NPR News Now — October 7, 2025, 2AM EDT

Podcast: NPR News Now
Host: Shea Stevens
Duration: 5 minutes
Date: October 7, 2025
Theme: Top U.S. and international news headlines, focusing on government shutdown, political standoffs, Census Bureau preparations, Rite Aid bankruptcy, and international crime.

Episode Overview

This early-morning update from NPR provides the latest headlines on the seventh day of the U.S. government shutdown, political disputes over federal spending and negotiations, legal battles regarding federal troop deployment, concerns over Census Bureau hiring delays, a high-profile helicopter crash, a major retail bankruptcy, and a crackdown on international phone theft.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Government Shutdown Enters Seventh Day

• [00:18–01:15]
  • The U.S. government remains partially shut down, with the Senate failing again to pass a stopgap bill.
  • Conflicting claims on negotiation status:
    • President Donald Trump suggests talks are in progress.
      • Quote:
        “We have a negotiation going on right now with the Democrats that could lead to very good things.”
        — President Donald Trump [00:39]
    • Democratic leaders dispute the administration's narrative:
      • Quote:
        “Neither Leader Schumer or myself have heard a word from the administration about resolving this issue, making clear to us that the White House wanted to shut the government down.”
        — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries [00:53]
      • Democrats emphasize their intent to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.
      • Republicans argue the shutdown must end before moving forward on such measures.

2. Lawsuits and Delays Over Federal Troop Deployment

• [01:15–02:07]
  • Illinois & Chicago vs Trump Administration
    • Governor J.B. Pritzker accuses the White House of using threats to federalize troops to incite local populations.
    • The state sues to prevent troop deployment; federal judge delays ruling to allow for an appeal.
    • Quote:
      “They think they can fool us all into thinking that the way to get out of this crisis that they created is to give them free rein. Well, that plan will only work if we let it.”
      — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries [01:49]
    • Simultaneously, a federal judge in Oregon blocks troop deployment to that state.

3. Census Bureau Worker Shortages and Test Delays

• [02:07–03:01]
  • Bureau seeks temporary workers in six states (Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas) for a 2026 field test critical to 2030 census preparations.
  • Census advocates express concern over hiring delays and lack of public awareness.
    • Quote:
      “They need to be able to test a lot of these procedures and they haven't gotten the budget increases that they would need and they normally get at this point in the 10 year cycle.”
      — Ellison Plier, Census Quality Reinforcement Task Force [02:45]
  • Bureau plans to invite households to participate starting March.

4. Medical Helicopter Crash in Sacramento

• [03:01–03:16]
  • Three crew members injured; no patients onboard and no injuries to people on the freeway.
  • The crash highlights ongoing risks for emergency medical responders.

5. Legal Developments: Wrongful Deportation and Retention in U.S.

• [03:16–03:33]
  • A federal judge rejects the Justice Department’s request to delay the deportation case against Kilmore Obrego Garcia.
  • Garcia, a Maryland man wrongfully deported to El Salvador, is back in the U.S. but remains detained, facing human trafficking charges, which he denies.

6. Rite Aid Bankrupt and Closed Nationwide

• [03:33–04:31]
  • Rite Aid closes all locations after a second bankruptcy in under two years.
  • Changing pharmacy payment structures and heavy competition cited for the chain’s demise.
    • Quote:
      “Its debt ballooned in part because of expensive lawsuits alleging that Rite Aid illegally filled opioid prescriptions.”
      — NPR Reporter Alina Selyuk [03:49]
  • Failed restructuring and funding issues led to the permanent shutdown.

7. London Police Bust International Mobile Phone Theft Ring

• [04:31–04:57]
  • 18 arrests made, over 2,000 stolen devices recovered.
  • Investigation sparked by a theft victim tracking his phone to a warehouse filled with hundreds of stolen devices.

Memorable Quotes

• On negotiation stalemate:
  “Neither Leader Schumer or myself have heard a word from the administration about resolving this issue, making clear to us that the White House wanted to shut the government down.”
  — Hakeem Jeffries [00:53]

• On resisting federal intervention:
  “They think they can fool us all into thinking that the way to get out of this crisis that they created is to give them free rein. Well, that plan will only work if we let it.”
  — Hakeem Jeffries [01:49]

• On census challenges:
  “They need to be able to test a lot of these procedures and they haven't gotten the budget increases that they would need and they normally get at this point in the 10 year cycle.”
  — Ellison Plier [02:45]

• On Rite Aid’s collapse:
  “Its debt ballooned in part because of expensive lawsuits alleging that Rite Aid illegally filled opioid prescriptions.”
  — Alina Selyuk [03:49]

Notable Timestamps

• 00:18–01:15: Government shutdown latest and negotiation disputes
• 01:15–02:07: Illinois lawsuit against federal troop deployment
• 02:07–03:01: Census Bureau worker shortages
• 03:01–03:16: Sacramento medical helicopter crash
• 03:16–03:33: Kilmore Obrego Garcia deportation update
• 03:33–04:31: Rite Aid's permanent closure and causes
• 04:31–04:57: London police bust international phone theft gang

Summary Tone:
Urgent, concise, informative—everything listeners expect from NPR News Now’s rapid-fire five-minute format. Each story is presented with clarity and focus, keeping listeners up to date on shifting political dynamics, public administration challenges, business closures, and international crime developments.