NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-27-2025 2PM EDT

Episode Date: October 27, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The government shutdown is in its fourth week. Congressional leaders say they are no closer to an agreement to end it. More than a million federal workers have missed a paycheck. A popular food assistance program is almost out of money. NPR's Sam Greenglass reports. This shutdown is now the second longest in U.S. history, but both Republicans and Democrats see coming impacts that could compel the other side to back down.

Democrats like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries think expiring health care subsidies will be harder for Republicans to ignore after November 1st when open enrollment begins for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans. Tens of millions of Americans are going to wake up to the reality that their premiums, co-pays, and deductibles are about to explode. That same day, funding for the food assistance program SNAP is expected to run out. And Republicans are warning of flight cancellations and delays if the shutdown persist through Thanksgiving. Sam Gringlass, NPR News, Washington. On the sidelines of an economic gathering in Malaysia, American and Chinese negotiators have said they agreed to a framework on a deal addressing tariffs, rare earth minerals, and fentanyl. President Trump has said there could also be a final deal on keeping TikTok operating in the U.S. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet Thursday at a separate economic meeting in South Korea.

Korea. Kirk Campbell, who served as Deputy Secretary of State during the Biden administration, raises concerns Trump may give China too much flexibility on key technologies in order to secure a deal in the short term that boosts largely agricultural products. Many people are concerned that that's not a good deal for us and that those areas, AI chips, semiconductor capabilities, those are our high card. And the president is actually, I think, contemplating, trading that away for short-term political benefits that might be good for him in next year's election. Campbell is speaking with NPR's morning edition. Foreign carmakers are looking more closely at U.S. suppliers to avoid tariffs.

Stephen Bessaha of the Gulf States Newsroom reports from an auto industry speed dating event. Carmakers and suppliers met for rapid fire five-minute meetings in Huntsville, Alabama, during the Southern Automotive Conference earlier this month. Marlina Melentine represented the Mazza Toyota factory in Alabama. We're looking for ways that we can maybe save money with tariffs being what they are now. Jean-Marie Throar created the event and said tariffs have helped even the playing field for American suppliers. But supply chains are complicated. It can be very difficult and it takes years to get your parts on a car.

It's a very long sales process. So far, carmakers have been covering tariffs without significantly raising prices on customers yet. For NPR News, I'm Stephen Massaha in Huntsville, Alabama. From Washington, this is NPR News. Across the United States, more school districts are turning to artificial intelligence to help detect guns on school grounds. But NPR's Amy held reports it's not always successful. So far this year, more than 100 gunfire incidents have happened on school grounds,

according to every town for gun safety. Metal detectors take time. and staffing. Enter AI. It can quickly scan security camera footage and alert schools to hazards like a weapon or not. In Baltimore County, Maryland last week, one high schooler found himself in handcuffs over Doritos. He said police explained the way he held the bag had flagged it as a firearm. Miriam Rogers is superintendent. It's truly unfortunate. We never want any student to be in a situation that is frightening. The consortium for school networking finds a majority of school districts now use AI in some capacity with threat detection, the top use. But many are still working through how to best leverage the technology. Amy Held and PR News. 60 minutes of extra sleep will soon be coming to communities across the U.S. This Sunday at 2 a.m., clock set to daylight saving time in most of the country will fall back an hour and rejoin Arizona and Hawaii in standard time. Some health groups have long argued for adopting standard time permanently in favor of more light in the morning

and less at night. And new research from Stanford University supports the calls to stop the twice a year switch. Experts say it's key to protecting one's internal clock, our circadian rhythm, for better sleep and all the benefits tied to it, such as better heart and cognitive health. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.