NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-16-2025 12PM EDT

Episode Date: October 16, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. A measure to reopen the government has failed to clear a 10th vote in the U.S. Senate. Republicans were unable to overcome Democratic opposition of the short-term spending bill. The government's been shut down now for more than two weeks. Republicans are fighting Democrats' demands to restore health care protections involving soon-to-expire subsidies for millions of low- and middle-income households and a rollback on medical. cuts. As the shutdown drags on food banks and other groups that serve military families are seeing a surge of new clients. From member station WHRO in Norfolk, Virginia, Steve Walsh reports.

Armed Services YMCA operates 22 food banks near military installations. They have seen a 30% jump in demand in the last couple of weeks. Pantries have had to close early for the day because they have run out of food, says Dorian Okam, with the group. I mean, that's the real. of fact. There are more people than there is food today. Groups that provide emergency loans to troops have also seen a surge. Even though troops did not miss a paycheck, anxiety over the possibility is forcing cutbacks. Dawn Cutler with the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society points out that many military spouses have also been furloughed, cutting household income.

For NPR News, I'm Steve Walsh. The political impasse is delaying another key. Key Economic Report. NPR Scott Horsley reports economists are looking for other clues about the strength of consumer spending. The Commerce Department's report on retail sales for September is delayed. As with other key data points, it's been sidetracked by the government shutdown. A collection of anecdotal reports released by the Federal Reserve this week suggests consumer spending has been inching down, but spending by high-income households remain strong. Fed Governor Chris Waller says upper-income households are less affected by rising prices. meant a softening job market. Waller and his colleagues appear to be on track for another quarter point cut in interest rates at the next Fed meeting in about two weeks. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. The president of Venezuela is urging Americans to reject any aggression against his country.

Here's NPR's Ada Peralta. Speaking to reporters, President Trump said the U.S. controls the sea, and they are now looking to strike land. The U.S. has deployed a destroyer and a cruiser, as well as some 10,000 U.S. troops to the Caribbean, saying they want to stop drugs from flowing north. In a speech in Caracas, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said the U.S. was vilifying Venezuela in an attempt to topple his government. He called on the American public to reject aggression,

saying the region didn't need a return of a swash-buckling American empire. Say no to war in the Caribbean and in South America. Say yes to peace, Maduro said. Adir-Pralta, in Pierre News, Mexico City. It's NPR News. New research suggests that an experimental Alzheimer's drug might help some of the people most likely to get the disease. NPR's John Hamilton reports on a study published in the journal, Drugs. People who inherit two copies of a gene called APOE4 face at least 10 times the average risk for Alzheimer's.

But Dr. Susan Abashakra, of the biotech firm Alzion, says existing treatments often cause dangerous side effects in these people. They have an immediate need for a safe and effective approach to Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's. So Alzion has been testing a drug that appears to be safer but has yet to prove its effectiveness. In a study of 325 people with two copies of the APOE4 gene, the drug failed to help people with more severe symptoms of Alzheimer's. But in people with milder symptoms, the drug helped preserve memory and thinking and dramatically reduced brain atrophy. John Hamilton, NPR News. A summit is being held in New York City today about a concerning surge in the next generation of build-it-yourself weapons that are untraceable and require no background check.

Experts on the newest 3D-printed firearms from law enforcement officials to firearm industry leaders are expected to discuss ways to counter the spread of unregulated weapons on America's streets. The summit is being hosted by the Advocacy Group Every Town for Gun Safety. In July, the group cited an academic study involving 186 international law enforcement encounters. The data revealed a 13-fold increase in 3D-printed firearm incidents from 2020 through 2022 over the previous three-year period. The Dow is down 22 points. It's NPR news.