NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-30-2025 9PM EDT

Episode Date: October 31, 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 Janine Herbst. It's been 30 days since the government shutdown started and Congress doesn't seem to be any closer to reopening it. And as it continues, so does the blame game. And Pierre Sage Miller has more. Republicans and Democrats are pointing their fingers at one another to explain why the government hasn't reopened. Democrats are refusing to vote on a budget until it includes additional health care funding. Without it, they argue health care premiums will skyrocket. But Vice President J.D. Vance told reporters earlier today that Democrats are acting irresponsibly. We are not going to give in on policy demands under the threat of hostages.

As the fight drags on, federal workers have gone almost a month without a paycheck. And food assistance benefits used by millions of Americans are set to expire at the end of the month. Sage Miller, NPR News. The Trump administration has set the lowest refugee cap in history and says it will accept mostly white South Africans in the program. And peers Michelle Kellerman reports that advocacy groups are alarmed by the move. In a notice in the federal register, the Trump administration says it will cap the number of refugees to 7,500 this fiscal year, and most of those spots are for Afrikaners, white South Africans. The International Rescue Committee calls this an historic retreat at a time when global displacement has reached record levels.

Another group that helps to resettle Afghan allies says Trump is effectively shutting the door on Afghans who risk their lives to help the U.S. during the war there. A Trump administration official tells NPR, that no refugees will be admitted until there are consultations with Congress, and that's held up by the government shutdown. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department. A Senate confirmation hearing on President Trump's nominee for Surgeon General is on hold. And here's Will Stone reports Dr. Casey Means is having a baby. The Senate hearing was delayed because Casey Means went into labor.

The hearing was already scheduled to happen virtually, so she didn't have to travel so late in her pregnancy. Menes is currently in Hawaii. It's not clear now when the hearing will be rescheduled. Means is an ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but many in public health and medicine argue she's not qualified for the job. While she did go to Stanford Medical School, she never completed her training to become a surgeon. She gained popularity over the past year after publishing a book on diet and metabolic health and going on prominent podcasts, and her brother has been a close advisor to Secretary Kennedy. Will Stone, NPR News.

US futures contracts are trading higher at this hour. Dow futures up about one-tenth of a percent. Nasdaq futures are up 1.1 percent. S&P 500 futures are up about 6 tenths of a percent. You're listening to NPR News. California police say more than 1,000 objects, including antique Native American woven goods. We're stolen this month from the Oakland Museum. Police say someone broke into the museum's off-site storage facility on October 15. The theft was discovered the next day, but the museum didn't announce it to the public because of the ongoing investigation. Officials say it's not clear how many people were involved in the theft and that the museum hasn't yet determined the total value of the items stolen. The Paris prosecutor says five more people were arrested overnight in the investigation of the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum. In Paris, Eleanor Beardsley reports seven people are now in custody, but the jewels are still missing. The five were detained in separate police operations in Paris and its suburbs.

The prosecutor's announcement came hours after she gave a press conference detailing the detention of two men apprehended last weekend. They were caught through DNA left at the scene of the crime. Investigators say the two men, in their 30s with prior criminal records, have partially admitted to the theft and are being questioned and charged. I want to guard the support that they're re-trued. Prosecutor Laura Becuos said she held out hope the jewels would be returned to the Louvre and the nation. Eleanor Beardsley in Pierre News, Paris.

Dictionary.com says its word of the year is six-seven. It's the viral term kids and teens can't stop repeating and laughing about. It's more of an inside joke with an unclear meaning, but it exploded in popularity over the summer. I'm Janine Herbst NPR News in Washington. This message comes from Wise, the app for using money, the globe. When you manage your money with Wise, you'll always get the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees. Join millions of customers and visit Wise.com. T's and C's Apply.