICE agents from arresting people at court. Detaining people outside courthouses has become a common tactic for federal agents who've drawn crowds of protesters. The order bars the arrests inside courthouses and in parking lots surrounding sidewalks and entryways. Federal courts in Illinois and Oregon have blocked the administration from deploying members of the National Guard to assist ICE agents in Chicago and Portland. U.N. agencies say they've three months' worth of humanitarian supplies ready to deliver in Gaza. But rolling back famine will take more than just trucks of food, as NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports. Israel is limiting the number of trucks it's allowing into Gaza, waiting for Hamas to hold up its end of the bargain and release all of the

bodies of deceased hostages. UN agencies continue to deliver what's gotten in through Israeli checkpoints already. Ross Smith is the World Food Program's Director of Emergency Preparedness and response. It's very fragile, very unpredictable at the moment, but we remain hopeful because we must be hopeful that this is the way forward. Asked if the UN has enough food to reverse a famine that was declared in northern Gaza, Smith says that will take not only trucks of food, but also medical care and clean water. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department. This is NPR News. The leader of Madagascar's military says he's taking the position of president and will remain in charge for two years before elections are held.

The statement caps weeks of youth-led protests against the previous government. Colonel Michael Ranjanarina says he's taking over as head of state after the country's highest court invited him to do so. Judges at the International Criminal Court disqualified the chief prosecutor from the case against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, Duterte's been charged for being involved in dozens of killings of part of what he called his war on drugs when in office. The decision said there was a reasonable appearance of bias because the prosecutor previously represented Duterte's alleged of victims. A new deal between Netflix and Spotify reflects the extent to which consumers are turning to video podcasts.

NPR's Netta Ullaby has more. Back in the good old days, meaning like five years ago, we listened to podcasts. Now we watch them. More than half of the world's top podcasts now release video versions, like the sports show hosted by Bill Simmons. The Celtics are like, whoa, Simons. Like, this guy's like a really gifted office. Video podcasts are being consumed right now 20 times faster than audio ones. People often just have them on in the background.

The number one platform for podcasts is YouTube. But Netflix and Spotify are challenging that. This new deal will make 16 top video podcasts available only on Netflix, and on the Spotify app starting in January, including the Bill Simmons podcast. Netta Ulippi, NPR News. I'm Rylan Barton. This is NPR News.