How senators finally came to a deal that could end the shutdown

Summary

Apple News Today – Episode Summary

Episode: How senators finally came to a deal that could end the shutdown
Date: November 10, 2025
Host: Shemitah Basu

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Overview

This episode of Apple News Today delves into three major news stories: the breakthrough on ending the U.S. government shutdown, the economic and social effects of the AI data center boom in rural America, and an incident involving Mexico’s president that reignited debates about women’s safety and equality. The episode rounds off with brief coverage on President Trump’s latest pardons, a major baseball gambling scandal, and the end of a historic publication.

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Key Topics and Discussion Points

1. Government Shutdown Deal: A Narrow Breakthrough

• Senate’s Late-Night Action

  • Eight Democrats joined Republicans to advance a measure intended to reopen the government, overcoming a filibuster that had forced a weeks-long standoff.
  • Senator John Thune, Republican Majority Leader:

    “I am optimistic that after almost six weeks of this shutdown, we finally will finally be able to end it. I will call up that bill in a matter of minutes and I look forward to passing the clean continuing resolution and appropriations bill package in the very near future.” (00:59)

• The State of Play

  • The vote was procedural; the government remained closed as of Monday morning. (01:20)
  • The House, out of session since September 19, must still return and vote.

• Short-Term vs. Long-Term Solutions

  • The agreement would fund the government only through January. (01:32)

• Key Compromises and Sticking Points

  • No guaranteed extension for Affordable Care Act subsidies, a top Democratic demand. Instead, there’s only a promise of a future vote. (01:49, 01:51)
  • Democrats secured reversal of federal worker firings and full SNAP food aid through September 2026. (01:56)

• Democratic Dissent and Party Tension

  • Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader, called on Democrats to keep fighting for health care protections:

    “We must fight because a senior citizen cannot afford to pay $25,000 a year just for health insurance. We must fight to keep millions from financial ruin.” (02:20)

  • Some Democrats, particularly those in states deeply affected by the shutdown, broke ranks to relieve constituent hardship.
  • Senator Jeanne Shaheen explained her support:

    “This was the only deal on the table.” (03:20)

  • Senator Tim Kaine cited the suffering of federal workers in Virginia:

    “My Virginians have been suffering under this administration. The shutdown started on January 20th. I need a moratorium on the punishing of the federal work workforce.” (03:43)

• Critics’ Reactions

  • Larry Sabato, political scientist:

    “There’s no guarantee at all that this vote on Obamacare that will be taken sometime in the coming weeks will pass even the Senate, and it may not even be taken up by the House, much less passed by the House. So I’m not sure what they got, and I think most Democrats agree with that.” (04:26)

• What’s Next

  • Any senator could still block the agreement. Thune hopes for passage later in the week. (04:50)

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2. AI Data Centers Remake Small-Town America

• Tech Investment on the Rise

  • Meta plans a $600 billion AI infrastructure investment; OpenAI seeks new tax credits for data centers. (05:21–05:28)
  • These investments are physically transforming communities far from tech’s urban hubs.

• Umatilla, Oregon: Case Study in Change

  • David Uberti, Wall Street Journal reporter, describes how Amazon’s buildout has revolutionized the local economy:

    “Tech companies are investing some $41 billion a year at current rates into data centers… All of that adds up to an immense amount of economic activity that is propping up the U.S. construction center and in some cases… propping up the overall economy as well.” (05:57)

  • New workers, housing, and businesses transform the town, bringing prosperity but also new challenges.

• Community Impact—Positives and Drawbacks

  • A local woman “went from working 12-hour shifts at a distribution center to becoming an in-demand realtor… people want to come to Umatilla now.” (07:17)
  • However, home and rental prices have doubled, squeezing out lower-wage farmworkers:

    “Those people are having a harder and harder time paying for housing and keeping up with some of these higher salaries.” (07:37)

  • Locals question whether the boom is lasting, fearing a “sugar high” followed by bust:

    “People locally are really wary about buying into that too much because… they have seen the downside sides of a bust. And that’s what a lot of people in Umatilla fear is what happens when the construction stops.” (08:01)

• Expansion Beyond Oregon

  • Massive new projects announced in Michigan, regions like Georgia, Texas, and North Dakota competing for similar investments. (08:32)

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3. Mexico’s President Confronts Public Harassment

• Incident Involving President Claudia Sheinbaum

  • Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first woman president, was groped in public—an act caught on video and widely condemned. (09:13)
  • Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times reporter:

    “…to see her humiliated like this in public really showed a lot of people that harassment of women is still very common in Mexico, that if this could happen… to the president of the country, it could happen to anyone.” (09:46)

  • Sheinbaum filed a criminal complaint and pledged to review laws nationwide to ensure street harassment is always treated as a crime. (10:11, 10:30)

• Context: Violence Against Women in Mexico

  • Sheinbaum had campaigned on women’s safety, implementing reforms such as pensions for women, equal pay amendments, and requiring prosecutor’s offices for femicides. (10:43)
  • Linthicum notes the gravity:

    “This is a country where 10 women or girls are killed on average every day.” (11:03)

• Broader Movement and Uneasy Progress

  • Despite rising female empowerment, the assault was a wake-up call.

    “Even though you have women who’ve reached the highest levels of office here, they continue to be the victims of this kind of harassment.” (11:22)

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4. Briefs: Other Notable Stories

• Trump Pardons Allies (12:07)
  • President Trump pardoned dozens involved in attempts to overturn the 2020 election, but the action is largely symbolic—as most face state/local charges and Trump himself was not pardoned.
• Baseball Gambling Scandal (12:35)
  • Two Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Emmanuel Classe and Luis Ortiz, indicted for rigging bets and accepting bribes, facing up to 20 years in prison.
• The End of The Farmer’s Almanac (13:14)
  • The 2026 edition will be the last for this historic publication, though the more famous Old Farmer’s Almanac will continue.

    “What’s funny is, as the Associated Press points out, many people are probably mistaking this for another, more popular almanac called the Old Farmer’s Almanac.” (13:37)

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Notable Quotes

• John Thune:

  “I am optimistic that after almost six weeks of this shutdown, we finally will finally be able to end it…” (00:59)

• Chuck Schumer:

  “We must fight because a senior citizen cannot afford to pay $25,000 a year just for health insurance. We must fight to keep millions from financial ruin.” (02:20)

• Jeanne Shaheen:

  “Republicans control the White House, the Senate and the House… This was the only deal on the table.” (03:20)

• Larry Sabato:

  “I’m not sure what they got, and I think most Democrats agree with that. They can’t figure out what they got.” (04:26)

• David Uberti:

  “Tech companies are investing some $41 billion a year at current rates into data centers…” (05:57)
  “People locally are really wary about buying into that too much because… they have seen the downside sides of a bust.” (08:01)

• Kate Linthicum:

  “…to see her humiliated like this in public really showed a lot of people that harassment of women is still very common in Mexico…” (09:46)
  “This is a country where 10 women or girls are killed on average every day.” (11:03)
  “Even though you have women who’ve reached the highest levels of office here, they continue to be the victims of this kind of harassment.” (11:22)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Government shutdown deal: 00:22 – 05:09
• AI data center impacts: 05:09 – 08:41
• Claudia Sheinbaum harassment incident & women’s rights in Mexico: 08:41 – 12:04
• Top news briefs (Trump pardons, baseball scandal, Almanac): 12:07 – 14:00

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Tone and Style

Shemitah Basu’s reporting is concise but empathetic, providing historical context and multiple perspectives. The tone is calm, informative, and at times pointed—especially when addressing public frustration, hardship, and ongoing struggles for justice and equality.

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Summary prepared for readers seeking a comprehensive and engaging synopsis of the November 10, 2025, Apple News Today episode.

Transcript

[Anchor]

Good morning. It's Monday, November 10th.

[Shemitah Basu]

I'm Shemitah Basu.

[Narrator]

This is Apple News today.

[Shemitah Basu]

On today's show, the Senate inches closer.

[Narrator]

To ending the government shutdown.

[Shemitah Basu]

How AI data centers are transforming American communities.

[Anchor]

And after 200 years in publishing, the.

[Narrator]

Farmer's Almanac comes to an end. Let's start with shutdown news. Capitol Hill, which is normally quiet on Sundays, was the scene of a dramatic political breakthrough last night as senators voted.

[Anchor]

To advance an agreement that could reopen the government.

[Shemitah Basu]

For the first time.

[Narrator]

Eight Democrats broke with their party to support a Republican measure just enough to overcome the filibuster that's forced a stalemate to this point.

[Shemitah Basu]

Republican Majority Leader John Thune took to.

[Narrator]

The Senate floor shortly before the vote.

[Senator John Thune]

I am optimistic that after almost six weeks of this shutdown, we finally will finally be able to end it. I will call up that bill in a matter of minutes and I look forward to passing the clean continuing resolution and appropriations bill package in the very near future.

[Shemitah Basu]

To be clear, though, it's not quite over, last night's vote was procedural and.

[Anchor]

As of right now, the government remains closed.

[Shemitah Basu]

There will be more debates this week.

[Narrator]

That could delay progress. And it still needs to get through the House, which has been out of session since September 19th.

[Shemitah Basu]

It's not a long term fix either.

[Narrator]

The deal would only fund the government through the end of January.

[Shemitah Basu]

But Republicans have now cleared their biggest.

[Narrator]

Hurdle after convincing these Democratic senators to come around.

[Shemitah Basu]

And crucially, they've secured that support without.

[Narrator]

Any guarantees to extend Affordable Care act subsidies, the key demand from Democratic leaders.

[Shemitah Basu]

Instead, they stuck to their offer of.

[Narrator]

A vote on the issue sometime in December.

[Shemitah Basu]

Democrats did secure some commitments.

[Narrator]

The attempted firings of around 4,000 federal workers during the shutdown would be reversed and snap food aid would be provided in full through September of 2026, ending uncertainty for millions of low income Americans.

[Shemitah Basu]

But with no real movement on his.

[Narrator]

Number one priority, health care subsidies, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged his party to hold firm before the vote.

[Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer]

Democrats must fight because of millions of millions of families will lose health care coverage. We must fight because children who are dying of cancer will not get health care coverage. We must fight because a senior citizen cannot afford to pay $25,000 a year just for health insurance. We must fight to keep millions from financial ruin.

[Shemitah Basu]

Schumer's plea was not enough for some.

[Narrator]

Colleagues whose constituents were feeling the effects of the shutdown. More and more in recent days, millions of Americans haven't written, received food aid they rely on.

[Anchor]

And over the weekend, more than 2,000.

[Narrator]

Flights were canceled when the FAA ordered a reduction in air traffic due to.

[Anchor]

The shutdown, and pressure is still mounting.

[Narrator]

If a final deal isn't made this.

[Shemitah Basu]

Week, the government warned that come Saturday.

[Narrator]

Service members would stop getting paid. Against that backdrop, several Senate Democrats didn't want the pain to drag on. Senator Jeanne Shaheen defended her decision in a press conference last night.

[Senator Jeanne Shaheen]

Republicans control the White House, the Senate and the House, and they made clear over a period of weeks, including just this week, that this was as far as they would go as part of the shutdown talks. This was the only deal on the table.

[Shemitah Basu]

Also among the backers was Senator Tim.

[Narrator]

Kaine, whose state has thousands of federal workers.

[Senator John Thune]

My Virginians have been suffering under this administration. The shutdown started on January 20th. I need a moratorium on the punishing of the federal work workforce. That's what I need. And so I joined this group to make sure that we could get important protections for federal employees.

[Shemitah Basu]

But the agreement leaves some Democrats wondering.

[Anchor]

If the drawn out standoff was worth it.

[Shemitah Basu]

On the one hand, polls consistently suggested.

[Narrator]

The public held Republicans more responsible for the impasse. But others were prepared to double down on health care subsidies, like Senator Elizabeth Warren, who was critical of those who crossed party lines.

[Shemitah Basu]

On cnn, political scientist Larry Sabato said.

[Narrator]

Parts of the party's base would be infuriated by Sunday's events.

[Larry Sabato]

There's no guarantee at all that this vote on Obamacare that will be taken sometime in the coming weeks will pass even the Senate, and it may not even be taken up by the House, much less passed by the House. So I'm not sure what they got, and I think most Democrats agree with that. They can't figure out what they got.

[Shemitah Basu]

In the days ahead.

[Narrator]

Any one senator could still derail the agreement, but Majority Leader Thune said he hoped to pass it early this week.

[Anchor]

In an uncertain economic period, Wall Street's strength has been driven by a handful of tech companies who are putting a lot of money into expanding their AI efforts. On Friday, Meta announced plans to invest.

[Narrator]

$600 billion in AI infrastructure to serve its growing computing needs.

[Shemitah Basu]

And on the same day, Bloomberg reported.

[Anchor]

That OpenAI had asked the government to expand tax credit support for data centers. But beyond the rise and fall of.

[Narrator]

Stock portfolios, the Wall Street Journal reports.

[Anchor]

That this physical infrastructure is already reshaping American communities.

[Shemitah Basu]

Journal reporter David Uberti told us that.

[Anchor]

Much of the funding is going to.

[Shemitah Basu]

Unexpected corners of the country.

[Anchor]

Water and power required to host large quantities of information processing equipment.

[David Uberti]

Tech companies are investing some $41 billion a year at current rates into data centers. And what that means is a lot of labor. It means a lot of concrete, copper piping, cable, et cetera. All of that adds up to an immense amount of economic activity that is propping up the U.S. construction center and in some cases, depending on what part of the country you're in, is propping up the overall economy as well.

[Anchor]

Uberti spent time in Umatilla, Oregon and saw firsthand how a traditional farming community had been transformed over the last five to ten years by Amazon's buildout.

[Shemitah Basu]

The town used to be known for.

[Anchor]

A chemical weapons depot that was nearby and a state prison on the city's outskirts. Now it's seeing a boom in AI building.

[David Uberti]

We're talking thousands of construction workers that have come both locally and non locally have sort of descended onto these very small towns. They're staying in RV parks, hotels. Some of them have put down routes in terms of new housing and whatnot. And it's really injected a lot of cash into the local economy there, which has really created some immense changes in how people live their lives.

[Anchor]

Companies that invest in places like Umatilla are offered significant tax breaks and the money coming in also impacts people in unaffiliated industries.

[Shemitah Basu]

Like a young woman who Uberti spoke with that went from working 12 hour.

[Anchor]

Shifts at a distribution center to becoming an in demand realtor in the area. She told Uberti it's been a blessing to her family that people, people want to come to Umatilla now. But at the same time the surge in growth has also meant that the cost of housing and childcare are rising beyond reach for many blue collar workers.

[David Uberti]

Home prices and rental prices in Umatilla and the surrounding areas have doubled. So some of these sort of low wage farm workers who have traditionally made up the backbone of the local economy, those people are having a harder and harder time paying for housing and keeping up with some of these higher salaries.

[Anchor]

Uberti said that there are some who worry if this is an injection of short term prosperity or the building blocks of something more.

[David Uberti]

People want to capitalize on the good times for as long as they last. The fear being that this might just be sort of a sugar high. So the tech companies of course are saying this is the beginning of a very long period of economic expansion related to AI and data centers more broadly. People locally are really wary about buying into that too much because in many small communities around the country they have seen the downside sides of a bust. And that's what a lot of People in Umatilla. Fear is what happens when the construction stops.

[Shemitah Basu]

OpenAI and Oracle recently announced their $7.

[Anchor]

Billion data center project in Michigan.

[Narrator]

Regions in Georgia, Texas, and North Dakota.

[Anchor]

Are volleying for similar projects in Mexico. Claudia Sheinbaum made history last year when she became the first woman to be.

[Narrator]

Sworn in as the country's president.

[Shemitah Basu]

But last week, she was involved in.

[Anchor]

An incident highlighting how even those in positions of power can experience a common form of harassment. While walking through the Capitol, going from.

[Narrator]

One government office to another and stopping.

[Anchor]

For pictures with fans, President Sheinbaum was.

[Narrator]

Groped by a man.

[Anchor]

The video made international headlines.

[Shemitah Basu]

Los Angeles Times reporter Kate Linthicum spoke.

[Narrator]

To us from Mexico City.

[Kate Linthicum]

At a certain point, a man approached from behind and very quickly slipped his arm around her shoulder, leaned in and kissed her neck, and then put his arms around her and briefly groped her chest before her aides pulled him away.

[Anchor]

The video drew national outrage and reignited conversations about the prevalence of harassment against women in Mexico.

[Kate Linthicum]

There was a sense when she arrived in this position that it was a real victory for women and showed how women here had made strides. And to see her humiliated like this in public really showed a lot of people that harassment of women is still very common in Mexico, that if this could happen, you know, to the president of the country, it could happen to anyone. And it in fact, does.

[Anchor]

Sheinbaum said she filed a criminal complaint.

[Narrator]

Against the individual, telling a news conference that a line must be drawn.

[Anchor]

And she questioned what position she'd be leaving Mexican women in if she didn't report it.

[Shemitah Basu]

Authorities have since said that the man.

[Anchor]

In question has been detained.

[Narrator]

Sheinbaum also said that she would review.

[Anchor]

State laws across the country to ensure that street harassment is categorized as a crime nationwide. Sheinbaum entered office with a promise to make Mexico safer and more equitable for women.

[Shemitah Basu]

And she's made some key strides, including a new pension program for women and.

[Anchor]

A amendment that makes it unconstitutional to pay women less than men. She's also required every state to have.

[Narrator]

A specialized prosecutor's office that deals with.

[Anchor]

Femicides, which Mexico defines as murders, in which authorities prove that the female victim's.

[Narrator]

Gender was a motive.

[Kate Linthicum]

This is a country where 10 women or girls are killed on average every day. So this is exactly what the country is kind of grappling with.

[Anchor]

Lanthikum told us that the assault on Sheinbaum was a wake up call for a country that has come far in gender equality but still has a long way to go.

[Kate Linthicum]

Feminist social movements have gained tremendous ground in Mexico in recent years. The MeToo movement in the United States also resonated here. There are massive feminist protests every spring. And you know, Shane Bomb's victory in the 2024 presidential election really highlighted the strides that women have made in Mexican politics. And that is why this is so shocking to that even though you have women who've reached the highest levels of office here, they continue to be the victims of this kind of harassment.

[Anchor]

Before we let you go, a few.

[Narrator]

Other stories we're following.

[Shemitah Basu]

President Trump pardoned dozens of political allies.

[Narrator]

For support or involvement in alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

[Shemitah Basu]

The people include Prominen, former Trump lawyers.

[Narrator]

Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell.

[Shemitah Basu]

Notably, the pardon explicitly states that it.

[Narrator]

Does not apply to President Trump himself.

[Shemitah Basu]

Politico notes that because pardons apply only.

[Narrator]

To federal charges that these are largely symbolic as the individuals were facing state and local charges.

[Shemitah Basu]

Another gambling scandal has hit pro sports.

[Anchor]

This time in Major League Baseball.

[Narrator]

Two pitchers from the Cleveland Guardians were indicted Sunday on money laundering and conspiracy charges. Emmanuel Classe and Luis Ortiz are accused of taking bribes to rig bets on individual pitches, resulting in gamblers winning hundreds of thousands of dollars. The two allegedly arranged to throw specific pitches for balls. A better they were in cooperation with would then place prop bets for big profits and kick some of the money back to each player.

[Shemitah Basu]

The top charges alone carry a potential.

[Narrator]

Of up to 20 years in prison. Both of their lawyers denied the charges.

[Shemitah Basu]

And finally, publishers of the Farmer's Almanac.

[Narrator]

Announced the 2026 edition will be its last.

[Shemitah Basu]

Now, there are a couple of notable.

[Narrator]

Things about how many outlets are covering this story. The Farmer's Almanac has been in production since 1818. It's a Maine based publication that prints weather predictions and planting guidelines every year.

[Shemitah Basu]

So this is being described as the.

[Narrator]

End of a long run of this very quaint slice of life.

[Shemitah Basu]

What's funny is, as the Associated Press.

[Anchor]

Points out, many people are probably mistaking.

[Narrator]

This for another, more popular almanac called the Old Farmer's Almanac.

[Shemitah Basu]

That's the one that the AP describes.

[Narrator]

As the main one most people know.

[Shemitah Basu]

And would recognize from its yellow cover. That one is, in fact, even older.

[Narrator]

It's been in print since 1792, and.

[Shemitah Basu]

When the confusion came up about its.

[Narrator]

Competitor ending, it issued a statement saying it's not going anywhere.

[Shemitah Basu]

You can find all these stories and.

[Narrator]

More in the Apple News app.

[Shemitah Basu]

And if you're already listening in the news app right now, we've got a.

[Narrator]

Narrated article coming up next.

[Anchor]

Elle reports on the lavish Le Ball.

[Narrator]

The world's only only debutante ball that.

[Anchor]

Is invitation only and how the glamorous event is meant to shed the damsel in distress or find a husband narrative of more traditional events.

[Shemitah Basu]

If you're listening in the podcast app.

[Anchor]

Follow Apple News plus Narrated to find that story and I'll be back with the news tomorrow.