NPR News: 10-06-2025 8AM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now — October 6, 2025 — 8AM EDT

Brief Overview
This episode delivers a rapid, five-minute roundup of the morning's most urgent news: the ongoing federal government shutdown and stalled Senate talks; judicial intervention blocking National Guard deployment to Oregon amidst protests; mass pro-Palestinian marches across Europe; a major U.S. bank merger; the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Medicine; and the arrival of 2025's first supermoon.

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Government Shutdown: Senate Standoff (00:18–01:13)

• Day 6 of Shutdown: The federal government remains closed as of the sixth day, with no resolution in sight.
• Senate Deadlock:
  • Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat) and Minority Leader John Thune (Republican) are publicly at odds.
  • Schumer insists on negotiating health care benefit extensions as part of any deal, while Thune focuses solely on reopening government operations.
• House Activity:
  • Speaker Mike Johnson (Republican) keeps the House closed for the week and blames Schumer for the impasse:

    • "They're doing this to get political cover because Chuck Schumer is afraid that he won't win his next reelection bid to the Senate." — Mike Johnson [00:49]

  • House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (Democrat) shifts criticsim toward President Trump’s perceived lack of engagement:

    • "Trump, the president spending all of his time on the golf course. We need serious leadership." — Hakeem Jeffries [00:59]

• Call for Talks: Schumer advocates for a meeting with congressional leaders and President Trump to break the deadlock.

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Legal Block on National Guard Deployment in Oregon (01:13–02:12)

• Judicial Restraint on Federal Action:
  • A federal judge, Karen Immergut, issued a temporary restraining order late Sunday night, preventing the Trump administration from deploying National Guard units (from any state) to Oregon.
  • This comes after prior attempts to send Oregon and California National Guard forces to Portland in response to ongoing ICE protests.
• Key Legal Justification:
  • The judge ruled there was "no legal basis for the military to assist local law enforcement."
  • Oregon officials reiterated local authorities can manage the situation.
  • President Trump referred to Portland as "war ravaged," but the judge’s order affirmed state autonomy.

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Mass Pro-Palestinian Protests and UK Crackdown (02:12–03:03)

• Widescale Demonstrations:
  • Hundreds of thousands marched across Europe for Palestinian solidarity.
  • In the UK, approximately 500 people were arrested during a peaceful demonstration.
• UK Policy Response:
  • The government recently banned public expressions of support for "Palestine Action," following vandalism against military aircraft used in Gaza operations.
  • Weekly sit-ins continue, with authorities arresting protesters for placards and chants.
  • Police powers have been expanded to curb protests, especially following an attack on a synagogue last week.

  • "Now UK officials say they'll give police enhanced power to crack down further." — Lauren Frayer [02:59]

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Additional Headlines

Hamas Attack Second Anniversary Approaches (03:03–03:17)

• Protests occur ahead of the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel (nearly 1,200 killed, 251 taken hostage).

Major Bank Merger in U.S. Finance (03:17–03:41)

• Fifth Third Bank plans to acquire Comerica for nearly $11 billion in stock, forming what may become the country's ninth-largest bank.

Nobel Prize in Medicine Announced (03:42–04:05)

• Americans Mary Brunko and Fred Ramsdell, along with Japan's Shimon Sakaguchi, win for breakthroughs explaining how the immune system protects the body.

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Science Feature: Supermoon Season Begins (04:05–04:50)

• Supermoons Explained:
  • The first supermoon of 2025 marks the start of a trio to close out the year.
  • Occurs when the moon’s elliptical orbit brings it closest to Earth at "perigee" (approx. 225,000 miles away).

  • "It looks up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter and does more than dazzle. The proximity can cause higher tides than usual." — Amy Held [04:24]

• Cultural Impact:
  • The term "supermoon" dates back to 1979, surging in popularity with online trends and social media moon photography.

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Markets Brief (04:50–04:56)

• Pre-market Trading:
  • Dow futures are up in early trading.

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End of Content Summary

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. Today's the sixth day of the federal government shutdown. The Senate is set to vote today on reopening the government, but NPR's Lou Garrett reports. Republican and Democratic lawmakers remain at an impasse.

[Lou Garrett]

Senate Republican Leader John Thune and Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer both say they want to talk but disagree on what to discuss. Schumer wants to negotiate health care benefit extensions, while Thune will only talk about reopening the government. Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson says he's keeping the House closed for the week. Johnson, a Republican, blames Schumer on NBC.

[Mike Johnson]

They're doing this to get political cover because Chuck Schumer is afraid that he won't win his next reelection bid to the Senate.

[Lou Garrett]

And House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also on NBC, threw the burden on President.

[Hakeem Jeffries]

Trump, the president spending all of his time on the golf course. We need serious leadership.

[Lou Garrett]

Schumer says the only solution is another meeting between Thune, Johnson, Jeffries, Trump and himself. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington.

[Korva Coleman]

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from deploying any National Guard units to Oregon from anywhere. This judge has now ruled twice this weekend on this issue. NPR's Matt Bloom reports on the judge's decision late last night.

[Matt Bloom]

This ruling comes after the same judge temporarily blocked the administration from deploying Oregon National Guard troops to Portland on Saturday. The next day, the president responded by ordering National Guard troops from neighboring California to the city. But in a telephone Hearing Sunday night, U.S. district Judge Karen Immergut granted a new temporary restraining order sought by both California and Oregon, saying she saw no legal basis for the military to assist local law enforcement on the ground in Portland. While Trump has called the west coast city war ravaged amid ongoing ICE protests, Oregon officials say local law enforcement is capable of handling the response. Matt Bloom, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

Hundreds of thousands of people marched across Europe this weekend in support of Palestinians. In Britain, about 500 people were arrested at a peaceful rally. NPR's Lauren Frayer reports. Some back a group that advocates for Palestinians.

[Lauren Frayer]

The UK Government has banned even expressions of support for a group called Palestine Action after some of its members vandalized UK Military aircraft that had been used in support of Israeli operations in Gaza. Since the ban, there have been weekly sit ins where thousands have been arrested for holding placards or chanting. UK Officials asked organizers to cancel this weekend's gathering, saying it would divert police from guarding synagogues after an attack last week. But organizers refused. Now UK Officials say they'll give police enhanced power to crack down further. Lauren Frayer, NPR News, London.

[Korva Coleman]

The protests in the UK come ahead of tomorrow's second anniversary of Hamas attack on Israel that killed nearly 1200 people and took 251 people hostage. This is NPR. The parent company of Fifth Third bank is buying the financial services and banking company Comerica. The deal is worth nearly $11 billion and it will all be done in a stock transaction. The two companies say their merger, if approved, will create the ninth largest bank in the U.S. this year's Nobel Prize in physiology or Medicine has been awarded to three scientists. They include American's Mary Brunko and Fred Ramsdell and Japan's Shimon Sakaguchi. They're being honored for work that explains why why the immune system in the human body can protect it instead of hurting it. Tonight will feature the biggest, brightest moon of this year. And as NPR's Amy Held reports, it will also start a season of supermoons to close out the year.

[Amy Held]

Supermoons happen three or four times a year, but this first supermoon of 2025 ushers in a trio in the last three months of the year. It happens because the moon's 27 day orbit of Earth is not in a perfect circle, but more like an oval. So when a full moon coincides with its closest approach to Earth, called The perigee, about 225,000 miles away, that's a supermoon. It looks up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter and does more than dazzle. The proximity can cause higher tides than usual. The name supermoon was coined in 1979 and is seeing a star turn in the Internet age, periodically becoming a trending term and shining on social media, where the sky's the limit on sharing cool moon pictures. And Amy Held, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

On Wall street and pre market trading, Dow futures are higher. This is npr.

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