Global News Podcast – "US ends its longest-ever government shutdown"

Date: November 13, 2025
Host: Ankur Desai, BBC World Service

Overview

This episode of the Global News Podcast centers on the end of the longest government shutdown in US history, lasting 43 days. The show examines the political maneuvering behind its conclusion, the shutdown's effects on ordinary Americans, and its fallout on both parties — particularly the Democrats after several broke ranks to end the impasse. The episode also explores related breaking news, including the release of documents involving Jeffrey Epstein and President Trump, updates from the G7 on global conflicts (Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza), a new investigation into Italian involvement in Bosnian war crimes, the booming drone industry due to the Ukraine war, and the rare occurrence of aurora sightings due to heightened solar activity.

Main Segment: End of the US Government Shutdown

The Vote and Political Maneuvering

• [02:12] The US House of Representatives returns after six weeks to narrowly pass a bill that ends the shutdown; President Trump signs it into law.
• Blame Game: President Trump blames Democrats for the "madness" of the shutdown.
  • Quote, President Trump (via Gloria Allred, mimicking Trump):
    “I just want to tell you, the country has never been in better shape. We went through this short term disaster with the Democrats because they thought it would be good politically.” [02:45]
  • Trump expresses honor in signing the bill, declaring the country can "get working again."
• Democrats divided: Several Democrats break ranks to vote for reopening the government after refusing to pass a bill lacking health insurance subsidies.

Emotional Aftermath on Capitol Hill

• [03:30] Anna Foege (reporter) describes visible relief among lawmakers post-vote, after 43 tense days:
  • Members of Congress are torn: "Do we play the political card or do we play the people card?"
  • Six Democrats prioritize reopening government over party lines.

Impact on Ordinary Americans

• [04:09] Consequences highlighted:
  • SNAP/Food assistance: 42 million Americans reliant on food support (SNAP) left without aid since late October, resulting in record traffic at food banks.
  • Air travel: Shortages of air traffic controllers lead to massive delays.
  • Federal workers: Hundreds of thousands go unpaid since October 1st.
  • Anna Foege sums it up:
    "There's few parts of the American life that haven't been touched by the shutdown at this point." [04:09]
• [05:08] Return to normal:
  • Bureaucratic delays mean “it’s going to take a little bit of time” for things like flight schedules to recover fully.

Political Fallout

• [05:35] Public opinion is fluid, but with Senate Democrats recently negotiating, the narrative is shifting toward calling it a "Democrat shutdown," presenting consequences for the party.

US Politics: Epstein Emails and Fallout

New Document Releases

• [06:00] The shutdown's end coincides with the release of hundreds of new documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, further entangling President Trump in controversy.
• [06:45] The key allegations:
  • Epstein emails mention Trump “knew about the girls” and spent hours with Virginia Giuffre at Epstein's house.
    • The White House denies wrongdoing; the victim, Giuffre, reportedly said she never saw Trump behave inappropriately.

Partisan Accusations

• [07:14] Brook Simmons defends President Trump, calling the controversy a "manufactured hoax by the Democrat Party.”
  • Quote, Brook Simmons:
    "They care about trying to score political points against President Trump. And it is not a coincidence that the Democrats leaked these emails to the fake news this morning ahead of Republicans reopening the government." [07:14]

Broader Implications

• [07:47] Gary O’Donoghue details what's in the new batch of nearly 20,000 documents:
  • 2011 Epstein to Maxwell email: Trump “...has never once been mentioned. Virginia spent hours at my house with him.” [08:28]
  • Discussion of whether Trump was ever a member of Mar-a-Lago, and what Trump should say if questioned about Epstein.
  • Proposed legislation (backed by some Republicans) to release all Epstein files, facing Administration resistance despite Republican anger.

Legal and Victim Advocate Perspective

• [10:45] Gloria Allred (lawyer for victims) calls for transparency and notes the public, across party lines, wants to see all Epstein files.
  • Quote, Gloria Allred:
    "The public, Republicans, Democrats, independent, would like to have transparency. So we'll find out what's in those files. It may just take longer than is absolutely necessary, and that's hard on victims." [10:45]
  • Discusses Maxwell's shifting recollections about Trump’s presence at Epstein’s house.
  • Anticipates a House discharge petition to force a vote on document release.
  • Asserts: “It shouldn’t be for the White House or the Congress or anyone else to decide what’s relevant or not.” [12:29]

G7 Diplomacy: Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza

G7 Foreign Ministers’ Statement

• [12:54] G7 wraps its meeting in Canada, reasserting support for Ukraine and demanding a ceasefire. The group also condemns violence in Sudan.

Sudan: Escalating Atrocities

• [13:35] U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (acting in this capacity) calls out Sudan’s RSF for "horrifying atrocities,” specifically sexual violence and the dramatic lack of refugees escaping siege conditions — implying mass casualties or extreme deprivation.
  • Quote, Marco Rubio:
    “...they anticipated receiving thousands of refugees and they didn’t. ...there’s a reason why they didn’t come out, and we fear that... it’s because they’re dead or... so sick and so famished.” [13:35]
• Rubio implicates foreign arms supplies (hinting at the UAE) and demands they end.

Gaza and International Response

• [15:21] Rubio discusses US efforts at the UN to establish an “International Stabilization Force” to secure Gaza post-ceasefire, emphasizing that humanitarian progress is contingent on security "that can't be Hamas."
  • Quote, Marco Rubio:
    "If you really want to see a huge uptick, not just in humanitarian assistance, but redevelopment, you’re going to need to have security. And that can't be Hamas." [16:00]

Investigating Bosnian “Sniper Safaris”

New Legal Action in Italy

• [18:08] Milan prosecutors begin investigating longstanding allegations that wealthy Italians paid to take part in "sniper safaris"— joining Serbian snipers in attacking Sarajevo civilians in the 1990s.
• [18:56] Shaun Lay (correspondent) contextualizes claims:
  • Italy’s Ezio Gavazeni lodges the most substantial dossier yet, based on intelligence testimonies and years of international rumor/documentary reporting.
  • Testimony includes details of foreigners bribing passage to the front, then paying to shoot civilians.
  • Quote, Shaun Lay:
    "...what he's now done is to submit a kind of dossier of what he says is evidence that does stand up… that these... 'sniper safaris' actually did take place." [18:56]

Drone Warfare: Booming Industry and Battlefield Impact

Ukraine as the Drone Battlefield

• [21:14] Drone use in Ukraine catalyzes a startup explosion: hundreds of small Ukrainian companies now assemble and donate drones, many “mom-and-pop” operations.
  • Quote, Ankur Desai:
    “...there are a ton of mom and pop shops where people are making drones and assembling them in their garages and donating them to the forces...” [22:14]

Individual Stories and New Economics

• [22:46] Ksenia Kalmus, former florist in Kyiv:
  • “I just wanted to help my country, help my people and military. I helped them with different stuff. And at that moment I realized that all the requests were for drones.” [22:46]
  • Parts sourced mostly from Ukraine, some from China.
• [23:21] Defence industry growth:
  • US (AeroVironment), Portugal (Tekiva “unicorn”), Germany (Stark) see profits soar; counter-drone companies like Australia’s DroneShield also boom.
  • Since Russia’s invasion:
    • AeroVironment share price up 500%
    • DroneShield up 2600%
• [24:30] Future: autonomy is the next big step.
  • Quote, Stacy Pettijohn (defense analyst):
    “I do think there are going to be further changes in the future as autonomy advances. That's going to be the next real shift.” [24:30]

Science: Solar Storms and Aurora Sightings

Rare Aurora Event

• [24:49] Extraordinary solar activity—mass ejection from the sun—pushes auroras far from the poles.
• [25:20] Brook Simmons explains the physics:
  • Sun’s convection pushes plasma and magnetic fields outward.
  • Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field convert these high-energy particles into visible auroras, usually near the poles.
  • Current storm strong enough to make auroras visible in places like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and northern latitudes like Canada, Scandinavia, and Alaska.
    • Quote, Brook Simmons:
      “When it’s particularly strong, it can travel even further away from the poles, can be easily visible to the naked eye even if you’re not necessarily at a dark site. And it's just gorgeous. Like such a show, it's spectacular.” [01:56 and 25:20]
• [27:43] Reference to the 19th-century Carrington Event, which caused telegraph malfunctions; modern systems are less at risk from this storm, but a repeat could threaten the power grid.
  • Quote, Brook Simmons:
    “It’s not dangerous, this storm, but that event 175 years ago or so... there are reports of telegraph operators on the ground getting electric shocks and that it caused fires in the telegraph network. You can imagine what that would do to a modern power grid. It would not be good.” [27:43]

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• President Trump (via Allred) on ending the shutdown:
  “I just want to tell you, the country has never been in better shape...” [02:45]
• Anna Foege on the shutdown’s impact:
  “There’s few parts of the American life that haven’t been touched by the shutdown at this point.” [04:09]
• Brook Simmons on the aurora:
  “It can be easily visible to the naked eye even if you’re not necessarily at a dark site. And it’s just gorgeous. Like such a show, it’s spectacular.” [01:56, 25:20]
• Gloria Allred on transparency and victims:
  “The public, Republicans, Democrats, independent, would like to have transparency... that’s hard on victims.” [10:45]
• Marco Rubio on Sudan atrocities:
  “...we fear that the reason why they didn’t come out is because they’re dead or because they’re so sick and so famished.” [13:35]
• Stacy Pettijohn on the future of drone warfare:
  “That’s going to be the next real shift.” [24:30]

Notable Timestamps

• [01:08] – Main headlines
• [02:12] – Shutdown ends: US Congress vote and Trump signs bill
• [03:30] – Emotional reaction on Capitol Hill
• [04:09] – Real-world impact on Americans
• [06:00] – Epstein emails released
• [07:14] – White House responses and polarization
• [10:45] – Gloria Allred on justice and transparency
• [12:54] – G7, Ukraine, Sudan, Russia condemnation
• [13:35] – Marco Rubio's comments on Sudan atrocities
• [16:00] – Gaza “Stabilization Force” proposal
• [18:08] – Investigation into Italian “sniper safaris” in Bosnia
• [21:14] – Drones in Ukraine's war
• [24:30] – The next step: autonomous warfare
• [24:49] – Aurora borealis/southern lights event explained
• [27:43] – Carrington Event and modern risks

Summary

This tightly packed episode demonstrates why the Global News Podcast is essential listening for international affairs. It features up-to-the-moment reporting, incisive analysis, and clear human impacts across stories from Washington, Kyiv, Gaza, Sudan, Bosnia, and beyond.

The episode's through-thread—the conclusion of America’s record-breaking shutdown—serves as both a symbol of government dysfunction and a pivot point for discussion on politics, scandal, war crimes, and technological change. With sharp first-person perspectives, explanations from expert guests, and pointed quotes, the podcast provides a nuanced, panoramic view of a world in flux.