Transcript
Capital One / DSW Announcer (0:00)
This message comes from Capital One. With the Venture X card. Earn unlimited double miles on everything you buy, plus get premium benefits at a collection of hotels when booking through Capital One Travel. What's in your wallet? Terms apply details@capital1.com live from NPR News.
Amy Held (0:19)
In Washington, I'm Amy Held. The first federal shutdown in seven years looks to be likely at midnight tonight, says President Trump. Services could be delayed. Most federal workers would not get paid. Trump says some could be fired. Republicans want a stopgap bill to keep government funded for another few weeks to negotiate spending. Democrats refuse to back that and want to force Republicans to negotiate now on federal health care subsidies due to expire this year. Today, Trump announced a deal with Pfizer, he says with lower prices on its prescription drugs for Medicaid programs in the US So that they're more in line with the prices paid by other developed countries.
President Trump (0:58)
Today, Pfizer is committing to offer all of their prescription medications to Medicaid, and it will be at the most favored nation's prices. It's going to have a huge impact on bringing Medicaid costs down.
Amy Held (1:09)
The president says a new federal website will sell prescription drugs to consumers with Pfizer drugs 50% lower on average. But details were scarce on how this all would work. Paid leave ends today for some of the federal workers who accepted the administration's first fork in the road buyout offer. NPR's Andrea Hsu has this report.
Andrea Hsu (1:33)
Between January and April, roughly 150,000 federal employees agreed to resign from their jobs in exchange for pay and benefits through at least September. A number of them told NPR they did not want to quit their jobs, but did so out of fear that they would be laid off or forced to relocate if they stayed. While some of them have found new jobs right away, others are struggling to even land interviews in the Washington, D.C. area. The market is flooded with former federal employees, and the situation could soon get worse if there's a government shutdown. The White House says a funding lapse could be an opportunity to further slash roles that don't align with the president's priorities. Andrea Hsu, NPR News.
Amy Held (2:17)
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are in agreement on a ceasefire proposal to end the war in Gaza. But but as NPR's Emily Feng reports, far right politicians in Netanyahu's own coalition are not happy.
Emily Feng (2:33)