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Episode Date: October 16, 2025

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Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theshmit.org. Live from NPR news in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. President Trump has confirmed reports that he green-lit, covert CIA operations in Venezuela. As NPR's Franco Ordonez reports, Trump says it's part of his efforts to tackle drug trafficking. President Trump has escalated U.S. efforts to destabilize Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, acknowledging that he authorized an attempt to go after trafficking inside Venezuelan borders. We've almost totally stopped it by sea. Now we'll stop it by land. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump was responding to questions about a report on the classified directive from the New York Times. I authorized for two reasons, really. Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of a

America. He also cited the amount of drugs entering the country via Venezuela, and he dismissed criticism that the administration was not sharing enough information about U.S. efforts. Franco, Ordonez, NPR News. The federal court says President Trump has to stop firing workers during the government shutdown. U.S. District Judge Susan Ilston and 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. Here's Senate Majority Leader John Thune. I think the American people are always, 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. Oklahoma's superintendent for public schools is scrapping plans to require schools to include biblical instruction in the classroom. Lionel Ramos of member station KOSU reports. Oklahoma's previous superintendent had mandated that every classroom in the state have a Bible and

every teacher include the Ten Commandments in their curricula. It quickly faced a legal challenge and has wound up in the state Supreme Court. The state's new superintendent, Lindell Fields, now says he's nixing the plan. Oklahoma Department of Education spokesperson Tara Thompson says the agency plans to file a motion to dismiss the case. Are we spending taxpayer dollars wisely and as good stewards? And if the answer to that is no, then we need to start looking at rescinding or making changes to things that have been put in place. It's a stark shift away from what Fields' predecessor, Ryan Walters, intended, and what prompted a coalition of parents, teachers, and faith leaders to file the lawsuit last year. For NPR News, I'm Lion O'Ramos in Oklahoma City.

Most U.S. stocks rose today. This is NPR News from Washington. Heat-trapping carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere jumped by the highest amount on record last year. According to the U.N. weather agency, the high levels of CO2 have tripled since the 1960s, and they're now turbocharging the Earth's climate and causing more extreme weather. The toxic metal lead was affecting human ancestors as far back as two million years ago. As NPR's Nell Greenfield Boyce reports, that's according to a new study that looked at dozens of preserved teeth. The fossil teeth show that Neanderthals and other ancient relatives got exposed to a lot of lead from the environment. And Allison Moultry of the University of California, San Diego, thinks this could have affected.

human evolution. He studies brain development genes, including one gene that's slightly different in Homo sapiens compared to Neanderthals. The question was why we, modern humans, acquired that mutation. There must be a strong selective pressure. In the journal Science advances, he and some colleagues say that pressure could have come from lead. Lab tests show that brain cells with the human version of the gene had some protection against lead. While brain cells with the Neanderthal version, didn't. Nell Greenfield-Boyce, NPR News. A family cleaning their backyard in New Orleans discovered a 19-100-year-old Roman grave marker.

The marble tablet includes Latin characters memorializing a 42-year-old Roman sailor named Sextus, Congenius, Virus. The tablet was brought from Italy to the U.S. by the home's previous owner, who was returning from World War II. This is NPR News. There's something wrong with the plumbing in Cincinnati. Billions of gallons of raw sewage ends up in waterways every year. And for some, that raw sewage is a lot closer to home. When it's coming out of the drain down there, it's sewage. The stench was terrible.

Listen to the Backed Up podcast from the NPR Network and Cincinnati Public Radio.