NPR News: 10-04-2025 11PM EDT

Summary

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NPR News: 10-04-2025 11PM EDT — Episode Summary

Date: October 5, 2025
Host: Douh Alisai Kowtel
Podcast: NPR News Now

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Main Theme

This episode provides a concise roundup of the day’s most pressing national and international news developments, focusing on the Israel-Hamas peace process, the ongoing U.S. federal government shutdown's impact on NASA, federal intervention in Portland, National Guard deployment in Illinois, and new global maternal health guidelines.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Israel-Hamas Ceasefire and Hostage Negotiations

[00:20–01:18]

• Prime Minister Netanyahu signals willingness to end the war if Hamas returns all remaining hostages by October 13, as per a U.S. peace plan proposed by President Trump.

• Emily Feng (NPR Correspondent): Details the two-phase peace plan:

  • Phase 1: Hostage return.
  • Phase 2: Disarmament of Hamas, voluntarily or by force, which Hamas has not agreed to.

• Public Reaction: At an anti-war protest in Tel Aviv, demonstrator Gabriella Goldschmidt expresses cautious hope about the negotiations:

  “Yes, there is hope, but it’s a very cautious hope because we don’t know what kinds of tricks Netanyahu has in his pocket.”
  — Gabriella Goldschmidt, [01:09]

• Ongoing skepticism exists over the Israeli government's commitment to maintaining a ceasefire.

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2. Federal Government Shutdown: Impact on NASA

[01:26–02:25]

• Shutdown Enters Fourth Day: NASA has furloughed most of its civilian workforce, impacting over 15,000 employees, including about 2,000 at Houston’s Johnson Space Center.
• Sarah Grunow (Houston Public Media): Provides key details:
  • Furloughed NASA employees will receive back pay, but the duration is uncertain.
  • Space Center Houston (the visitor center) remains open since it’s operated by a nonprofit.
  • Short-term plan pauses most space agency operations, including work on the International Space Station and Artemis program.

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3. Federal Intervention and Protests in Portland

[02:25–03:06]

• Federal Judge in Oregon: Temporarily blocks Trump administration from deploying National Guard to Portland.

• Judge Kar en Emergut (Trump appointee): Rules that the protests do not constitute a "rebellion," granting a temporary restraining order to the city and Oregon DOJ.

• Portland Mayor Keith Wilson emphasizes the peaceful victory:

  “Put simply, we won through peace. And we've shown we can hold those who engage in violence or destruction accountable. I’ve said from the very beginning the number of federal troops that are needed or wanted is zero.”
  — Keith Wilson, [02:52]

• Trump administration may appeal, in line with similar national cases.

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4. National Guard Deployment to Illinois

[03:06–04:18]

• Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker: Reports ultimatum from the Trump administration to "call up your troops or we will."
• President Trump: Authorizes 300 National Guard troops to Illinois.
• Context: Within hours of the announcement, Border Patrol agents in Chicago shot and wounded a woman.
• White House Spokesperson Abigail Jackson’s statement: Refers to "ongoing violent riots and lawlessness" that local leaders allegedly failed to address, justifying the deployment to "protect federal officers and assets."

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5. New Global Guidelines for Maternal Health

[04:18–04:52]

• Global Health Agencies Collaboration: WHO, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and the International Confederation of Midwives release new guidelines on combating postpartum hemorrhage.
• Gabrielle Emanuel (NPR):
  • Stresses the gravity: Annually, millions of women are affected, with 45,000 deaths.
  • The new guidelines propose earlier detection and intervention by significantly lowering the threshold for when bleeding is considered dangerous.
  • Represents a "major shift" in the global response to maternal health risks.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Gabriella Goldschmidt (Tel Aviv protester):

  “Yes, there is hope, but it’s a very cautious hope because we don’t know what kinds of tricks Netanyahu has in his pocket.” [01:09]

• Portland Mayor Keith Wilson:

  “Put simply, we won through peace. And we've shown we can hold those who engage in violence or destruction accountable. I’ve said from the very beginning the number of federal troops that are needed or wanted is zero.” [02:52]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Israel-Hamas peace negotiations: [00:20–01:18]
• NASA shutdown effects: [01:26–02:25]
• Federal intervention in Portland: [02:25–03:06]
• National Guard in Illinois: [03:06–04:18]
• Global maternal health guidelines: [04:18–04:52]

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This summary captures the essential content and sentiment of the NPR News Now 11PM EDT briefing. For breaking developments and additional details, listeners should reference the full episode or NPR’s live updates.

Transcript

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[Douh Alisai Kowtel]

From NPR News in New York City, I'm Douh Alisai Kowtel. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he hopes Hamas will return all remaining hostages by an upcoming Jewish holiday on October 13 as part of a proposal put forth by President Trump. Israel would then end the war. But as NPR's Emily Feng reports, there are still big questions remaining over the durability of any ceasefire.

[Emily Feng]

The return of the hostages is the first step in a US Peace plan. Netanyahu said the second phase of a peace plan would see Hamas disarmed voluntarily or by force if needed, something Hamas has not explicitly agreed to. And at a weekly anti war protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday, regular demonstrators like Gabriella Goldschmidt worried negotiations would fall through again.

[Gabriella Goldschmidt]

Yes, there is hope, but it's a very cautious hope because we don't know what kinds of tricks Netanyahu has in his pocket.

[Emily Feng]

And she fretted that her government would find a reason to end another ceasefire. Emily Feng, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

[Douh Alisai Kowtel]

As a shutdown of the federal government enters its fourth day, an HR memo suggests NASA has furloughed many of its civilian workforce. Houston Public Media's Sarah Grunow reports.

[Sarah Grunow]

The furlough plan targets more than 15,000 employees of the space agency, including more than 2,000 at Houston's Johnson Space center, the majority of their total workforce. NASA employees who are furloughed will receive back pay at the end of the shutdown, but there's no indication when that might be. Space CENTER HOUSTON the visitor center of the Johnson Space center will remain open to guests through the shutdown. Workers there get paid because the center is a nonprofit organization and not an entity of the Federal Space Agency. The memo includes a short term plan to temporarily seize most operations of the space agency, the International Space Station and Artemis program. Developments will continue throughout the shutdown. I'm Sarah Grunow in Houston.

[Douh Alisai Kowtel]

A federal judge in Oregon has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard to Portland. Judge Karen Emergut, who was appointed by Trump, said the government didn't meet the threshold for declaring recent recent ongoing protests outside an ICE facility in Portland, quote, a rebellion. The judge granted the city and the Oregon Department of Justice a temporary restraining order Saturday afternoon. Here's Portland Mayor Keith Wilson.

[Keith Wilson]

Put simply, we won through peace. And we've shown we can hold those who engage in violence or destruction accountable. I've said from the very beginning the number of federal troops that are needed or wanted is zero.

[Douh Alisai Kowtel]

The Trump administration could still appeal, as it has in similar cases across the country. You are listening to NPR News from New York. Just hours after Illinois Governor J.B. pritzker posted on social media that the administration's Department of War had sent him an ultimatum to, quote, call up your troops or we will. President Trump did so this afternoon, authoring authorizing 300 National Guard troops to the state. Not long after Border Patrol agents in Chicago neighborhood shot and injured a woman. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement amidst ongoing violent riots and lawlessness that local leaders like Pritzker have refused to step into quell. President Trump has authorized 300 National Guardsmen to protect federal officers and assets. Several global health agencies are teaming up to issue new guidelines on how to respond to postpartum hemorrhage or excessive bleeding after childbirth. As NPR's Gabrielle Emanuel reports, this is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality globally.

[Gabrielle Emanuel]

Each year, millions of women experience postpartum hemorrhage and 45,000 of them die from it. The new guidelines were issued by the World Health Organization, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics and the International Confederation of Midwives. The guidelines represent a major shift in how the condition is diagnosed and treated, including significant significantly lowering the threshold of how much blood is lost before action is taken. The goal is earlier detection and quicker response. Gabriela Emanuel, NPR News.

[Douh Alisai Kowtel]

And I'm Douahli Sai Kaowtao, NPR News, in New York.

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